THE AGRICULTURE ENIGMA

 

The Agriculture Enigma

 

Agriculture is a word that defines the evolutionary power of the human race. And we in India, being the residents of the world’s oldest civilization, are no different.  Since the Harappan age, to being the British colony for nearly 200 years and from that blessed day of 15^th august 1947 to the modern India that is on developmental flight, we have always been,  substantially, an agricultural country.

Yes, it needs to be highlighted that the Indian economy as whole suffered because of the subjugation at the hands of the foreigners and it generated a lot of friction for growth even after their departure.

In 1947, agriculture contributed 54% toward the Indian GDP and a total of 60% of the population depended on it  for a living. These figures have come down enormously in the past 73 years of independent India. And if we go by the common discourse that we have been witness to in these years, then it can be apparently said that agriculture has taken a beating. Now let us take a look at some of the numbers.

The population of the nation in the first census after independence was 36.10 crore which indicates to a total of 21.66 crore of being engaged in agriculture. And if we compare this number with the present scenario of 52% of the population depending on agriculture then we find the stat to be somewhere around 70 crore. The contribution of agriculture to the GDP at present has decreased to nearly 15 % overall. The budget allocation for agriculture and allied activities was ₹ 8362.58 crore for the year 2020-21, which, when seen in comparison to the first full budget where in the expected revenue expenditure was ₹ 197 crore(approx).

We must also be aware of the fact that India has gone from an importing country to a self dependent agriculture economy. Those of you who had seen the 1965 Indo-Pak war or have read about it, must be in know of the fact that the then PM of india Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri had, considering the shortfalls in food grains and threat of the Americans cutting of supply of wheat, appealed  to the Indian families to skip one meal in a week. Though the sacrifices displayed by the soldiers on the battleground and the sensitivity of the Indian people is a matter of pride but it also speaks volumes about the state of agriculture in our country then. And then came about, the Green Revolution and it changed the face of Indian agriculture, bringing new crops’ varieties and farming techniques.

But we must also be mindful of the heart wrenching, fact that innumerable farmers have committed suicide in the face of financial troubles. According to the latest numbers published by the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of farmer suicides increased to 12,360 in 2014 from 11,772 in 2013.  According to the numbers, around 37% of all suicides are committed by farmers, 80% of all the farmers who committed suicide due to ‘bankruptcy or debt’ had borrowed money from institutional sources.

So, now it can be safely stated that the whole picture is not in black and white, as portrayed but there are numerous shades to the image.

Various governments, at different stages have rolled out schemes and plans, to benefit the sector with varied results. The land reforms that have been implemented, the land ceiling laws promulgated, and tenancy reforms, all of whose failures easily attracted the Indian government towards the Green Revolution. As the time passed, other schemes were also implemented for the farming community. The membership of India in the WTO also showed its effects on the nation’s foremost sector.

The direct benefit transfer introduced has been a game changer, removing agents and middlemen, and hence has been of incredible value, to the poor farmers specially. Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, national mission for sustainable agriculture, the national food security act, introduction of APMCs, formation of NABARD, etc, has undoubtedly  pushed agriculture to a better place.

There are no two ways, that the governments at the centre and in the states, still need to more to improve the situation further. But the governments must also keep in mind, the fact, that improving agriculture doesn’t necessarily mean supervising everything. Agriculture, like any other sector that wants to grow, needs capital and the state cannot afford to keep facilitating this, lest it falls into an unrecoverable debt of its own making. The money that is required by the farming sector has to come from private investments, which will essentially work on the demand and supply model, keeping in check the quality and prices for both, the producers and consumers. Foregoing loans and giving subsidies might seem to work in the short term and might be instrumental for electoral victories but it will never help increase the farmer’s income, forget about doubling it.

Certainly there are stresses in sector but there are enough ways and means to relieve those stresses as well. The traditional sector needs to move towards unconventional solutions and open minds.