Pointing out some analytical and factual limitations in Ajay Dandekar and Sreedeep Bhattacharya’s paper (EPW, 27 May 2017), important aspects of agrarian distress are discussed.
The state of agricultural markets, the agricultural market policy and regulatory reforms in Punjab are reviewed in the context of the agrarian crisis. The farmer and farm worker manifesto of the Aam Aadmi Party is critically assessed. Policy mechanisms for agro-industrial development of the state are suggested.
There is no doubt that the agricultural land leasing laws in India need to be amended to make land leasing legal and easier. The Niti Aayog report (2016) proposes a formal model law on land leasing. Critically examining the logic for liberalisation of land leasing laws, the limitations of the model lease agreement are brought out. It is argued that the model law ignores the diversity and dynamics of leasing arrangements in India and the socio-economic implications of the realities of tenancy practices.
Commercial and Inclusive Value Chains: Doing Good and Doing Well edited by Malcolm Harper, John Belt and Rajeev Roy; Warwickshire (UK): Practical Action Publishing, 2015; pp 200, ₹2,040.
Responding to the critique of their article on the commission agent system in Punjab, the authors highlight the perils of private solutions to agrarian problems. They propose an enhanced role of the public sector in obliterating the exploitative stronghold of arthiya system in order to protect the interests of farmers and address the problems of Punjab's agrarian economy.
A critique of "Commission Agent System: Significance in Contemporary Agricultural Economy of Punjab" by Sukhpal Singh and Shruti Bhogal (EPW, 7 November 2015).
Despite favourable policy measures, growth of financial institutions and public interventions in the marketing of agricultural produce, the structure of Punjab's agricultural economy makes farmers dependent on commission agents. These agents trap the farmers in a vicious circle of indebtedness. Based on a field survey, this study locates the commission agent system in Punjab's agriculture set-up and recommends reframing it in order to extricate farmers from the clutches of these agents.
Punjab's Economic Development in the Era of Globalisationedited by Inderjeet Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Lakhwinder Singh, Delhi: LG Publishers, 2014; pp 383, Rs 1,035.
The small peasantry in agriculturally advanced Punjab faces a severe economic crisis. Though the total workforce has increased over time, the proportion engaged in agriculture has been falling and the number of marginal and small holdings has been declining. The farm surpluses of indebted farmers are very low, and 14% of marginal and 9% of small farmers are effectively bankrupt. Low profitability has prompted many small farmers to leave agriculture and 28% of them have entered the labour market. More pressingly, a significant number have preferred to take their own lives.
Rooted in development theory and grass-roots realities, Surjit Singh's understanding of development economics was holistic. It also aid reat attention to the plight of the marginalised. A warm and genuine person, he lived a humble life, and his agenda always had the deprived at the top.
Punjab's new agriculture policy based on a report prepared by the Committee for Formulation of Agriculture Policy for Punjab focuses on yield enhancement and market orientation instead of demand-driven agriculture. While the report talks about the need for diversification, it does not bother to analyse the failure of earlier policies. The report is on the whole short on analysis and long on recommendations.
