What is the goal of doubling farmers' income in India?

The goal is to increase farmers' income by twofold by 2022, as part of India’s vision to uplift the agricultural sector and ensure sustainable economic growth by the 75th year of Independence.

Why is doubling farmers' income critical for India's economy?

Agriculture employs 45.5% of India’s workforce, and its prosperity is vital for the country’s overall economic health, reducing poverty, and sustaining GDP growth.

What are the main obstacles to doubling farmers' income?

Key obstacles include restrictive government agricultural policies, land fragmentation, inadequate infrastructure, low efficiency, climate-related challenges, and heavy dependence on monsoon rainfall.

How do government agricultural policies impact farmers' income?

Policies such as export prohibitions, stocking restrictions, and subsidies on staple crops can hinder farmers' remuneration by reducing market access and discouraging diversification.

What is land fragmentation, and how does it affect farmers' income?

Land fragmentation refers to the division of land into smaller plots, which prevents economies of scale and reduces operational efficiency, leading to lower income growth for farmers.

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Organic Growth: Doubling India’s Farmers‘ Income through Sustainable Agriculture

Neha Gupta

Author

Updated: 28-01-2025 at 6:21 AM

Organic Growth: Doubling India’s Farmers‘ Income through Sustainable Agriculture

In 2016 India’s Prime Minister set out a grand vision: farmers’ incomes would be doubled by the time the nation celebrated 75 years of Independence. With India, in this auspicious era called Amrit Kaal, it is worth reflecting on whether Indians have met this ambitious target and in case not, what are the PM Kisan Government strategies that need to be implemented.

Doubling Farmers Income — Progress and Impact

For India, it is not only an economic compulsion to increase farmers’ income but also a very important step towards licence to sustain its GDP. The largest employer is agriculture, which will employ 45.5% of the labour force in 2021-22., And, since agriculture is the major employment sector, its prosperity plays a crucial role in the economic health of the country. Moreover, resources need to be managed sustainably because a large population depends on the economic viability of agriculture.

Why Double Farmers’ Income?

Over time, India’s agricultural policies and the increase in per capita food production have been oriented towards food production and food security. The mistake has been to neglect the key factor, which is how to increase farmers’ income so that they earn more. The gap between farm and non-agricultural incomes also leads to what we call the agricultural emergency: farmer suicides, massive migration from the countryside to semi-urban areas, to the provinces or the cities, and a very sharp decline in interest among the youth.

What Is Stopping Income Doubling?

Here are a few reasons why farmers' incomes have not doubled.

The Effect Of Government Agricultural Policies

The remuneration of farmers is in most cases (unintentionally) hindered by government policies. Export prohibitions, restrictions on stocking levels, and limitations on the futures market pose significant challenges to farmers. The elaborate systems of heavy subsidisation as well as procurement methods for staple crops such as rice and wheat not only pose a challenge to the environment but also fail to address major income disparities.

Read More: Pan Card

Land Fragmentation

Around 85% of farmers are micro and smallholders who own less than two hectares of land. One of the main reasons for the inefficiency of the factors is the already excessive fragmentation of Indian agriculture. This fragmentation prevents economies of scale and operational efficiency that would promote stronger income growth.
Infrastructure inadequacies

In India, the infrastructure that supports the agricultural process is limited in terms of irrigation facilities, storage space for produce and the transportation network. These deficiencies lead to low product quality. This also creates high wastage and low-profit margins for farmers.

Low Efficiency And Climate-Related Issues

Climate-related challenges such as erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and extreme weather events are common in India. All of these factors can lead to large fluctuations in crop yields - and thus to income stability for farmers.

Read More: Aadhaar Card

Dependence on Monsoon

A significant portion of Indian agriculture relies on the monsoon, making it vulnerable to climate-related factors. Another impact comes from farmers’ income; if rainfall does not come at the right time, then it alters the crop cycle yield.

Read More: Ayushman Card

Measures Taken by the Government In Farmer Support

In response to these inter-state challenges in agriculture, the government has taken up some issues to address the problems through various policy initiatives to increase farmers’ income.

Measures have also been taken to improve market access and reduce prices for middlemen, e.g. through the promotion of organic farming and eNAM (National Agricultural Market). Direct income support in the form of PM Kisan is being provided and free ration under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is also being provided to needy farmers. In addition, announced subsidies for crop insurance, provision of credit and irrigation infrastructure will be introduced to mitigate financial risks and increase agricultural productivity.

Read More: Ration Card

Conclusion

India can pull its farming communities out of the muck and put agriculture on a robust growth path by correcting policy weaknesses, advancing technological modernization, and strengthening institutional support. The realisation of this vision in the nation’s journey by Amrit Kaal will require concerted efforts and innovative strategies coupled with unwavering determination.

For any questions or concerns, please contact the Kishan help centre at 18001801551.

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