Page 47 - 31DEC2018E

AGRICULTURE

Why is farming sector suffering and talisation of Indian economy. It was
why the farmers have become more vo- devised to remove intermediaries and
cal in the recent past? This can be eval- bring transparency in payments. Farm-
uated by discussing some major issues ers, mostly uneducated, have not been
concerning the farmers. availed any benefit of digitalisation.
The small farmers sell their crop either
Doubling of Farmers’ Income through commission agents (in state
It has been observed that in the past where procurement of crops is done) or
few years, the real income of the farm- through large farmers. Hence, in the of-
ers has either remained stagnant or ficial records of market committees, the
decreased despite rapid increase in commission agents or the large farmer
productivity (82 million tonnes in 1960- is a seller and the money is transferred
61 to 275.68 million tonnes in 2016-17). in his account. Poor farmer does not
In our country, about 80 per cent of even come to know when the money
the farmers are marginal and small is transferred electronically in the ac-
farmers, who are unable to save and count of the intermediary and gets de-
invest due to low levels of income. In layed payments.
such a situation, the announcement of The agrarian distress Cow vigilantism The disparity of tax structure even
doubling of income stimulates hope in The emergence of cow protection after the roll out of GST regime has un-
the lives of a large number of people had been chasing squads during the Modi regime has dermined the farming sector. Sushil
who could be prospective beneficiar- farmers for long. badly hit the farmers’ income espe - Mittal, President of Haryana Ginning
ies of such vision of the government. cially in the northern states where the Mills’ Association told that the market
An investigation into the time required But of late, more income from cow breeding helps the fee and cess in the agriculture markets
for doubling the farmers’ income by farmers to compensate for the low re- of different states are different. Modi
2022 as envisaged by the Modi Govern- organised protests in muneration from farming. The prolif- crops other than these four crops. The farms. With the mechanisation of agri- government has a callous disregard for
ment as analysed by NABARD explains different states are eration of self-styled cow protection farmers are advised by the state agri- culture, we have been able to modern- the farmers. A textile hub was promised
that at national level it will take 13.56 squads has not only undermined the culture departments in the respective ise farming to some extent but have not by the BJP Government in Haryana as
years to double the farmers’ real in- being held to make income generation from breeding but states to grow horticulture crops, oil- been able to absorb the surplus labour Haryana produces 25 lakh bales of cot-
come at CAGR of 6.68 per cent. These their voices heard also resulted in growing number of seeds and pulses but the state market- that resulted out of this mechanisa- ton annual and its consumption is only
are the Government’s own estimates stray cattle. The farmers have to spend ing boards do not make sufficient effort tion. This has resulted in disguised un- 3 lakh bales per annum. It would have
and shows that poor population is for the up-keeping of the abundant ani- to organise for buyers of the crops. Lack employment, low average income and created job opportunities as well. It has
given projections that are difficult of 2 per cent of the insured value for mals with their limited means and the of cold chains and processing facilities economic stress. According to NSSO not been implemented and no one lis-
to attain. the kharif crop and 1.5 per cent for rabi space. The financial and social implica- at affordable cost dissuade the farmers Report of 2012-13, the average monthly tens to our demands.
crop. The response has been lacklustre tions of such decisions have not been from diversifying. The different depart- income of a farm household in India is He said e-NAM has also been a fail-
Crop Insurance as the government itself claims that revisited despite repeated demands ment of the state though headed by the 3,350. Is it a sustainable level of in - ure because the infrastructure needed
The insurance of crop is imperative the coverage of this scheme will be from the farmers. According to a senior same minister (Agriculture) work in come? The disparity in the society be- to check the moisture in grain and oth-
for managing yield risk particularly in increased from 40 per cent in 2016-17 farmer leader, killing an expensive high complete isolation and farmers suffer. tween the farming and non-farming er parameters for different crop have
rainfed areas, more so for marginal and to 50 per cent in 2018-19. Different pa- milk-yielding cow is something un- The noted agriculture scientist, communities has been increasing not been provided. A trader located
small farmers who face greater degree rameters used for the insurance for thinkable as it does not make a business Professor M S Swaminathan, around sharply, giving rise to social unrest, in down south may need cotton from
of difference in yield. The misuse of the industries and commercial estab- sense. Even then, Gau Raksha Boards whose report, the farmers protests are manifested in protests and agitations. Haryana but quality certification facili-
government funds in the garb of Prad- lishments vis-à-vis agriculture. In crop have been constituted and it has been revolving also believes that the de - Loan waivers and MSP are the short- ties are not available in the markets.
han Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) insurance, the loss of a farmer is cal- mandatory to procure no objection mand for loan waiver emerged from run remedies. We need to contemplate The farmers have also started un-
in some states has been reported and culated on the basis of loss in a block certificate (NOC) from district authori- non-remunerative prices of the crops. for long run sustainability. We need to derstanding now that along with debt
may be only a tip of the iceberg. The or a village. The individual farm is not ties and Cow Protection Board, that has An integrated approach towards crop understand that natural resources are waiver the implementation of the rec-
farmers have been lamenting that the eligible for the crop loss suffered. This helped smugglers at cost of the farmers. production, pricing, marketing and pro- limited so re-rationalisation of these ommendations of the National Com-
premium of insurance is deduced from evidently shows the flaw intentionally curement is the need of the hour. scarce resources is to be mulled. Blindly mission on farmers can only solve their
their loan account in the banks without designed to favour the corporate. It has Political Rhetoric and Experts’ According to BS Dhillon, Vice Chan- aping models of other counties will economic distress. The roll out of new
their knowledge but for the compensa- been widely covered in media that in opinion cellor of Punjab Agriculture Univer- not solve our problems and we need schemes with fancy names and public-
tion such enthusiasm of banks is miss- the crop year 2016-17 (a year of normal Although government announces the sity, Ludhiana, the agriculture sector in to design our own models fitting into ity cannot cut the ice. The results of as-
ing. The private insurance companies monsoon), a sum of 22,437 was paid Minimum Support Prices of 23 crops India is marred by low investment in our socio-economic set-up and natural sembly polls are surely a warning bell
fleece them and many of them are not to insurance companies as premium, every year, the actual procurement is farm infrastructure. The allocation of endowments. for the political parties. As the saying
even aware of crop insurance in their whereas the farmers were issued the done only for wheat, paddy and cotton. resources for research in agriculture is goes ‘United we stand’ fits well for farm-
name and do not seek the claim if crop crop loss claims worth 8,088 crore. Sugarcane is procured under SAP (State much higher in countries like U.S.A. and Digitalisation, GST and e-NAM ing community at this juncture.
is damaged. PMFBY ostensibly provides This has disgruntled the farmers in all Advised Price). This explicitly excludes China. Another disadvantage for the ag- The Modi government spent a lot of
a comprehensive cover at a premium parts of the country. a huge number of farmers who grow riculture sector in India is small size of time and money on publicising digi- LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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