In a year when farm growth has crossed the 4% mark and official statistics show a record increase in production, one would have expected farmers to celebrate. Instead, farmers in states such as Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are out on the streets protesting, and in some cases, facing bullets from the local police.
What explains this paradox?
The answer might lie in several structural changes that India’s farm economy and polity have witnessed over the past few years. Three key factors stand out: rising price risks faced by farmers, especially horticultural producers, lack of adequate policy support, and a sense of betrayal among the land-owning community which had pinned its hopes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to usher a new era of prosperity or “achhe din”.
In response to rising demand, the Indian farmer has now begun producing fruits and vegetables in much greater quantities than before, with horticultural output exceeding that of food grains for the fifth straight year. Read More
What explains this paradox?
The answer might lie in several structural changes that India’s farm economy and polity have witnessed over the past few years. Three key factors stand out: rising price risks faced by farmers, especially horticultural producers, lack of adequate policy support, and a sense of betrayal among the land-owning community which had pinned its hopes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to usher a new era of prosperity or “achhe din”.
In response to rising demand, the Indian farmer has now begun producing fruits and vegetables in much greater quantities than before, with horticultural output exceeding that of food grains for the fifth straight year. Read More