The BJP is oblivious to farm distress
Ironically, the RBI data establishes that the farm sector performs better compared to the industries sector when it comes to repayment of loans. In fiscal year 2017, the agriculture sector defaulted on 6% of its total credit, while the industry sector defaulted on 20%.
Jumlas took over jokes when Modi promised farmers a doubling of their incomes by 2022. Meanwhile, the CAGR (rate of growth) of farmers’ income plummeted by a mammoth 500% i.e., from 10.4% to 2.5%. Economists wrote learned articles proving the impossibility of achieving the target of doubling incomes, while some said that at current growth rates it may happen only by 2052. The Minimum Support Price of ‘50% above cost’ was the cruelest joke: a written promise on page 44 of the BJP Manifesto 2014, in a sworn affidavit a in June 2014 in the apex court and revived as an election gimmick in the 2018 budget.
The benefits of the PM Fasal Bima Yojana were received by insurance companies, not farmers. Companies earned a profit of ₹14,828 crores but farmers received a meagre ₹5,650 crores. A food grain mafia seems to have arisen as the BJP reduced import duty on wheat from 25% to 0%, just when the wheat crop arrived in markets.
An approach based on the triple principles of intent, implementation and impact is the need of the hour. A structurally stagnating issue is the decreasing size of landholdings: the average farm size is 1.15 hectare and since 1970-71 it has been declining. Small and marginal land holdings account for 72% of land holdings in India.
The way forward lies in investment in mitigation and adaptation strategies, minimising of on-farm greenhouse gas emissions, no-till farming, planting of cash crops and integrated crop-livestock forestry.
There is an urgent need to create and connect a farm to home pro-smallholder value chain and reduce crop destruction with a proper storage infrastructure. Post-harvest losses by poor handling, poorer infrastructure and crop vulnerabilities have to be tackled. The costs of farm inputs have significantly increased in the last few years, faster than prices of farm produce.
Even the recent farmer organisation protests in Delhi — with the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, the agricultural arm of the RSS, actively participating and protesting -- has come to nothing. We owe it to ourselves and to those who feed us, to be aware, to debate, to dissent and to ensure that our opinion is heard and displayed.
Abhishek Singhvi is an MP; national spokesperson, Congress; former chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee and former Additional Solicitor General The views expressed are personal