Farm distress is the focus of Union Budget 2016-17, with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley allocating the highest ever funds — Rs 47,912 crore, which is an 84 per cent rise over last year’s Rs 25,988 crore — for agriculture and welfare schemes for farmers. But the thousands of crores may still not be enough, as the root causes of farm troubles go deep.
Dr Rajaram Deshmukh, former Director, Agriculture Science & Technology Division, Vasantdada Sugar Institute, and former vice-chancellor, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, says, “Climate change and water shortage has led to an agricultural crisis across the country. A disturbed rain cycle has added to the farmers’ woes. They cannot grow a second crop. Available water sources are being overexploited. Also, land holding is reducing as families get bigger. 80 per cent farmers have less than two hectare land, leading to production insufficient to feed the people dependent on this land.”
Dr Tukaram More, former Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, says, “Water is the primary requirement of agriculture. In the last few years, the rain clock has been disturbed. There are technologies that we have developed where crops can be grown with less water. But these need to reach the farmers. We have also submitted a comprehensive report to the government, suggesting cropping patterns as per climate zones.”
According to government data, since 1995, more than 300,000 farmers have committed suicide in the country.
According to Union Ministry of Agriculture data, the agricultural sector employs 54.6 per cent of the total workforce in the country but contributes less than 15 per cent to the country’s GDP. In the 12th five year plan (2012-17), a 4 per cent growth target has been set for the agricultural sector. However, as per official statistics, the sector has grown a mere 1.1 per cent this year after seeing -0.2 per cent growth last year, with food grain production stagnating at around 250 million tonne for the past two years.
Award-winning agriculture expert Devinder Sharma says, “Farmers have been denied their legitimate income from farming. Several studies by Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth for instance, have shown how farmers’ expenditure is more than their income received by way of Minimum Support Price (MSP). The net returns compiled by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) for different crops, too, show how meagre are farm incomes. Farmers are being denied a higher price, which is their legitimate right, simply to keep food inflation under check. While the incomes of all sections of society are on the rise, farm incomes are stagnating. By keeping farm gate prices nearly frozen over the years, farmers are in reality being penalised for producing food.”
Asked whether farmers would not want their children to follow the same profession in such a situation, Mr Sharma replied, “If a father’s income is between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 a month, why should the children take up the same job According to the Economic Survey (2016), the average income of a farm family from agricultural activities in 17 states is Rs 20,000 a year, which means it is Rs 1,666 per month. In such a scenario, why should children take up the same profession which does not even ensure two square meals a day!”.
Experts also point out the need for farmers to change th-eir crop preferences. Acco-rding to Dr Des-hmukh, “Farmers prefer cash crops like sugar cane, mosambi, oranges, pomegranate, mangoes and grapes that require more water, putting a burden on our resources. The preference should be for a sustainable cropping pattern with traditional crops like tur. India produces almost 90 per cent of tur in Asia. An alternative crop pattern can be used, like growing soybean in the months of September and October, and then tur till December, January. This will help reduce water use during summer. Excess sugar cane reduces the fertility of land as well as crop production. Instead, dicotyledons like pulses and oil seeds are good crops to maintain fertility of land and help grow other crops as well. BT cotton has not helped farmers as it was projected; companies ended up making profits.”
Mr More is of the view that Foreign Direct Investment in the food processing industry will help farmers. Efforts like cooperative farming are working in some places as input cost is less. Green house technology is also resulting in increased production, he says. However, he opposes the option of organic farming saying, “There is a notion that organic farming is the solution to the agricultural crisis. I completely disagree. Hundred per cent organic farming is not possible as we have to feed 125 crore people. It does not increase yield, but only improves quality,” he says. Dr Deshmukh draws attention to the social impact of the farm crisis in the form of farming communities like Marathas in Maharashtra, Jats in Haryana, Patels in Gujarat and Gujjars in Rajasthan beginning to demand reservations. He says that these communities were prosperous a few years ago with good agricultural production however with the farm crisis having deepened, their children are left with no opportunities outside farming. Also, they cannot afford a private education and a decent lifestyle, says Dr Deshmukh.
Mr Sharma tends to agree with Dr Deshmukh. “The demand for reservation is linked to economic deprivation. But now, even land owners are demanding it. With farming becoming economically unviable, and with hardly any jobs available for the younger generation, seeking reservation on caste basis is the only plausible option. Farmers are increasingly turning to demanding reservation on caste basis, which provides a glimmer of hope,” he says.
A more immediate glimmer of hope comes from predictions that rains this year will be good. J.V. Kulkarni, former scientist, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, says, “This year, the monsoon will be normal and there may even be excess rainfall due to the La Nina condition that generally prevails after El Nino.”
