There is no respect economically or socially for farmers in India, they struggle to survive with dwindling finances dolled out by local governmental agencies at its disposal for grass root level farmers across the drought prone areas of Rajasthan, Bihar, Chattisgarh and the green belts of Punjab. While 64% of India is an agricultural based economy, the livelihood is undervalued, and farmers are invisible in the social and political sphere.

The low productivity in India is a result of the following factors:

1. According to World Bank, India’s government intervenes in labour, land, and credit markets. India has inadequate infrastructure and services. The allocation of water is inefficient, unsustainable and inequitable. The irrigation infrastructure is deteriorating.The overuse of water is currently being covered by over pumping aquifers, but as these are falling by foot of groundwater each year, this is a limited resource.

2. Illiteracy, general socio-economic backwardness, slow progress in implementing land reforms and inadequate or inefficient finance and marketing services for farm produce.

3. The average size of land holdings is very small and is subject to fragmentation, due to land ceiling acts and in some cases, family disputes. Such small holdings are often over-manned, resulting in disguised unemployment and low productivity of labour.

4. Adoption of modern agricultural practices and use of technology is inadequate, hampered by ignorance of such practices, high costs and impracticality in the case of small land holdings.

” Slow agricultural growth is a concern for policymakers as some two-thirds of India’s people depend on rural employment for a living. Current agricultural practices are neither economically nor environmentally sustainable and India’s yields for many agricultural commodities are low. Poorly maintained irrigation systems and almost universal lack of good extension services are among the factors responsible. Farmers’ access to markets is hampered by poor roads, rudimentary market infrastructure, and excessive regulation. ” —World Bank: India Country Overview 2008

65 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi had led two great revolts of communities of poor Indian farmers against the tyranny of the British government and allied landlords in  Champaran,  Bihar, and Kheda, Gujarat. Success in both struggles had helped win the farmers economic and civil rights, and electrified India’s people.

Today, many decades later, after countless efforts and revolts by mortals who stood by their nations men, have had to witness hundreds of farmer suicides in states like Maharashtra and Chattisgarh, questioning the governments attitudes towards Indian farmers, the respect they get and deserve for feeding an ever populating country.

Precisely at a time when India is confronted with development imperatives, it will also be severely impacted by climate change. Like other developing countries, several sections of the Indian populace will not be able to buffer themselves from impacts of global warming.

With close economic ties to natural resources and climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water and forestry, India may face a major threat, and require serious adaptive capacity to combat climate change.

As a developing country, India can little afford the risks and economic backlashes that industrialized nations can. With 27.5% of the population still below the poverty line, reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change is essential.

“Worldwide in developing countries women do most of the farming work although their work and their role remain invisible, unrecognized and undocumented in statistics,” says Annina Lubbock from the IFAD.

The Indian government cannot afford to neglect and marginalize the farmer in its efforts for a safe and healthy future.