Annadatas need all the help they can get

The debt relief gesture of the Anumula Revanth Reddy government in Telangana towards the farmers on Thursday can be termed historic on many counts. How so? It is a naked fact that India’s food security is still dependent on its ill-equipped producers who are faced with a plethora of issues beyond their means to cope up with. The need for handholding farmers is more acutely felt now than ever, even with rich agrarian states like Punjab seeing downturn in farmers’ fortunes. Our farmers are waiting with bated breath any and every doable help from the governments. Given a widespread despondency among India’s food givers.

A political will to bail out the distressed farmers is binding on all leaders who claim to know ground realities. It is, therefore, heartening to note that the Revanth Reddy government has met one of the acutely felt needs of the food givers in the State – a relief from the stranglehold of the ever-rising debts which are crippling the sector. Celebrations naturally erupted across the state, and big relief is writ large on the faces of the beneficiaries (numbering about 11.5 lakh) and their families. The Congress government move to keep its promise to the farmers is commendable, as the move to waive loans up to Rs 2 lakh each of the farmers would cost upwards of Rs 31,000 crore. Very few would resent the move to extend the dole in two installments, given the not-so-good finances.

Revanth Reddy also deserves praise for making certain exclusions in the award of the scheme, weeding out undeserving sections. The move to benefit only the tillers excludes the languishing tenant farmers, though. They are more distressed and anguished. Those who grudge farm loan waiver, labelling it merely a populist gesture to win votes, must note that India’s security is rooted in the welfare of its producers. Unless they are strong, how can they feed 1.48 billionpopulation.Moreover, with over 60 per cent of the population engaged in agriculture and allied activities, the agriculture well-being is vital for India’s national security, as has been recently stressed by National Security Advisor of India AjitDoval.

Following around 8 per cent deficit in last year’s monsoon rainfall, food inflation pressures had set in, burdening India’s poor at around 22 crore. Food inflation pares intake of nutrients. According to the Global Food Security Index by the FAO, India has a prevalence of undernutrition of 16.3%. Further, 30.9% of children in India are stunted, 33.4% are underweight, and 3.8% are obese.

Any concerning citizen would be dismayed at the paltry support – financial as well marketing – to the agri sector from the governments, both central and state. A 2023 report published by UN Water cautioned India is on course to reaching its tipping point in groundwater depletion. Though the average rainfall may reach the normal, excess rainfall in a short period and unseasonal rainfall, and alarming surge in heatwaves are breaking the back of the farmers.

Add to this, the farmers’ travails in saving their crops from unseasonal rains and helplessness in going for distress sales due to traders’ lobbies. Small holdings are uneconomical. Fake seeds continue to flood markets season after season. Erosion of soil productivity, lack of cold stores, marketing assistance viz., are also concerns. But, the elephant in the room is easy access to credit. There is a need for credit guarantee scheme for collateral-free credit to the farmers on the lines of the one for MSMEs. Equally important is prompt provision of insurance to offset losses due to vagaries of nature. In Telangana, the government also needs to fix Dharani portal issues, and issue ration cards, too, to deserving farmers.