The agriculture sector of Odisha remains backward in comparison to other States. Though the production of food grains has increased over the years, but the yielding rate is low. It is lower than the average yielding rate of major States in the country.
With rise in cropping intensity, the land available for cultivation has been decreasing due to a number of factors. The irrigated areas under principal crops are less than national average i.e. 45.32 per cent where as it is 98 per cent in Punjab. The State Agriculture Policy-2013 report claims that farm mechanisation has increased with large use of tractor, power tiller, diesel pump sets and other agricultural equipment. The agriculture loan has also increased in the State by the cooperative and commercial banks as it was Rs10,454.15 crore in 2012-2013 and Rs 8,519.67crore in 2011-12. Though fertiliser and pesticide consumption has increased in the State but it is less than national average of 145kg per hectare (ha). The consumption of fertilizer is very high in districts like Bargarh, Nabarangpur and Sambalpur.
In spite of all these improvements in agriculture sector of the State, the condition of farmers has not improved. The changing contexts of the State economy, with industrialisation, privatization of agriculture, corporate investment and large impact of climate change, have been directly hitting the farming community. The development of agriculture should integrate the development of farmers without which the overall economic growth with food security is not possible. It is being observed that the State Government policy propels more on production growth without a fair attention to the farmers while farmer suicide and distress migration remain unaddressed.
The National Policy for Framers- 2007 approved by the Government of India defines farmer as a person actively engaged in the economic or livelihood activities of growing crops and producing other primary agricultural commodities which include all agricultural operation holders, cultivators, agricultural labourers, share croppers, tenants, poultry and live stock rearers, fishers, beekeepers, gardeners, pastoralists, planting labourers, persons engaged in various farming related occupations such as sericulture, agro farming, tribals in shifting cultivation and forest produce collectors.
The State Agriculture Policy-2013 says that about 70 per cent of the population of the State depends on agriculture and it is being dominated by small and marginal farmers who constitute about 85 per cent of the farming community with an average size of land holding of 1.25ha. The agricultural census data for 2005-2006 for operational holding of different social groups shows SC and ST farmers have very minimal land holding and the land holding status has not been changed much. As per Census 2011, the State has 41.04 lakh cultivators and 67.40 lakh agricultural workers and it constitutes about 62 per cent of total workers of the State who are engaged in agriculture. The district of Baleswar has the highest number of cultivators and Mayurbhanj has highest number of agricultural workers.
It is a fact that the producing farming communities in the State belong to socially and educationally backward classes, Adivasies and Dalits, who are historically deprived of education and land. They are also socially divided and politically unorganized. They remain victims of the State policy and very insignificantly impact over policy decisions of the State.
The National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data says farmer’s suicide accounts for 11.2 per cent of all suicide in India. Many farmers’ organizations claim that about 4,000 farmers killed themselves during last ten years in the State. In 2011, the then Agriculture Minister reported in Assembly that 2,639 farmers killed themselves in the past ten years. Though the figures and reasons of suicide are controversial but it is an established fact that farmers are committing suicide in the State non-stop.
The issue of farmer suicide has been a matter of debate in the State and political parties have expressed their concern over it in many ways. The districts where farmer suicide is endemic are Baragarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Balangir, Nuapada, Gajapati, Keonjhar, Nayagarah and Baleswar. It is further revealed that mostly the farmers belong to socially marginalised communities and a large majority of them are illiterate, asset-less, small and marginal farmers. They live with the basic minimum for life and agriculture is the only source of their livelihood. The per capita income in the agriculture sector is less than the non farm sector. The people in agriculture sector are mostly self-employed and very less paid as the farm labourers are identified as unskilled workers who get the minimum wage only. The reason of suicide reveals the vulnerability of small and marginal farmers, share croppers, agricultural workers, cultivating land on lease, and mostly depending on monsoon for irrigation. They are often found in debt bondage. They borrow money for taking up a new crop from local money lenders, banks, cooperatives, micro credit organizations at as high as 25 per cent of rate of interest. And when the crop fails due to erratic monsoon or any other reasons, they fail to repay the debt and finally end up in committing suicide.
It has been observed that the cost of agricultural inputs such as seed, fertilizer, pesticide and agro appliances has been consistently increasing. They are becoming increasingly inaccessible to small and marginal farmers who cannot afford to meet the expenses without a loan facility. The huge subsidy by State in agriculture appliance, fertilizer and credit facilities are mostly benefiting the rich farmers and therefore, the State’s policy for farmers has not protected the interest of the disadvantaged small and marginal farmers in the State. Odisha is a high natural calamity prone zone and the routine visit of flood, drought, and cyclone always affect the poor farmers who are not being adequately compensated for the loss. Insurance for crop, health and life of farmers is virtually negligible. They are often prone to health hazards and diseases without a scope of treatment.
The Biju Krusak Kalyana Yojana by the State Government along with insurance companies, Reliance General insurance, National insurance, The New India assurance, IFFCO –Tokio general insurance for farmers have not covered all farmers of the State. The structured presence of economically powerful and socially influential local middlemen backed by political patronage and bureaucratic nexus is a matter of concern to ensure implementation of Government programmes as they have control over all the cooperatives and they tend to influence the local bank and Government officials to favour the farmers of their choice and make use of bribe in dealing with subside of farmers.
The national policy for farmers speaks up asset reform by ensuring land, water, livestock, fishpond, homestead farm and energy need for farmers along with credit, insurance, social security, pension and skill development which need to be implemented by State but the integration of different schemes for farmers’ economic wellbeing and social development has not been made as the State investment in agriculture sector including farmers has been very minimal in terms of developing agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, supply of electricity and cold storage for agro products, marketing infrastructure along with investment on insurance and social security for farmers.
The overall change in the condition of the farmers will bring a major change in the economy as they constitute a large portion of the productive forces of the State.
(The writer is a rights activist who can be contacted at ojaabbsr@gmail.com)