Budget: Ambitious schemes fall short of addressing stark agrarian distress

Even as Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a slew of announcements for the agriculture sector while dubbing it as the first of the four power engines of development, her budget didn’t address the farming community’s immediate demands like a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) of crops and a complete debt waiver.

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), has been on the indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border in Punjab since November 26 last year in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops.

After a high-level delegation of the central government invited the protesting farmers for a meeting on February 14 to discuss their demands, Dallewal started taking medical aid though he did not end his fast.

Also read: Explained: Why are farmers on warpath again? How's SC panel negotiating with them?

The MSP assurance had also emerged as the main sticking point in the farmers’ protest against three contentious farm laws in 2020. The protesting farmers had contended that the new laws would make the MSP system irrelevant and they would not have any assured income from their farming.

‘Mum on raising farmers’ income’

Talking to The Federal, Vijay Jawandhiya, a farm activist from Maharashtra, said, “There is nothing for the farmers in this budget. The government has focused on increasing production of pulses and oilseeds for achieving atmanirbharta, but is completely silent on raising income of the farmers. Similarly, the budget talks about enhancing cotton productivity but the government doesn’t have any answer when the farmers lament that they aren’t getting the MSP for their cotton produce. Cotton exports too are not rising due to decline in its prices globally.”

He opined that the only thing that the farmers has got in this budget is the increase in credit limit from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh on Kisan Credit Card. “However, this too won’t do any good to the farmers as it will only add to their debt burden. The government will extend more loan to the farmers, but has miserably failed to strengthen them so that they can repay their loans,” he added. Referring to the move to set up Makhana Board in Bihar, he said the farmers of other states facing agrarian distress like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Punjab have been completely ignored in the budget.

Also read: Resolute on MSP demand, farmers urge Haryana, UP brethren to join protest

‘Burning issues left unaddressed’

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha convener Sarwan Singh Pandher, who is spearheading the farmers’ stir on Punjab-Haryana border, said the successive governments at the Centre have done little to improve the lot of the farming community. “The Union Budget has merely restricted itself to making ambitious announcements for the future while doing little to address the burning issues being faced by the farming community,” he told The Federal.

He alleged that the government was serving the interests of big corporate houses and its budgetary allocation for the agriculture sector is mere 3 to 4 per cent of the total budget, which is ignominious in view of the fact that more than 60% of the country’s population depends on agriculture and rural livelihoods.

BKU leader Shangara Singh Mann slammed the Union government, saying it has once again turned a blind eye to their demand for a legal guarantee for MSP, though they were hoping that special budgetary allocation will be made to ensure this. He said the farmers in Punjab were keen on diversifying to other crops but the successive governments have hardly made any sincere efforts to wean away the farming community from tradition paddy-wheat cycle. He said water-guzzling crops like paddy have led to alarming decline in the state’s groundwater level.

PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana

Earlier, Sitharaman announced PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana, covering 100 districts with low productivity, moderate crop intensity and below-average credit parameters. In partnership with states, the scheme aims to benefit 1.7 crore farmers in the first phase and focuses on creating sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural areas.

Also read: Karnataka farmers oppose land acquisition, burn survey team’s drone, laptops

The FM also announced to launch rural prosperity, and resilience programme focusing on youth, women and farmers. In another key announcement, she said the loan limit under the Kisan Credit Card scheme will be increased to ₹5 lakh from the current limit of ₹3 lakh.

Sitharaman also outlined a mission to achieve self-reliance in pulses over the next six years. She said the government will now launch a 6-year “Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses” with a special focus on Tur, Urad and Masoor. She also announced a ‘Mission for Cotton Productivity’. This 5-year mission will facilitate significant improvements in productivity and sustainability of cotton farming, and promote extra-long staple cotton varieties.

With an eye on the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, the minister announced setting up of a Makhana Board to improve production, processing, value addition, and marketing of makhana. The board will provide handholding and training support to makhana farmers and will also work to ensure they receive the benefits of all relevant government schemes.