Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

            } else {
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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
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While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh...&#039;,
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&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
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-TheWire.in

While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot; title=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

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                <strong>Modi Government&#039;s Skewed Farm Sector Priorities Continue to Cause Farmer Distress -Ashwini Kulkarni</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?<br /></em><br />After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&nbsp; To understand the farmers&rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.<br /><br />About 55% of India&rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.<br /><br />Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.<br /><br />In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.<br /><br />These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.<br /><br />An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.<br /><br />The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/" title="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/">click here</a> to read more. <br /></div>               </font>
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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
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While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot; title=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
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-TheWire.in

While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh...&#039;
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While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh..."/>
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                <strong>Modi Government&#039;s Skewed Farm Sector Priorities Continue to Cause Farmer Distress -Ashwini Kulkarni</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?<br /></em><br />After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&nbsp; To understand the farmers&rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.<br /><br />About 55% of India&rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.<br /><br />Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.<br /><br />In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.<br /><br />These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.<br /><br />An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.<br /><br />The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/" title="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/">click here</a> to read more. <br /></div>               </font>
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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
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-TheWire.in

While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot; title=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Modi Government&amp;#039;s Skewed Farm Sector Priorities Continue to Cause Farmer Distress -Ashwini Kulkarni&#039;,
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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-TheWire.in

While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After an intense period of farmers&amp;rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &amp;ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&amp;nbsp; To understand the farmers&amp;rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;About 55% of India&amp;rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&amp;rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot; title=&quot;https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

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                <strong>Modi Government&#039;s Skewed Farm Sector Priorities Continue to Cause Farmer Distress -Ashwini Kulkarni</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?<br /></em><br />After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&nbsp; To understand the farmers&rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.<br /><br />About 55% of India&rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.<br /><br />Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.<br /><br />In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.<br /><br />These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.<br /><br />An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.<br /><br />The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/" title="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/">click here</a> to read more. <br /></div>               </font>
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-TheWire.in<br />
<br />
<em>While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?<br />
</em><br />
After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&nbsp; To understand the farmers&rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.<br />
<br />
About 55% of India&rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.<br />
<br />
Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.<br />
<br />
In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.<br />
<br />
These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.<br />
<br />
An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.<br />
<br />
The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.<br />
<br />
Please <a href="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/">click here</a> to read more. <br />
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-TheWire.in

While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh...',
	'disp' => '<div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?<br /></em><br />After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&nbsp; To understand the farmers&rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.<br /><br />About 55% of India&rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.<br /><br />Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.<br /><br />In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.<br /><br />These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.<br /><br />An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.<br /><br />The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/" title="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/">click here</a> to read more. <br /></div>',
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-TheWire.in<br />
<br />
<em>While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?<br />
</em><br />
After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&nbsp; To understand the farmers&rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.<br />
<br />
About 55% of India&rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.<br />
<br />
Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.<br />
<br />
In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.<br />
<br />
These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.<br />
<br />
An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.<br />
<br />
The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.<br />
<br />
Please <a href="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/">click here</a> to read more. <br />
</div>',
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-TheWire.in

While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?

After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh...'
$disp = '<div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue?<br /></em><br />After an intense period of farmers&rsquo; agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains &ndash; is this public investment in agriculture?&nbsp; To understand the farmers&rsquo; distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them.<br /><br />About 55% of India&rsquo;s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers.<br /><br />Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn&rsquo;t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets.<br /><br />In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas.<br /><br />These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government.<br /><br />An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers.<br /><br />The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools.<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/" title="https://thewire.in/147633/skewed-priorities-farm-sector/">click here</a> to read more. <br /></div>'
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Modi Government's Skewed Farm Sector Priorities Continue to Cause Farmer Distress -Ashwini Kulkarni

-TheWire.in While most farmers and farm land are from rainfed areas, the government focuses only on irrigated areas. How long will this unfair treatment continue? After an intense period of farmers’ agitation, the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver. Madhya Pradesh continues to simmer. Tamil Nadu farmers have expressed their distress in no uncertain terms. The loan waiver will probably make the farmers feel relieved for now, but the pivotal question remains – is this public investment in agriculture?  To understand the farmers’ distress, let us first try to understand the present scenario of public investments in agriculture and then imagine the type of support that logically follows from them. About 55% of India’s gross crop area is rainfed. Rainfed does not imply low rainfall. The rainfed area accounts for 48% of area under food crops and 68% of area under non-food crops. Out of the total amount of crop loan, a major share goes to irrigated commercial crops and a small slice is taken by small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas. It is important to remember that most of the rainfed area is populated by small and marginal farmers. Millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and many other crops are grown in rainfed areas, while irrigated areas are dominated by wheat, sugarcane and vegetables. But procurement under minimum support price (MSP) is dominated by wheat and rice. Half of this is procured from Punjab and Haryana, and another 40% is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This shows that procurement doesn’t really take place in the other states. Moreover, for the period between 2003-04 and 2012-13, Rs 540,000 crore was spent on wheat and rice, and only Rs 3,200 crore was spent on the procurement of coarse cereals and millets. In addition to crops, livestock is an important feature of rainfed areas. Dairy cattle is mostly found in irrigated areas, whereas smaller animals like sheep, goats, fisheries and poultry are found more in rainfed areas. These numbers together tell a story. Rainfed and irrigated areas serve very different functions, but the agriculture ministry is only geared towards irrigated areas and neglect rainfed ones. Other than MSP and small loans for kharif crops, there is not much government support to rainfed-area farmers. Hence the demands also are largely based on these familiar support forms from the government. An in-depth study of the present agriculture landscape shows more effective ways of reaching out to farmers in rainfed areas. This, however, would require a reorientation of the agriculture ministry, and the formulation of new policies and programmes. It is time that the government responded to the agrarian crisis by understanding the scenario, instead of relying on quick fixes like loan waivers. The numbers make it obvious that the support for the MSP is just for a couple of states and for two crops. There is a strong case for MSP for coarse cereals and millets. The procured grains need to be utilised as subsidised food under the National Food Security Act, as part of the public distribution system, in integrated child development centres, for mid-day meals in schools and for children in tribal residential schools. Please click here to read more.