Sir,
Apropos to the article titled “Policy makers are guilty of farmers’ plight” by Dr Ashwani Mahajan (DE 16-05-2018). I fully endorse the views of the author in this article. When we say that around 60 percent of the country’s population resides in villages it also implies that much of the population is still not out on the streets demanding jobs, but continuously striving for food security and producing agro-based raw material in the villages which is the basic objective of employment and income generation. To better the farmers’ plight, it is important tofurther strengthen agriculture insurance sector and facilitate the farmer groups through innovative measures in reducing the cost of production. Some of the subsidies on seed, fertilizers, pesticides may be slashed down and more assistance provided for social forestry, water harvesting, mechanization, fodder production, animal husbandry and enriched organic/bio-fertilizer production. Group approach needs to be adopted rather than individualistic approach in extending financial assistance. It should extend appropriate support to develop infrastructure for post harvest management, storage and marketing of produce in rural as well as urban areas. The indigenous food security systems and income augmentation opportunities for farmers and the urbanites need to be consolidated. The exodus of ruralites to already choking urban areas has to be prevented by developing the countryside, rather than instigating farmers and youth to abandon agriculture sector and move to non-agriculture sector.
Yours etc…
C M Sharma,
Retd Dy. Director of Agriculture, Jammu
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