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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Agriculture Crisis Grips 'Model' Gujarat -Prudhviraj Rupawat

Agriculture Crisis Grips 'Model' Gujarat -Prudhviraj Rupawat

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published Published on Dec 1, 2017   modified Modified on Dec 1, 2017
-Newsclick.in

Agricultural output is stagnating, farmers’ debt and suicides are rising, 35% cultivators have abandoned farming – gujarat’s development model has betrayed farmers

Here are some facts about the state of agriculture in Gujarat, often described by BJP as the crucible for ‘model’ governance and development:

    Between 2001 and 2011, the number of cultivators in Gujarat fell by 355,181, the bulk of which was marginal cultivators (those who cultivate only up to 6 months in a year). This is a decline of about 35% - one of the highest in the country. On the other hand, agricultural labourers increased by 16.8 lakh or an increase of about 50%, again, one of the highest in the country.

    Over the years, farmer’s suicides have kept haunting Gujarat’s farmers. In a span of just the last three years (2013 to 2015) reportedly 1483 farmers committed suicide in the state.

    Nearly 43% of farmers in Gujarat were indebted and among them, the average debt per household was  Rs 126,109 in the year 2012 according to an NSSO survey report. For an ‘advanced’ state like Gujarat this is quite a substantial scale of indebtedness considering that the all India average is 45% indebtedness and average debt of Rs 153,640.

What is the significance of these facts? It is this: Gujarat, despite all the big talk of model governance and prosperity, is in the grip of the same dire agricultural crisis that is prevailing elsewhere in the country. A close look at agricultural output over the years shows that production of foodgrains, oilseeds and cotton has been virtually stagnating for the past 5-6 years after the initial spurt during 2001-2006, which was mainly caused by the reaching of Narmada waters to distant hinterland of western Gujarat and the introduction of Bt cotton.

With approaching Assembly elections, Gujarat’s ruling BJP has suddenly sought to rectify some of its mistakes and provide relief to suffering farmers. It has raised the Minimum Support Prices for various cash crops in the state and announced waiver of Goods and Services Tax (GST) for farmers using micro-irrigation systems. But, delay in procurement of this year’s kharif produce has been adding to the distress of the farmers.

The condition of ever growing army of landless agricultural workers is of serious concern since the minimum wage in the state is only Rs 150 per day, one of the lowest in the country.

This chillingly distressing condition of the agrarian sector in Gujarat, and the crores of people linked to it, has led to a spate of farmers’ protests against a slew of problems ranging from land acquisition to remunerative prices. All of them indicate the growing disillusionment of the farming community from the much touted Gujarat ‘model’ of governance and development.

Please click here to read more.

Newsclick.in, 24 November, 2017, https://newsclick.in/window-real-gujarat-5-agriculture-crisis-grips-model-gujarat


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