At a Krishi Mela in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for steps to conserve water and also for farmers to diversify their efforts in terms of the kinds of crops they plant. He also suggested going in for allied activities like poultry, dairy and food processing. This comes after the government announced that they would spend Rs 20,000 croreto boost irrigation projects. It is also using the MNREGA scheme to desilt and create new ponds.
But all this cannot happen when farmers are not empowered. Government data shows that the average monthly income to agricultural households during the crop year July 2012-June 2013 was Rs 6426. This is an absurd figure even in rural India. For farmers to usher in a second green revolution, like the one Modi is calling for, they would not only need to scale up their production numbers, but also ensure that their household is taken care of, and their children educated. The next generation of farmers will not delve into the business if their income is this meagre.
Putting money into irrigation projects is one thing, easing the lives of farmers is another. The government has to simplify the land records process across the country, ensure that land transfers can be done with ease and encourage farmers to continue farming by way of generous subsidies that make their way to the end user. Otherwise, everything else is just talk.
