Doubling Farmers Income by 2022 : Trends, Challenges, Pathway and Strategies

Income is the most relevant measure to assess farmers' economic well-being and sectoral transformation. The crises and distresses plaguing the sector endanger the very livelihoods and welfare of the farmers. Indian Government with the intention giving enough policy thrust on income security, proposed to double the farmers' income by 2022, platinum jubilee year of the Indian independence. The present study analysed the current status of farmers' income across holding size and regions and attempted to decipher the scope and pathways for doubling income through potential drivers. The spatial and temporal trends in farm household income from crop production, livestock farming, wages and non-farm activities have been analysed for better understanding of the present scenario. The study tracked the farmers' household income across regions and holding size between 2003 and 2013 using the countrywide situation assessment survey data collected by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and deciphered the scope and potential for doubling the farmers' income (DFI) by 2022. The findings from the NSSO data indicated that the share of income has increased drastically from 5 per cent to 12 per cent in the case of livestock farming, 45 per cent to 48 per cent in crop production, while that of the wages and non-farm have declined between 2003 and 2013. The challenges faced by the farming community in the coming years have been highlighted for devising relevant pathway and strategies to enhance the income. Yield enhancement followed by cost reduction, fair price realisation and risk adaption has been identified as the potential pathway for doubling income. Farmers' income from crop production, livestock farming, wages and non-farm activities is an outcome of synergy and convergence between technology, extension, institutions and policies to achieve the set target. Indian agriculture needs a relook with a special focus on farm income through productivity/efficiency enhancement coupled with cost reduction, better price realisation and income risk coverage to be on the track of DFI by 2022. The study also furnished strategies for doubling the income of wheat/barley producers focussing on varietal adoption, resource conservation technologies, diversification / intensification / relay cropping, pest and disease management in vulnerable regions, and cost reducing technologies. The study concluded that the government has to integrate investment and leadership in science & technology, extension, institutions and policy interventions to accomplish the set goal by 2022