Women farmers in Chhattisgarh working during the sowing season.
India is an agrarian economy. The income from agriculture and allied sectors constitute around 20% of the GDP and accounts for more than half of all workforce. India has seen rapid growth in food production during the last three decades culminating in self-sufficiency and surplus production. However, feeding the ever-increasing population through the next millennium remains an uphill task. The government will have to provide for about 1.3 billion people by 2020, requiring 5-6 MT of additional food grains every year.
Rainfed regions contribute significantly to the country’s food production; it occupies 67% net sown area, contributing 44 % of food grains and supporting 40 % of the population. In fact, India ranks first in rainfed agriculture, both in the area and the value of produce. About 61% of India’s farmers rely on rainfed agriculture, and 55 % of the gross cropped area is under rainfed farming, making this sector vital not only for food security but also for sustainable economic growth and improved welfare of the rural poor.
The negligence towards rainfed areas has led to farmers in these areas receiving 40% less income than their counterparts in irrigated areas.
Despite its significance to the country’s development, rainfed agriculture has historically been at the receiving end of imbalances in policy and public investments. It receives twenty times less government investment than its irrigated counterparts. Flagship government schemes, such as seed and fertilizer subsidies and soil health cards, are also biased against rainfed agriculture. In fact, agriculture policies are usually formulated following a national plan. They do not accommodate the differences in climatic conditions, irrigation methods, soil types, traditional agricultural practices of different regions, and their nutritional needs.
The negligence towards rainfed areas has led to farmers in these areas receiving 40% less income than their counterparts in irrigated areas. This situation is further complicated by the complex and often overlapping institutional structures and processes established under different laws and policies. Hence, the practitioners working in these regions must be perceptive to the unique challenges of this region in order to cater to their specific needs.
This manual is designed to help set out a training program for building a nuanced understanding of the narratives, interests and issues particular to rainfed agriculture. It is carefully structured to make the competence required for influencing law and policy by raising civic engagement.
Download the full resource from here.
This resource is an outcome of the collaboration between Centre For Social Justice and Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network.
For any suggestions: do comment below or write to socjust@gmail.com / adityagujarathi.csj@gmail.com