10-20-2006, 05:50 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>End subsidy raj </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Let farmers grow up and face the world
It is heartening to know that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at last realises there is a crisis brewing in the agriculture sector which needs to be confronted instead of being brushed under the carpet. <b>The crisis, however, does not stem from debt-ridden farmers' committing suicide alone; it flows from the flaws that exist in our existing farm policy, which for decades has been dictated by the compulsions of populist politics couched in economic mumbo-jumbo that went out of fashion with the collapse of the USSR but still continues to motivate politicians of all hues in this country</b>. This is not to minimise the tragedy of farmers unable to repay their debts committing suicide. Indeed, it is shameful that Government has not yet been able to put in place an effective relief package or come up with ways and means of ensuring easy access to farm credit and free farmers from the clutches of money-lenders. The Prime Minister's announcements in this regard are no more than mere tokenism because there is a huge mismatch between what is declared from Delhi and the ground reality that exists in the villages. But the enormity of the problems being faced by debt-ridden farmers cannot become the overwhelming issue to decide the framing of agricultural policy, nor should politicians, especially those of the Left and their fellow travellers among economists, of whom there is no shortage in the UPA regime, be allowed to use a human tragedy to try and stall urgently required farm sector reforms in tune with liberalisation in other segments of the economy and global trends. Those who refuse to accept that the farm sector as a whole will continue to suffer and farmers shall be further impoverished unless radical reforms are introduced will no doubt find fault with Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's suggestions that Government must roll back its largesse and allow free play to market forces. But this should not deter Mr Pawar from moving in the right direction.
It makes little sense, as Mr Pawar has pointed out, to raise the minimum support price guaranteed by Government when there are private players in the market willing to pay a higher price provided producers meet stringent quality criteria. Not only will this ensure that farmers are not entirely dependent on Government determined prices, which could be lower than that being offered by private agencies, but also help them decide on the right choice of crops. Excessive dependence on minimum support price, in a sense, has made farmers complacent and unable to cope with the emerging demands of the market. At the same time, some farmers have begun to move away from Government largesse and they have fared well, setting an example for others. For long, industry was not allowed to grow up and was forced to survive in a quota-licence-permit raj that penalised production in excess of that determined by Government. With those controls removed, industry has spread wings and soared. There is no reason why the farm sector, too, cannot out-perform its past record if controls and largesse are removed.<b> Let India's farmers grow up and face the world, as India's industrialists were forced to do. The results can only be spectacular.</b>
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Itâs not so simple. It will be difficult for Indian farmers to compete world with current state of Farming industry.
Punjab farmers were pampered for long and it paid dividend, now there is no need to reinvent just follow proven formula of Punjab.
Open more farming consulting satellite office in rural area, who can guide about soil, crop choice based on weather.
In place of free electricity farmers should be encourage to use natural resources.
Farmers are most neglected and exploited folks.
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Let farmers grow up and face the world
It is heartening to know that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at last realises there is a crisis brewing in the agriculture sector which needs to be confronted instead of being brushed under the carpet. <b>The crisis, however, does not stem from debt-ridden farmers' committing suicide alone; it flows from the flaws that exist in our existing farm policy, which for decades has been dictated by the compulsions of populist politics couched in economic mumbo-jumbo that went out of fashion with the collapse of the USSR but still continues to motivate politicians of all hues in this country</b>. This is not to minimise the tragedy of farmers unable to repay their debts committing suicide. Indeed, it is shameful that Government has not yet been able to put in place an effective relief package or come up with ways and means of ensuring easy access to farm credit and free farmers from the clutches of money-lenders. The Prime Minister's announcements in this regard are no more than mere tokenism because there is a huge mismatch between what is declared from Delhi and the ground reality that exists in the villages. But the enormity of the problems being faced by debt-ridden farmers cannot become the overwhelming issue to decide the framing of agricultural policy, nor should politicians, especially those of the Left and their fellow travellers among economists, of whom there is no shortage in the UPA regime, be allowed to use a human tragedy to try and stall urgently required farm sector reforms in tune with liberalisation in other segments of the economy and global trends. Those who refuse to accept that the farm sector as a whole will continue to suffer and farmers shall be further impoverished unless radical reforms are introduced will no doubt find fault with Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's suggestions that Government must roll back its largesse and allow free play to market forces. But this should not deter Mr Pawar from moving in the right direction.
It makes little sense, as Mr Pawar has pointed out, to raise the minimum support price guaranteed by Government when there are private players in the market willing to pay a higher price provided producers meet stringent quality criteria. Not only will this ensure that farmers are not entirely dependent on Government determined prices, which could be lower than that being offered by private agencies, but also help them decide on the right choice of crops. Excessive dependence on minimum support price, in a sense, has made farmers complacent and unable to cope with the emerging demands of the market. At the same time, some farmers have begun to move away from Government largesse and they have fared well, setting an example for others. For long, industry was not allowed to grow up and was forced to survive in a quota-licence-permit raj that penalised production in excess of that determined by Government. With those controls removed, industry has spread wings and soared. There is no reason why the farm sector, too, cannot out-perform its past record if controls and largesse are removed.<b> Let India's farmers grow up and face the world, as India's industrialists were forced to do. The results can only be spectacular.</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Itâs not so simple. It will be difficult for Indian farmers to compete world with current state of Farming industry.
Punjab farmers were pampered for long and it paid dividend, now there is no need to reinvent just follow proven formula of Punjab.
Open more farming consulting satellite office in rural area, who can guide about soil, crop choice based on weather.
In place of free electricity farmers should be encourage to use natural resources.
Farmers are most neglected and exploited folks.