Abhigyan

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Agriculture Policy, Farmers' Protest and Strategies for Agri-reform: An Analysis


Affiliations
1 Professor of Economics and Director, School of Social Sciences, IGNOU, (Retd.), New Delhi., India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Agriculture in India is unique, in terms of topography climate and size of landholdings being very small. Agriculture has been in focus for both positive and negative reasons. Despite liberalization to a more marketoriented economy in 1991, the agriculture sector continues to have policy distortions. The issues related to agriculture are complex in nature which require a balance between the market and the state. This needs addressing major long-term challenges from food security to natural resource sustainability, especially soil and water. The objective of the paper is to highlight some of the problems of Indian agriculture and policy response of the government. It also traces the trajectory of the farmers' agitation against the farm laws. After the repeal of farm laws, the question of reform in agriculture is paramount. The paper proposes a road map for agri-reforms. It is argued that more unified framework of analysis is needed for an effective agricultural policy. This paper may be helpful in the field of public policy particularly relating to agriculture.

Keywords

Indian Agriculture, Farmers' Protest, MSP, Marketing and Policy Strategies.
User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • Agri-symposium Team (2019, March 25). The Indian Agriculture Crisis: Perspectives and Interventions. ISBInsight. https://isbinsight.isb.edu/the-indian-agriculture-crisis-perspectives-and-interventions/

  • Ash, K., & Sorescu, S. (2019, July 15). Opportunity knocks for Indian agriculture. Financial Express. https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/opportunity-knocks-for-indian-agriculture/1644125/

  • Bhargava,R. (2021, March 3). The economics behind the Punjab farmer protests in India. Michigan Journal of Economics. https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2021/03/03/the-economics-behind-the-punjabfarmer- protests-in-india/

  • Bhatnagar, S. (2021, May 15). Economics of Indian farmers’ movement: A study of agrarian distress and a vicious debt cycle. Yale Journal of International Affairs. https://www.yalejournal.org/publications/ economics-of-indian-farmers-movement-a-study-of-agrarian-distress-and-a-vicious-debt-cycle

  • Chatterjee, P. (2021, April). Agricultural reform in India: Farmers versus the state. The Lancet. https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2542-5196%2821%2900060-7

  • Chatterjee, S. & D. Kapur. (2016). Six puzzles in Indian agriculture. Indian Policy Forum. https://www.ncaer.org/image/userfiles/file/IPF_2017/IPF-Paper-4-2016.pdf

  • Dhar,B., & Kishore, R. (2021). Indian agriculture needs a holistic policy framework, not pro-market reforms. Economic and Political Weekly, 56(16), 27-35.

  • Dev, S. M. (2018, December). Transformation of Indian Agriculture: Growth, Inclusiveness and Sustainability. WP-2018-026. Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai. http://www.igidr.ac.in/pdf/publication/WP-2018-026.pdf

  • Gopikuttan, G. S., & Naik, G. (2022). Revisiting the role of Mandis in the context of farm law’s repeal. Economic and Political Weekly, 57(8), 33-38.

  • Gulati, A., Kapur, D., & Bouton, M. M. (2020). Reforming Indian agriculture. Economic & Political Weekly, 55(11), 35-42.

  • Jha, P. (2022). Repeal of the 'black farm laws' - A momentous battle won, but the war ahead is long and hard. Economic and Political Weekly, 57(5), 10-13.

  • Kaul, V. (2020, December 1). Why are farmers protesting against laws which will supposedly 'help them'? And why is no one talking about the details of implementation?. Firstpost. https://www.firstpost.com/india/why-farmers-are-protesting-against-laws-which-will-supposedlyhelp- them-9068761.html

  • Kumar, P. (2021, June 23). The farmers’ protest began a year ago. How has it lasted this long? Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/farmers-protest-punjab-farm-laws- 7371125/

  • Mehta, N.M. (2021, July 29). How to exit farming risk trap. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/farm-laws-india-protest-7427334/

  • Ministry of Agriculture. (2000). National agricultural policy (NAP). Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. Government of India. https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/ministryagricultureannounces- national-agricultural policy2000#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20first%20ever, create%20employment%20in%20rural%20areas

  • Mundle, S. (2018, July 24). Reform agriculture marketing systems to address farm distress. The Mint. https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/Ilo07mpwJGQBaYiPEmjKlN/Reform-agriculture-marketingsystems- to-address-farm-distres.html

  • Nadkarni, M.V. (1993, February 10). Agricultural policy in India: context, issues and instruments. Department of Economic Analysis and Policy, Reserve Bank of India. https://www.mvnadkarni.com/ files/Agricultural%20Policy%20in%20India.pdf

  • Nanda, N. (2021). Agricultural reforms in India, need for a unique model. Economic and Political Weekly, 56(8), 25-29.

  • Narayanan, S. (2020, September 28). The three farm bills: Is this the market reform Indian agriculture needs?. The Indian Forum. https://www.theindiaforum.in/article/three-farm-bills National Commission on Agriculture. (1976). Abridged Report: Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. Department of Agriculture, New Delhi (GoI).

  • Neogi, A. S., Garg, K. A., Mishra, R. K., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2021). Sentiment analysis and classification of Indian farmers’ protest using twitter data. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 1(2), 1-11.

  • Niti Aayog. (2015, December 16). Raising Agricultural Productivity and Making Farming Remunerative for Fa r m e r s : A n O c c a s i o n a l Pa p e r. h t t p s : / / w w w. n i t i . g o v. i n / s i t e s / d e f a u l t / f i l e s / 2 0 1 9 - 08/Raising%20Agricultural%20Productivity%20and%20Making%20Farming%20Remunerative%2 0for%20Farmers.pdf

  • OECD Food and Agricultural Reviews. (2018, July 05). Agricultural policies in India. https://www.oecdilibrary. org/agriculture-and-food/agricultural-policies-in india_9789264302334-en

  • Pental, D. (2021, January 6). India needs low-input, high output agriculture. This cannot be achieved without science and technology. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/ columns/agricultural-reforms-farm-laws-farmers-protest-msp-7134233/

  • Shah, M. (2021, April 09). Plough to plate, hand held by the Indian state. Im4Change. https://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/plough-to-plate-hand-held-by-the-indian-statemihir- shah.html

  • Shastri, S. (2021, June 23). The root of the farmers’ agitation, the lacunae and the way forward. Free Press Journal. https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/former-agriculture-minister-sompal-shastri-exploresthe- root-of-the-farmers-agitation-the-lacunae-and-the-way-forward

  • Singh, N. (2017, June 16). Political economy structures perpetuate myopic understanding of agriculture sector. Financial Express. https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/political-economy-structuresperpetuate- myopic-understanding-of-agriculture-sector/721075/

  • Singh, P., & Bhogal, S. (2021). Interrogating the MSP regime, farm laws and agrarian future in India. Millennial Asia, 12(3), 332–349.

  • Tewari, R. (2015, July 6). Socio economic & caste census 2011: A mobile in 2 of every 3 rural homes, a salaried job in 1 of 10. The Indian Express. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/socioeconomic- caste-census-2011-amobile-in-2-of-every-3-rural-homes-a-salaried-job-in-1-of-10/

  • Tripathi, A.K. (2015, July 13). Towards a second green revolution. Financial Express. https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/towards-a-second-green-revolution/99913/

  • Vatsayan, A. (2020, May 21). Stimulus a giant step forward in helping farm sector attain global primacy. Business Standard. https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/stimulus-a-giant-stepforward- in-helping-farm-sector-attain-global-primacy-120051600546_1.html


Abstract Views: 154

PDF Views: 0




  • Agriculture Policy, Farmers' Protest and Strategies for Agri-reform: An Analysis

Abstract Views: 154  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Shrawan Kumar Singh
Professor of Economics and Director, School of Social Sciences, IGNOU, (Retd.), New Delhi., India

Abstract


Agriculture in India is unique, in terms of topography climate and size of landholdings being very small. Agriculture has been in focus for both positive and negative reasons. Despite liberalization to a more marketoriented economy in 1991, the agriculture sector continues to have policy distortions. The issues related to agriculture are complex in nature which require a balance between the market and the state. This needs addressing major long-term challenges from food security to natural resource sustainability, especially soil and water. The objective of the paper is to highlight some of the problems of Indian agriculture and policy response of the government. It also traces the trajectory of the farmers' agitation against the farm laws. After the repeal of farm laws, the question of reform in agriculture is paramount. The paper proposes a road map for agri-reforms. It is argued that more unified framework of analysis is needed for an effective agricultural policy. This paper may be helpful in the field of public policy particularly relating to agriculture.

Keywords


Indian Agriculture, Farmers' Protest, MSP, Marketing and Policy Strategies.

References