Ever-increasing cost of cultivation, declining net per-acre income and shrinking employment in agriculture are among the major issues. The solutions to these problems may not be found within the farm sector alone. Problems Faced by Farmers in India Unavailability of good quality of Seeds. Lack of Modern Equipment. Poor irrigation facilities. Small and Fragmented Holdings of land. Dealing with local traders and middleman. Lack of Storage facilities. Farming is an essential part of our lives, providing us with food and other resources. Unfortunately, farmers face a variety of challenges that can make their job difficult and sometimes even impossible.
Climate change is one of the biggest issues facing farmers today. Rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, and extreme weather events can all have a devastating effect on crops. This can lead to crop failure, lower yields, and increased costs for farmers who must purchase additional inputs to compensate for the losses. Additionally, climate change can also lead to increased pest pressure and disease outbreaks which further reduce yields and profits. In addition to reducing yields, pests and diseases can also increase input costs as farmers must purchase additional pesticides or fungicides in order to protect their crops.
Soil degradation is another major problem facing farmers today. Over-cultivation of land leads to soil erosion which reduces the fertility of the soil and makes it more difficult for plants to absorb nutrients from the soil. Access to markets is another issue facing many farmers today. Many small-scale farmers lack access to larger markets where they could potentially sell their produce at higher prices than local markets offer them. This limits their ability to make a profit from their farming activities. lack of financial resources is another major problem faced by many farmers today. Many small-scale farmers lack access to credit or other forms of financing that would enable them to purchase inputs such as seeds or fertilizer that would improve their yields or reduce their costs in some way. This limits their ability to increase production or diversify into new crops.
Farming is an essential part of our lives but unfortunately it comes with its own set of challenges that make it difficult for many people who rely on it for their livelihoods. Due to all these problems, the farmers face a lot of trouble, due to which they also trouble with mental health, leading to distress and a feeling of despair with no backup mental health support or solutions. Punjab is the food bowl of India. With 1.53% of the country’s area, Punjab contributed 29% of rice and 38% of wheat in central food grains of the nation during 2016-17. The State of Punjab has been the trendsetter in terms of agriculture development and also the pioneer of Green Revolution in India. Political influence on agriculture is undeniable as one of the most significant factors affecting the industry throughout history and will continue to play a significant role in its success or failure.
The government has the most influence over what crops are planted, as well as how products are grown, transported, and sold. Government determine the fair price for crops and the amount for which commodities are traded. Farmers and the agricultural industry as a whole rely heavily on the government for survival and success. There are fewer farms in operation than ever before, but there are more people to feed. World population is close to touching nine billion people. Consumers are also putting pressure on food producers to meet higher standards. This can result in higher costs for agricultural businesses as they strive to meet the quality and transparency of operations that are desired. When farmers have a bad year due to agricultural issues that result in a poor harvest, it affects us all. That effect could last for years. As a result, finding solutions to these problems is critical. Farming is a part of agriculture. Both of them have similarities as well as differences. Agriculture is covering a vast area, including production, research and development, and farming is implementing agricultural activities.
The farm policy of government must focus on sustainable agricultural development, rejuvenating soil health, crop diversification and water conservation. Ever-increasing cost of cultivation, declining net per-acre income and shrinking employment in agriculture are among the major issues. The solutions to these problems may not be found within the farm sector alone. It would require more value addition to the farm produce by way of processing and involving rural youth in a big way. The Punjab State Farmers’ Commission had prepared two draft agriculture policies, one in 2013 and another in 2018, and submitted them to the government. Unfortunately, the then governments not even discussed those drafts, what to talk of finalising a policy. It showed the then governments’ callous attitude towards agriculture and, thereby, the state’s economy.
Punjab’s agriculture model, developed mainly to grow more food for teeming millions, has been a grand success and the country got rid of the problem of perpetual food shortage. In the process, Punjab overexploited its natural resources to the extent that its soil health and groundwater are exhausted turning most of its water zones into bleak dark zones. The farm policy must focus on sustainable agricultural development, rejuvenating soil health, crop diversification and water conservation. The challenge is how to make agriculture cost-effective, environmentally sustainable and employment-oriented so that it not only increases the farmers’ income, but also benefits other stakeholders. The agriculture policy must be, thus, all-encompassing and intertwined with the industrial policy in particular and the macroeconomic policy in general as economic development of any region or state is organically interconnected. The agrarian distress is silently spreading across all the states. It seems that all these programs and schemes are disjointed and function independently of each other. Farming needs a five-point program that addresses agrarian challenges and brings together various ongoing programs under one umbrella.
