The Big Picture : Does India’s Agriculture Policy need a Relook?

[@aamirhussain4343]

welcome back frank . big picture was not so big and dull without you

[@tushar4evr776]

Yay!!! Frank is back..

[@deepakkumar-hc7nq]

Frank is a true gem of rajya sabha!!

[@ningthemsinam2407]

Frank! You handle very well. Paramount discussion THE BIG PICTURE.

[@asifazunaidhaf419]

In 1950, the contribution of agriculture to GDP was 55% and it employed 75% of Indians. Post 1991 economic reforms, specifically in 2016 agriculture activities provide employment for around 55% of Indians and contribute to 15% GDP. Thus, the contribution of agriculture to the economic growth has been declining whereas the absorption of agricultural workforce in the manufacturing and services sector has been low. There is underemployment and disguised unemployment in agricultural sector with the income of the farming community much lower than that of those employed in manufacturing and services sectors. Post 1991 economic reforms, the withdrawal of state from public investment in agriculture has led to a situation in which farmers' input cost in the form of seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, electricity, water etc has increased substantially whereas the price that they get for their produce has been declining pushing them into a vicious cycle of debt. Since public investment in irrigation systems, both in creating new channels or maintaining older ones, has come down, the vagaries of monsoon in terms of drought or floods leads to repeated crop failures. Dairy cooperatives have provided extra income to the small and marginal farmers for whom foodgrains cultivation has become increasingly risky. Allowing large scale private corporations like Nestle to compete equally with farmers' cooperatives may be beneficial to consumers in bringing down the prices, but will affect the majority of the small cooperatives that are struggling to reach a break even. In such a situation, it is highly detrimental to bring policies that incentivize large private MNCs instead of helping our own farmers by reducing constraints in obtaining institutional credit. While state intervention is necessary for protecting the incomes of farmers who have been lately protesting for loan waivers, a MSP of production cost plus 50% margin throughout all Indian states, it is important that the state does not intervene in sale of cattle which only adds on to the financial burden of famers who are unable to sell non-productive cattle, incurring additional losses. In the era of free trade agreements, farmers produce have to compete in International market and cheap foodgrain, oilseeds and cash crop imports have affected the incomes of farmers very negatively. If there has to be a re-imagination of agriculture sector priorities it should be on the line of ensuring farmers' economic interests, bailing them out of indebtedness that has driven thousands of farmers to suicides in the last two decades.

[@jatsandeep83]

Asifa Zunaidha Isn't central argument of debate is exactly opposite to what you have painstakingly wrote in support of your case?🤣 Govt intervention has created unsolvable mess in commodity sector.

[@asifazunaidhaf419]

Sandeep Kumar. Yes, l wanted to provide the missing dimensions of the discussion in order to arrive at a holistic perspective on a topic that is broad, multidimensional and highly relevant in terms of it's Political and Social implications, i.e. reimagining the priorities of the farming sector.

[@jatboy121]

This means the farmers' income has been decreasing whereas the number of farmers has not declined proportionally. This statement is not correct. Infact the farmer's income is certainly more than what was in 1950s. Problem, rather, is that rise in farmers income is below the per capita rise in income of Indians. Drop in GDP share is due to far more value addition of manufacturing and service sector in domestic and international market. The last time Indian faced famine perhaps in 1965 prior to Green Revolution.

[@HarrySingh-jg3yq]

Asifa Zunaidha i'm a farmer i know that no policy of govt is implimenting properly at ground level for raise of income of farmers.Even we are not able to get minimum support price of crops .The price of pesticides,electricty and other irrigation instruments .and other Investment cost increasing day by day but farmer are not getting proper price accordingly.. Only less than 10 food is going to be processed due to lack of infrastructure .Agriculture totally depend upon food processing industries ,processed food not going to increase as per the crop production increasing . Farmers are not aware of crop insurance policies and 60% farmers have no insurance of their crop in haryana(my state). Govt should have to move toward to declare minimum support price of vegitables as well.Many time we have to face problems of price of vegitables like tomato,potato,peas and farmers have to face problem of paying off loans that leads to increase the sucides rate of marginal farmers . Yeah there are many other way to diversify the agriculture like diary,apiculture,horticulture but their investment is much higher than crop and bank gives loan on the collateral of land which is very difficult to get such loan for marginal farmers as required in new investments to diverfy agriculture. Yeah there is decline in agriculture share in gdp but there is no much decline in empoyment in agriculture .Today 70% people of india associated with agricutre but share in gdp is less.There is no much job creation in mfg and service sector as the share in gdp they have.

[@asifazunaidhaf419]

Harwinder Singh Kamboj I completely agree with you Sir. Though around 60 to 70 % of Indians are directly or indirectly employed in agricultural sector - a huge section of voters- it is very unfortunate that their socio-economic condition has been declining in the past two decades despite the high rates of GDP growth. As you rightly pointed out, employment generation in manufacturing and services sector has not been enough to meet the demand for jobs. It is surprising that politicians are able to ignore the needs of such a large section of voters. Most of the farmer suicides due to indebtedness are not even recognized as such by district administration and reasons like alcoholism, family issues, psychological problems are given. Procedures to get govt compensation for suicides due to crop failures or monsoon failure or floods or minimum price failures are too lengthy and even humiliating to the family members who are already suffering the loss of a father or son or brother or sometimes even a mother. Voices of all the farmers, especially well educated farmers like you should be heard by the politicians, Sir. It is time for the farming community to assert their political power. The ruling govts recognize problems and try to solve them only when there are huge protests or near the election time. But what they offer are mostly quick fixes like loan waivers instead of making public investment in long term projects for increasing the income of Farmers by offering remunerative prices and reducing cost of production. Our rate of food grain production is lesser that that of our population growth rate. If we do not address the grievances of farmers which involves multiple causes, we would lose our hard earned food security and become dependent on cheap, imported food grains. Middle class people like me who live in the city and have no idea how the food on our plates is produced by battling so many problems of irregular weather, pests, rising costs of seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, water, electricity, labour, need to hear directly from farmers like you Sir, so that we do not take our farmers - the actual backbone of our economy- for granted. Neither should our political leaders.

[@sunhat1987]

Frank is the master of leading questions.. The way the discussion is conducted, is something that others should look up to

[@amaze7690]

Comprehensive analysis of agriculture

[@shaloamji8969]

value addition masth frank ji

[@AnkitRaj-iy4od]

Frank 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@ashwinisingh1633]

Welcome Frank!!

[@badaln8544]

15:54 what was that....

[@anweshbhukya985]

By providing research professors to every region to guide farmers so we can provide some scientific knowledge to farmers. by these way we can reduce to use fertilizer nd encourage the organic farming also

[@TheDeep123123]

Our dairy sector is the only key to increase farmers income it help them to fulfill there daily need. If we understand plight of Gujrat farmers better then most of other state because cooperative sector doing good in that area such kind of policy has to applicable in other area too gov must support this sector as wasting money and mind in crop insurance. MSP is always remain a bone of contention b/w farmers and government must find a better way to resolve it

[@shivag490]

Sir please conduct big picture about the future of agricultural engineering

[@anitayadav-cm2jc]

Exactly

[@nilambarsahu4084]

NilambarSahuAngulDistrict;AngulFromOdisha•IHaveAnExperperienceAboutAgricultureToSafeGoodEnvernmentAndProperTreaningToFarmer

[@amaze7690]

In simple words small and marginal farmers get sustainable income from selling milk on daily basis compared to 6 months headache crops

[@RaviGarlapati]

The discussion has veered off in a different, and perhaps, less relevant direction from there core issue of policy initiatives of government in agricultural sector. The anchor could have done a better job in steering the discussion towards What kind of policies are needed, what problems are being faced by farmers, and what has been the systems and their results instead of focusing the discussion on dairy products' increased share.

[@aryangamer9320]

agriculture is true and only culture of India

[@balwindersingh-zo8us]

now ! frank come into the picture

[@poonam2735]

Frank sir pls dnt go

[@thecelebratedhunk]

let him also take rest for a few days.

[@jatsandeep83]

Do away with APC and APMC and move to universal subsidy to farm sectors.

[@lonewolfupsc]

we love you frank

[@lonewolfupsc]

Frank we love you

[@anubhavanand5178]

Frank Pereira (y)

[@Ravirocking88]

Artificial insemination is foolish thing . We should avoid its practice in animals.

[@amarchavhan6432]

frank..one man army

[@lonewolfupsc]

we love you frank

[@lonewolfupsc]

Frank we love you

[@lonewolfupsc]

we love you frank

[@lonewolfupsc]

Frank we love you