The Kissan Story
1st - This is not about ketchup or jam, or anything related to Kissan products.
2nd - Kissan means farmer in Hindi.
3rd - This post is quite a biggie.
About a year back, i had to write an environmental science exam. It was only while studying for it that it struck me, that this subject is probably the most important among anything i've ever learnt till now. A pity then, that the whole exam is just a formality to most, where one must "mug up stuff" the previous day, "vomit it" today, and "forget all about it" tomorrow. But it got me thinking, and i have a few questions.
I suppose all of us have read some article or the other related to farmers' suicides. Obviously, the reason behind it is money, or rather, the lack of it. As a layperson, i have absolutely no idea about the inner workings of the system. How does food reach the common man from the farmer? Who buys the produce from them?Are there any middle men? Who pockets the profits? What are the storage and transportation costs involved?Is the farmer treated fairly? What steps has the government taken to alleviate the farmers' problems?
Phew!!!!!
I am aware that most Indian farmers are small land holders. More than an asset, their land becomes a liability to them.
MY SUGGESTION :
-> A scheme where struggling farmers can enroll themselves for help with the government
-> The land they own will temporarily be taken over by the government
-> The govt. can pay for all the raw materials and employ the farmer to work on his own land
-> Give the farmer a fixed income each month for his efforts
-> Sell the produce at market price. The govt. can pocket the profits (if any), while giving a fair share of the profit to the farmer.
-> Once the farmers start getting a stable income, their suicide rates will automatically come down.
-> When the govt. takes over in this manner, they will have control over larger areas of agricultural land. They can decide what crops to grow and when to grow them.
-> they can provide the farmers with the required scientific and technical know how to facilitate better farming
-> suitable storage and transportation facilities for the produce can be arranged
-> Unnecessary and greedy middle men can be avoided
-> additional services like counselling regarding personal problems, management of finances, studies and career guidance for farmers' children can be made available
-> soil and fertility issues, water and health issues can also be addressed and solutions offered. Happy and secure farmers will result in better produce
-> The procurement of resources for large scale farming will definitely be more cost effective than if each farmer were to procure them separately.
-> In the case of calamities like flood or drought, the farmer doesn't get affected, only the govt. does, and the govt. is much more capable of absorbing the shock of a loss than a poor farmer
-> Once the farmer becomes secure and feels he can do better, he can go back to farming privately, his land still being his
I do not know if such a plan is feasible. It does sound rather like an ideal situation. But it is certainly an idea and deserves some thought.
I tried to look for environment and agriculture related information on the internet. I tried many of the govt. websites. All of them (with the exception of a few, like the president's), were user unfriendly to the extreme. The pages bombard the user with unnecessary textual information in small fonts. There are no proper directions or links given. Even if by some miracle, a person were to get interested in some topic of national interest, they would get deterred by these websites. The sites can definitely be made more interesting and useful.
If you've read this far, it means you care. We need to know how the food we eat gets to our tables. I am sure no one would appreciate the fact that the rice they are eating has wreaked havoc on another's life. If you people know anything about all this, i'd be glad to see what you have to say.
2nd - Kissan means farmer in Hindi.
3rd - This post is quite a biggie.
About a year back, i had to write an environmental science exam. It was only while studying for it that it struck me, that this subject is probably the most important among anything i've ever learnt till now. A pity then, that the whole exam is just a formality to most, where one must "mug up stuff" the previous day, "vomit it" today, and "forget all about it" tomorrow. But it got me thinking, and i have a few questions.
I suppose all of us have read some article or the other related to farmers' suicides. Obviously, the reason behind it is money, or rather, the lack of it. As a layperson, i have absolutely no idea about the inner workings of the system. How does food reach the common man from the farmer? Who buys the produce from them?Are there any middle men? Who pockets the profits? What are the storage and transportation costs involved?Is the farmer treated fairly? What steps has the government taken to alleviate the farmers' problems?
Phew!!!!!
I am aware that most Indian farmers are small land holders. More than an asset, their land becomes a liability to them.
MY SUGGESTION :
-> A scheme where struggling farmers can enroll themselves for help with the government
-> The land they own will temporarily be taken over by the government
-> The govt. can pay for all the raw materials and employ the farmer to work on his own land
-> Give the farmer a fixed income each month for his efforts
-> Sell the produce at market price. The govt. can pocket the profits (if any), while giving a fair share of the profit to the farmer.
-> Once the farmers start getting a stable income, their suicide rates will automatically come down.
-> When the govt. takes over in this manner, they will have control over larger areas of agricultural land. They can decide what crops to grow and when to grow them.
-> they can provide the farmers with the required scientific and technical know how to facilitate better farming
-> suitable storage and transportation facilities for the produce can be arranged
-> Unnecessary and greedy middle men can be avoided
-> additional services like counselling regarding personal problems, management of finances, studies and career guidance for farmers' children can be made available
-> soil and fertility issues, water and health issues can also be addressed and solutions offered. Happy and secure farmers will result in better produce
-> The procurement of resources for large scale farming will definitely be more cost effective than if each farmer were to procure them separately.
-> In the case of calamities like flood or drought, the farmer doesn't get affected, only the govt. does, and the govt. is much more capable of absorbing the shock of a loss than a poor farmer
-> Once the farmer becomes secure and feels he can do better, he can go back to farming privately, his land still being his
I do not know if such a plan is feasible. It does sound rather like an ideal situation. But it is certainly an idea and deserves some thought.
I tried to look for environment and agriculture related information on the internet. I tried many of the govt. websites. All of them (with the exception of a few, like the president's), were user unfriendly to the extreme. The pages bombard the user with unnecessary textual information in small fonts. There are no proper directions or links given. Even if by some miracle, a person were to get interested in some topic of national interest, they would get deterred by these websites. The sites can definitely be made more interesting and useful.
If you've read this far, it means you care. We need to know how the food we eat gets to our tables. I am sure no one would appreciate the fact that the rice they are eating has wreaked havoc on another's life. If you people know anything about all this, i'd be glad to see what you have to say.
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