Agriculture, the modern terminology which generalises economic activities ranging from farming to animal husbandry, had been the pillar of global economy before paving way for industrial revolution. As seen through the development of economies around the globe, development begins with people adopting agriculture, and the primary sector usually becomes the largest employer. Agriculture which started, in the early times, with an intent of subsistence, has effectively transitioned itself into a commercial marketplace, resulting in the formation of well-developed marketing systems, that has not only eliminated the thought of “double coincidence of wants”(barter), but has also underlined a need for a powerful exchange mechanism in the form of money.
In India, prior to the Green Revolution (which ramped up the production of wheat and paddy), in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, agriculture was unable to sustain the country’s growing population, and had to undergo serious improvisations in order to achieve a self-sustaining agricultural system. Thus came the technological advancements, as part of the Green Revolution, which improvised irrigation facilities, introduced High-Yielding variety (HYV) seeds to transform agriculture to what we know today. Such reforms are required to correct certain flaws in the system, which are inevitable, and are required for the constant maintenance of the functionality of systems.
Agriculture in India is unique, not only in terms of natural topography and climate, but also in the landscape of land distribution. The average land holding of an Indian farmer is just above a hectare ( Agriculture Census 2015-16), whereas in the USA, an average farmland has an area of 440 hectares. Such meagre land holdings hamper the productivity of farmers, as a large share of the produced crop is utilised for much needed subsistence, limiting the overall profit of farmers. So, any agricultural reform mainly targets these group of marginal/small farmers who generally strive to make a living.
Policies To Be Reformed
The new set of solutions can include the development of the present agricultural commercial marketing system, and create a prosperous, and a diverse market for other crops excluding the major cash crops. This way we can definitely impact more farmers and provide an additional choice for them to take up those crops as well. Additionally, setting up of cooperatives in rural India is also required for farmers to thrive more, as cheap credit can help them invest in advanced tools, leading to an increase in the production. For instance, a well-developed irrigation system can rule out farmers’ dependency on rainfall, and help them grow more crops in a single agricultural year.
Another policy, the MSP, introduced in the 1960s to prevent economic exploitation of farmers, has to be reformed. The intervention by government as an intermediary customer ensured the balance of prices of agricultural crops, and the MSP ensured that farmers got enough profit out of their crop. The philosophy of this policy is very apt, but what needs to be worked on now is the implementation of such policies. For instance, a survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation(NSSO) in 2013 revealed that approximately only 22% of the farmers were aware of the MSP being provided for Rabi and Kharif season crops, which suggests a huge scope for improvement in the implementation of the policy. Though this percentage might have increased over time, educating more agriculture practitioners about laws is vital in order to receive a significant response.
Like Mr. MS Swaminathan, who is credited with initiating the Green Revolution in 1960s, we need more aspirational scientists to uproot the underemployment and other existing problems in agriculture in India.