Thirty farmers on an average, according to government data, kill themselves every day in India—mostly after finding themselves trapped in a vicious circle of debt. And now the government has offered the Indian farmer some more freedom of the market. In this free market, somebody who owns less than 1 hectare of land and produces around 22 quintals of rice per season, for example, competes with those who own over 5 hectares and produce over 110 quintals. The farmer can choose the buyer, but the buyers—a commission agent, a corporate giant, a startup or the government—get to determine the price.
ALSO READ: So Shall They Reap
Another domain of India’s policy brush with free market in agriculture has been contract farming. Going by the controversies triggered by such attempts, the experience hasn’t been good. Last year, for instance, PepsiCo sued farmers in Gujarat for Rs 1 crore for illegally growing and selling a potato variety...
THIS ARTICLE IS PRICELESS...
To read this piece, and more such stories in India's most exciting and exacting magazine, plus get access to our 25-year archives goldmine, please subscribe.
