INDIAN ECONOMICS
Palampur A Hypothetical Village’s Story Part 2
This is the Second part of the article Palampur a hypothetical village’s story written by Mahi Singh
Palampur agriculture
1. The land is unchangeable
Village farming is the main source of income for the people of Palampur, and their well-being is linked to farm output. However, there remains a fundamental restriction in increasing farm production. The amount of land that is cultivated is basically fixed.
2. Is it possible to cultivate more plants on the same piece of land?
Kharif farmers cultivate jowar and bajra during the rainy season, followed by potato cultivation from October to December. Farmers produce wheat in the winter, while a portion of the land is dedicated to sugarcane, which is collected once a year. Farmers may grow three distinct crops thanks to well-developed irrigation. The irrigation system was converted by electricity. Multiple cropping refers to the cultivation of multiple crops on a single plot of land. Modern farming is another approach to increase production. The Green Revolution exposed the Indian farmer to wheat and rice production utilising high yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds in the late 1960s.
3. Will the land be able to withstand the effects of climate change?
The natural resource base has been abused by modern farming methods. The soil lost its fertility as a result of increased usage of chemical fertilisers. Natural resources such as soil fertility and groundwater are depleted, and restoring them is extremely challenging.
4. How is land dispersed among Palampur’s farmers?
Any type of farming necessitates the use of land. About a third of the 450 families in Palampur are landless. Dalits do not have access to agricultural land. 240 families farm small pieces of land measuring less than 2 hectares. There are 60 medium and large farmers in Palampur who cultivate more than 2 hectares of land.
5. Who will be the ones to do the work?
Small farmers tend to their own plots of land. Medium and big farmers use labourers to cultivate their fields, who are either landless or have limited pieces of land to cultivate. Farm labourers will have no control over the crops cultivated on the property. They will be paid for their job in the form of wages, which can be cash or in-kind, such as crops. Meals are occasionally provided to labourers. Wages differ from one region to the next, from one crop to the next, and from one agricultural activity to the next. Farm labourers may be hired on a daily basis, for a specific farm activity such as harvesting, or for the entire year.
6. Farming capital is required
Modern farming methods necessitate a significant investment.
1. Most small farmers borrow money from larger farmers, village moneylenders, or traders who supply various agricultural inputs. The interest rate on such loans is extremely high.
2. Medium and large farmers have their own farming savings. As a result, they are able to secure the required capital.
7. Farm Product Surplus Sale
The farmers keep some of the wheat they grow on their land for personal consumption and sell the rest. Wheat is only supplied to the market by medium and large farmers.
Thanks for reading. This is Mahi Singh, signing off!
