We all know the condition of farmers in India; they always struggle with challenges such as low incomes, heavy debts, and vulnerability to climate change despite feeding the world’s second-biggest population. But have you thought about how we all can together improve their problems?
Our Indian agriculture contributes to approximately 16% of the total national GDP, still more than 10,000 farmers are ending their lives by suicide every year. We all need to come together with radical thinking on agricultural reforms paired with farmer-centric solutions so that our Annadata can thrive as the lifeblood of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
This article talks about agricultural problems and solutions in India. It aims to explore actionable policies and ways that can change the face of the farm sector by increasing farmer profits, increasing their yields, reducing input costs, connecting them to direct remunerative markets, and mitigating climate uncertainties.
Let’s briefly understand the farmers’ issues in India. We have categorized the challenges into 3 parts:
The first is economic challenges:
Farmers always struggle with low income, which never allows them to get out of the cycle of poverty. The reasons behind the low income of farmers are dependence on rain-fed agriculture, volatile market prices for crops, and the exploitative practices of intermediaries.
While farmers struggle with low income, the input costs of agriculture are pretty high today. The essential ingredients like seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides are expensive. In return, farmers always try to take loans for the seeds, fertilizers, and other ingredients, which makes them fall into the never-ending cycle of debts.
One of the most severe problems of Indian agriculture is farmers don’t have direct access to the mandis and markets. There is always a middleman who doesn’t let farmers receive fair prices for their produce. In addition, farmers also struggle with the lack of cold storage facilities and transportation infrastructure, which pushes farmers into post-harvest losses.
The banking credit facilities are strict and demand primary documentation or collaterals for any significant loans. It makes it difficult for Indian farmers to get a loan from banking institutions. Farmers don’t have any choice left but to get loans from local lenders who demand very high prices against the loans.
The burden of debts, along with the uncertainties in farming, has pushed many Indian farmers to death. Every year, almost 10,000+ farmers are dying because of suicides.
There is almost no or minimal farming education or technology advancements to support farmers. Farmers don’t know the technologies or the weather, which results in significant losses.
Women are a crucial part of Indian agriculture; they do everything on their own, but they often face discrimination in land ownership, access to resources, and decision-making power. This leads to zero utilization of women and hinders the overall development and productivity of the agricultural sector.
The water crisis is a big thing in India right now. Farming is majorly dependent on water, and farmers are dependent on rainfall and groundwater resources. In many regions of India, farmers are not getting the right amount of water which impacts the productivity and the produce by farmers.
The soil fertility is also declining and is a significant environmental challenge in farming. The reasons behind the declining soil fertility are unsustainable agricultural practices, deforestation, and climate change. This majorly affects the crop yields and pushes farmers towards unsustainable practices to maintain their livelihoods.
For ages, farmers have been mostly dependent on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which have damaged the environment and contaminated the soil. The adoption of sustainable practices like organic farming and water conservation is crucial to protect the environment and ensure long-term agricultural viability.
Here are the top 8 ways to improve the condition of farmers in India:
The need to promote mechanization, expand their irrigation infrastructure, and undertake R&D in crop diversification will enable farmers to improve productivity per acre significantly. The government offers several schemes in support of solar pumps and farm equipment subsidies that farmers should capitalize on.
Cutting out the intermediaries and investing in storage to control post-harvest losses, as well as supporting farming producer organizations (FPOs), can lead to higher income for farmers.
The MSP for staples ensures that farmers can be protected from price drops during bumper crops. With procurement reform and sometimes export bans abolition, MSP is more effective in stabilizing farmer incomes.
Decoupling from informal money lenders whose interest rates are exorbitant necessitates the development of simple documents for crop/ equipment loans, broader KCC coverage, and selective farm loan waivers. Debt relief schemes should be accompanied by financial literacy.
Vagaries such as droughts and floods are leveled out by weather-based crop insurance to dampen losses. Broadening the purview of PM Fasal Bima Yojana along with reducing premiums via increased sub-components subsidies can ensure farmers’ incomes better against climate change.
There should be the promotion of water conservation practices such as drip irrigation, sprinklers, and rainwater harvesting, together with engagement in watershed development and responsible groundwater management. Widening the base for existing programs like PMKSY is also essential.
Building resilient rural infrastructure that includes irrigation, power, electricity, storage, transportation, and logistics will reduce losses and facilitate better connectivity of farmers to markets. They address this through government schemes such as PMGSY and DDUGJY.
Enhancing financial availability to small and marginal farmers through regional rural banks, cooperatives as well as fintech advancements in agri finance will help farm investments. Digital literacy programs also help.
Krishispray’s story is not just about selling machines; it’s about building a lasting partnership with farmers. By prioritizing innovation, accessibility, knowledge sharing, and sustainability, krishispray actively contributes to improving the lives of farmers who feed the nation.
If you are a farmer and looking to increase your productivity & yield, then we would recommend you buy an agriculture spray pump from Krishispray.in.
The way to improve Indian farmers’ conditions is simple; it just demands collaboration and innovation. We all need to empower farmers with technology, financial resources, and education, and we also need to dismantle unfair market structures and prioritize environmental sustainability. The government, agricultural businesses, and the farmers themselves must work together to build a thriving agricultural ecosystem.
© 2024 Krishispray. All rights reserved.
Sign In
10 Secret Ginger Farming Techniques for Maximum Profit 
11 Powerful Farm Equipment That Will Save You Time & Money 
9 Modern Farming Methods of Agriculture You need to Know 
9 Top Tips for Maintaining a Thriving Agricultural Farm 
9 Top Tips for Operating an Agricultural Spray Machine