We know that Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy and
many industries depend on the raw materials supplied from the farmers. There
are very few industries that can run without raw materials required from
agriculture sector.
On the other side, we have seen phenomenal growth in the
agriculture sector in the last few years. Farmers contribute close to 16%
for national GDP, exports of agricultural products are expected to cross US$ 22
billion mark by 2014. In the recent past there are many MOUs that have been signed
in agro-technology industry from different agricultural sectors like crops,
horticulture, food technology, veterinary, agri-engineering, agri-inputs and
fisheries.
Even then life of a middle class farmer has not changed yet. They
struggle day-in and day-out and at the end get only peanuts. On one side,
farmers are beleaguered by middle man and other side government’s policy paralysis.
These two put together have compounded the farmers problems.
Just to give an example – my brother had produced few quintal of onion.
I was excited and told him that it has come at right in time and asked him to
rush to the market to sell it off. To my surprise, the price we got in the wholesale
market was only Rs. 25/- per KG where in the price in our state capital was Rs.
80/- per KG. This shows how these traders really play with demand and supply and cheat the farmers.
When it comes to politicians they need farmers only for the votes.
They never want to solve farmer’s problems. If the farmers are given enough
water supply, electricity and conducive market facility to sell their products
they will never look back to politicians for subsidies/schemes/loan
waiver..etc.
The world has made so much progress in the technology; hardly the
Indian farmers get any such benefit from it. As we know, due to global warming
the rains are never on time. Our farmers still do the cultivation of crops with
old calendar method wherein they are severely hit by inconsistent rain. I did
witness it this time when my brother cultivated maize (in Kannada mekke jola). He
was estimating the yield to be around 120 quintal. He would have been happy man
at the end there been one good rain! Unfortunately the rain god didn’t open his
eyes and estimated yield came down to 20 quintal which didn’t even give the
return on investment.
Its time now, government and concerned departments should work
towards educating our farmer’s on rain patterns, weather condition the possible
crop to grow. Otherwise farmer can no more stand as backbone of our country and
at the end all of us will suffer!
All our farmers should lead a little bit of luxury life and stand
in position to give a good education for their children.
