2/18/2016 6mainproblemsoffarmersuicidesand9solutionstofixthem

The farmer question: 6 main problems of

Indian agriculture and 9 solutions to fix them
By NewsGram News Desk - July 5, 2015

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CompiledbyNandiniVoiceforTheDeprived

Foracountrywhichhasthecapacitytoproducethreecropsinayear,theceaseless
casesoffarmersuicidesareanignominiousfact.Thestaticsofthedeathsaresohigh
thatthereisnothingpersonalormovingleftinthem.Deathcountofadisasterraises
moresympathythanthesuicidesoftheIndianfarmers.Ithasbecomemoreofafactor
tolashtherulingpartybytheoppositionthanawarningsigntoactuallydosomething.

However,notallareinsensitivetotheagrarianplight.NandiniVoiceforTheDeprived,
aChennaibasedNGOorganisedanAllIndiaEssayCompetitionforthecitizenson
HowtopreventfarmerssuicidesinIndia?tolookcriticallyintotheissue.

Herearesomereasonsandafewsolutionstotheproblemassuggestedbythe
participantsinthecompetition.

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2/18/2016 6mainproblemsoffarmersuicidesand9solutionstofixthem

ProblemsofIndianagriculture

1.Agricultureisunorganizedactivitytoday

Indianagricultureislargelyanunorganizedsector.Nosystematicinstitutionaland
organizationalplanningisinvolvedincultivation,irrigation,harvestingetc.

Institutionalfinancesarenotadequatelyavailableandminimumpurchasepricefixed
bythegovernmentdonotreachthepoorestfarmer.

2.Mostfarmsaresmallandeconomicallyunfeasible

ThegroundrealityisthatmajorityofthefarmersinIndiaownaslittleastwoacresof
land.Cultivationonsuchsmallareaisnoteconomicallyfeasible.Such
smallfarmershavebecomevulnerable.

Inmanycases,thefarmersarenoteventheownersoftheland,whichmakes
profitablecultivationimpossiblebecausesignificantportionoftheearningsgotowards
thepaymentofleasefortheland.

3.Middlemenandeconomicexploitationoffarmers

Exploitationbythemiddlemenisthereasonputforthfornotgettingthebestpricefor
theproduceoftheagriculturists.

Thegovernmentshouldpromotetheplancalledulavarsanthai(FarmersMarket),
wherethefarmerscandirectlyselltheirproductsatreasonablepricetothe
consumers.

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4.Governmentprogramdonotreachsmallfarmers

Governmenthasimplementedagriculturaldebt.waiveranddebt.reliefschemein
2008tobenefitover36millionfarmers.Directagriculturalloanto
stressedfarmersundersocalledKisancreditCardwerealsocoveredunderthis
scheme.

However,mostofthesubsidiesandwelfareschemesannouncedbytheCentraland
Stategovernmentsdonotreachthepoorfarmers.Onthecontrary,onlybiglandlords
arebenefitedbythoseschemes.

5.Highindebtednessandexorbitantinterestrates

Therootcauseoffarmerstakingtheirlivesistheincreaseintheirindebtednessand
debtburden.

Exorbitantinterestrateshavetobedeclaredillegalandthegovernmenthastotake
strictmeasuresagainstgreedymoneylenders.

Easyaccesstoinstitutionalcreditshavetoreachthesmallandmarginalfarmers,
withoutcumbersomeprocedures.

6.Realestatemafia

Wecanseeevenfertilelandbestsuitedforagriculturalpurposebeingsoldtoreal
estatepeople,whoprepareplotsandgiveattractiveadvertisementstosellat
exorbitantprice.Thereisneedtoimplementstrictmeasurestopreventlandgrabbing.

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Solutionstotheproblem

1.Multiplecrops

Cultivationofmulticropssuchascoconut,turmeric,pineapple,banana,apple,papaya,
gingerwillyieldprofitableresultstothefarmers.

2.Specialagriculturalzone

Justlikeindustrialzone,thereisanurgentneedtoestablishspecialagriculturalzones,
whereonlyfarmingandagriculturerelatedactivityshouldbeallowed.

3.Needtomodernizeagriculture

Byintroducingfarmtechniqueswhichguaranteeadefinitesuccess,anincreasein
youthparticipationonagriculturalfieldsiseconomicallypossible.Thiscanbeattained
onlybyimplementingnewtechnologies.Researcheffortsshouldcontinueforthe
productionofcropswithhigheryieldpotentialandbetterresistancetopests.

Technologicaladvancementinagricultureshouldbepasseddowntothesmallfarmers.

Wheretheexistingcropswouldnotdowellunderdroughtandweatherconditions,
thefarmersshouldbehelpedtoshifttocultivatingcropsthatwouldbeeasyand
economicaltocultivate.

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4.Educatethefarmers

ManyfarmersinIndiaarenotawareofcroprotation.Thougheducationinurbanareas
hasimprovedalot,thegovernmenthasignoredthesameinruralareasingeneraland
inagriculturesectorinparticular.Thisisthereasonwhyfarmersarenotadequately
awareofthevariousschemesprovidedbythegovernment.

5.Clubbingofsmallfieldsmayhelp

Severalfarmerswhoownsmallpieceoflandcanjointogetherandcombineallsmall
fieldsintoonelargechunk.Thismayhelpinvarietyofways.

6.Needformeaningfulcropinsurancepolicies

Cropinsuranceismustandtheclaimshouldbesettledeasilyunderthesupervisionof
thedistrictcollectors.

Traditionalcropinsurancedependsonthedirectmeasurementofthedamagesuffered
byafarmertodeterminehis/herpayout.However,fieldlossassessmentisoftennot
feasibleorexpensive,sincemostofourfarmersaresmallholders.

Indexbasedinsurance,ontheotherhand,respondstodefinedparameter.

Indexbasedinsurancehastheadvantagesthatitistransparentandalltheinsurers
withinthedefinedgeographicalareaaretreatedequally.Ithaslowoperationaland
transnationalcosts,whilealsoensuringquickpayouts.

7..Needforbetterwatermanagement

Irrigationfacilitiesthatarecurrentlyavailabledonotcovertheentirecultivableland.
Apartfromtheareaswhereperennialriversflow,mostoftheagriculturalfieldsdonot
haveirrigationfacility.

Inmostcases,itisnotthelackofwaterbutthelackofproperwatermanagementthat
causeswatershortage.Improvedmodernmethodsofrainwaterharvestingshouldbe

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developed.

Watermanagementcanbemademoreeffectivethroughinterstatecooperationon
waterresources,wheresurpluswaterfromperennialriverscanbedivertedtothe
needyareas.

Connectingtheriversthroughoutthecountrywillsolvethisproblem.Constructionof
NationalWaterwayswillimprovetheirrigationfacility,whichinturncansave
thefarmers,ifthemonsoonwouldfail.

8.Alternatesourceofincomeforfarmers

Smallfarmersshouldbeencouragedtodevelopalternativesourcesofincomeandthe
governmentshouldtakeuptheresponsibilityforprovidingtrainingtothefarmersto
acquirenewskills.

Indroughtaffectedareas,thegovernmentshouldstartalternativeemployment
generationprogramstoreducethedependenceonagricultureasthesolesourceof
income.Suchprogramsshouldbestandardized.

Farmersshouldbeenabledtodividetheiractivitiesintothreeparts.Oneforregular
cropproduction,oneforanimalhusbandryorfisheriesandanotherfortimber
production.Theseactivitiescomplementeachotherandalsoalternatesourcesof
incomeoffarmerscanbeensured.

9.Needfornationalweatherriskmanagementsystem/diseasealertsystem

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Facilitatingnationalweatherriskmanagementsystemthatalertsfarmerswhenthere
isadangerofextremeweather,wouldgoalongwayinreducinglossesinagriculture.

Valueaddedserviceslikepestanddiseasealertapplications,incombinationwiththe
weatherforecastwouldequipthefarmerstohandleandmanagetheircropsbetter.

Forexample,WaterWatchCooperative,aNetherlandsbasedorganization,has
developedadiseasealertsystemthatsendsanalarmtofarmers,ifprobabilityofa
pest/diseasewouldbedetected.

Similarly,systemthatdetecttheamountofwatertobeprovidedtoafieldbasedon
thefieldwatercontent,biomassandrainfallprobability,wouldaidinoptimizationof
waterprovisiontothecropandensureefficientcropmanagement.

NewsGram News Desk

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