Why Do Farmers, Common Man Fail To Reap Benefit Despite ‘Bumper’ Crop?
In spite of bumper crop production year after year, farmers’ economic condition has failed to improve.
Thousands of farmers trapped in the vicious cycle of debt commit suicide every year because many times they don’t earn enough from their produce.
The latest figures of the Ministry of Agriculture show that record crops have been sown in the country in the current financial year. In the year 2019-20, where crops were planted on 104.51 million hectares of land, in 2020-21, it has increased to the level of 110.45 million hectares. That means an increase of 5.68 percent. According to the data, rice was sown on 37.38 million hectares of land in 2019-20, which increased to 40.22 million hectares in 2020-21. Similarly, pulses and pulses were grown on 13.17 million hectares in 2019-20 but in this financial year, the figure has increased to 13.78 million hectares. Oilseeds were sown on 17.69 million hectares in 2019-20 while in 19.59 million hectares this year has been cultivated. Similarly, bumper sowing of many crops including grain, sugarcane, cotton has been done. Despite this, their prices are continuously increasing rather than decreasing in the market. Statistics show that the price of things like pulses, sugar, edible oil, cotton has increased in the retail market. Another matter of concern is that there is no significant difference in the economic condition of the farmers despite the crop production of such a large scale. In simple language, neither the farmers nor the common man is able to reap the benefit of the bumper harvest in the country. The farmer is burdened with debt and the pocket of the common man is getting dried up due to inflation. The question arises that when the farmer is not getting the benefit of the increased price when the consumer is not getting the benefit of the bumper crop, then where is all the money going. The answer is in the pocket of middlemen, who buy the crop of the farmer at cheap prices and sell it in the open market at expensive prices.
The latest figures of the Ministry of Agriculture show that record crops have been sown in the country in the current financial year. In the year 2019-20, where crops were planted on 104.51 million hectares of land, in 2020-21, it has increased to the level of 110.45 million hectares. That means an increase of 5.68 percent. According to the data, rice was sown on 37.38 million hectares of land in 2019-20, which increased to 40.22 million hectares in 2020-21. Similarly, pulses and pulses were grown on 13.17 million hectares in 2019-20 but in this financial year, the figure has increased to 13.78 million hectares. Oilseeds were sown on 17.69 million hectares in 2019-20 while in 19.59 million hectares this year has been cultivated. Similarly, bumper sowing of many crops including grain, sugarcane, cotton has been done. Despite this, their prices are continuously increasing rather than decreasing in the market. Statistics show that the price of things like pulses, sugar, edible oil, cotton has increased in the retail market. Another matter of concern is that there is no significant difference in the economic condition of the farmers despite the crop production of such a large scale. In simple language, neither the farmers nor the common man is able to reap the benefit of the bumper harvest in the country. The farmer is burdened with debt and the pocket of the common man is getting dried up due to inflation. The question arises that when the farmer is not getting the benefit of the increased price when the consumer is not getting the benefit of the bumper crop, then where is all the money going. The answer is in the pocket of middlemen, who buy the crop of the farmer at cheap prices and sell it in the open market at expensive prices.
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