Dr Sunish Sharma
Agriculture is a mainstay of 75 percent rural families in our country and are still dependent upon it for meeting their monetary needs. The culture and diversity of rural area is still connected with the roots of spirituality, which always makes a difference when we compare it with the other nations. An Indian farmer puts in a lot of effort. Even before it is fully light out, he gets up early, grabs his plough, and heads out to his field with his animals. Without giving a thought to the difficulties of the weather, he works there all day. He does not differentiate between winter, summer, or rain. Both in the stifling winter and in the sweltering breezes or summer, we find him toiling away in his field, sowing, plowing, or reaping.The farmers of this country have their emotions connected with their land, crops, implements and livestock’s. India is a country where we love our land, soil and nature more than anything, but in few years the land area under agriculture has been depleting. The sure most reason for this is rapid industrialisation, exploitation of natural resources and greed of money.
Such ambitious goals of industrialists without bearing the pain of farmers, nature and soil may make a country look fancy with tall skyscrapers, smart highways, tunnels and tourism but the other side would be a horrible dream. The country is fully self sufficient in terms of good production and now we have taken a leap lead in producing the major crops under controlled conditions but how we are benefiting the cause of a farmer as their lands are decreasing. Department of Agriculture, Co-operation and Farmers Welfare conducts agriculture census every five years to collect data on structural characteristics of agricultural sector including size of agriculture land holdings in the country.
As per the latest information available from Agriculture Census, the average size of operational holdings has decreased from 2.28 hectares in 1970-71 to 1.84 hectares in 1980-81, to 1.41 hectares in 1995-96 and to 1.08 hectares in 2015-16.In the country most states have registered a decline in average operational land holdings,, while some states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir have recorded an increase in the cultivable land in three years, whereas states like Assam, Jharkhand, Manipur and Rajasthan have shown a decline trend in operational holdings.
The undivided nation must have undivided agriculture as we can see that major growing startup’s are working over agriculture and the government efforts on pushing the agriculture startup’s is tremendously appreciable. There are many schemes and funds like Agriculture Accelerator Fund, Rashtriya Kristi Vikas Yojana, RKVY-RAFTAAR, Agri Clinics and Agri Business Centres Scheme (ACABC), National Horticulture Mission, National Livestock Mission etc. which are currently functioning at full pace to support the farmers and young Agri-entrepreneurs of the country.
Every citizen of this country must understand the importance of natural resources, especially of agriculture land. This agricultural land is an economic source of many farmers, who derive their basic needs, food and all other monetary expenses from his produce. The affection, love and emotion of the farmers toward their soil can never be taken away as it exists in their soul. The agricultural land may be divided, roads may be constructed over it but the agriculture will remain undivided, the legacy will keep on going upright to meet the country’s long term goal of sustainability. There are many villages where in this modern era of A.I also farmers pay first produce of their land to their deities which we term as ‘ Faming God’s Way’. Quality life is a right of every citizen of this country, then why not of a farmer, which could only be achieved when the agriculture of this country strives to its traditional roots with the touch of modern technologies without exploiting the natural resources.
(The author is an Assistant Professor)
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