We measure the success of an agriculture programs by the increase in total farm output, the increase in income of the farmers, and by the overall improvement in their well-being.
Good governance requires that we not only monitor the progress of the program we implement in terms of inputs used and outputs produced on a regular basis but also measure the success of our programs in meeting their objectives after some time have elapsed.
The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale and pays the freight both ways,” this was John F Kennedy describing farmers decades ago, but these words ring true of Indian farmer’s plight today. The recent attention to agrarian distress and stated intentions of addressing it are important ...
Chhattisgarh in the last decade created robust farmer-friendly procurement mechanisms, which catalysed enhanced production. Ideally, states with similar productivity can replicate the processes, but there is need for political will.
For instance, wheat and rice are the only two crops effectively purchased at MSP. Yet in states purchasing through aadtiyas (middle men), it is anybody’s guess what percentage of MSP actually reaches the farmer.
In the long-term, agricultural universities need funding and autonomy for rejuvenation. They all fall under the domain of state governments and are subject to the vagaries of resource crunch. However, the next generation of farmers will need to be skilled in scientific methods, supported by relevant R&D.