Farmers’ unions and political parties have been demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan minimum support price (cost plus 50%) to address agrarian crisis and farmers’ distress. But they have not raised demands for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers, which have the potential to provide lasting solutions.

Suicides by a large number of farmers and agricultural labourers during the last two decades or so, along with the high incidence of indebtedness among them, is a clear indicator of emerging agrarian crisis and farmers’ distress. According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), a large number of farmers across the country are not interested in agriculture. Lakhs of farmers have already been pushed out of agriculture as employment in agriculture is fast shrinking. As per the preliminary results of an ongoing study by the author in Punjab, nearly 80% farmers do not want their sons to be agriculturists.