FTI Singapore Chapter-Interaction with TN Farmers(Why farmers leave farming?)

My Dear Friends,

As an committed activity of FTI(Freedom Team of India) Singapore chapter,i have identified and interacted with a team of 5 people from Tamilnadu currently living in singapore and working in keppel ship yard.The most amazing and pity thing is that all of them were farmers and i had conducted a live interview with them,why they left farming job and seek other job for their living?The outcome of the interview gives myself and the farmers were that they don't have real freedom of selling their own produced grains and agriculture stuffs in their land to good profits.They even understand the need for economic liberty and free market concept;If those were available then really the farmers will not leave their farming jobs to seek other jobs and economic liberty will leads to prosperity was well understood by them.My interaction with them really awakens them a lot.I have translated the video recorded in Tamil to English in my blog below;kindly go through it and provide your valuable comments.

********Video Links*********

Interaction with TN Farmers why they left farming-FTI Singapore chapter

Interaction with TN Farmers Mr.Kalaiselvan-Part1

Interaction with TN Farmers Mr.Kalaiselvan-Part2

Interaction with TN Farmers Mr.Kalaiselvan-Part3

****Translation of the Tamil video to English****

This article is a brief translation of the above Tamil video link to English. I have identified a few farmers who are working in Singapore in the Keppel ship yard. I got to know them through my friend Mani raja and it was a quite interesting when I interacted with them and come to know that they are not from marine background but actually they were farmers who came from Tamil nadu. They left farming field because of poor income and very less profit and sometimes no profit even. The Farmer named Mr.Kalaiselvan from Cuddalore district of Tamil nadu which is a peculiar place where agriculture is affected because of water since this area is prone to flood during rainy season and this has been happening for quite long time, but there is no facility to protect the flood and conserve that water via dam and use it during the summer season. The basic discussion with the farmer is why he left the farming? Why can’t he grow with farming? What are the difficulties he is facing in order to improve his life style? Let’s go in detail.

Government is providing loan to both small land owners as well to big landlords,per acre a small farmer is getting around Rs.10,500/- for farming in which Rs.500/- is gone for the banking and other formalities,this interest less loan should be paid back year end without fail.The money left with farmer is 10,000/- in which for tiling and coolie/labor costs itself eats all the money and apart from that he spends his own money to do farming.Once all is done and he started reaping the crop and here is the basic problem starts for the farmer;Because most of the rice they produce as outcome is bought by the govt as they provided loan and other supports at very cheap rate.Hence the outcome is that the farmers could not even benefit from what he spends,because he has no freedom of either fixing his price based on the supply and demand nor he has no freedom in selling to private players which is termed illegal by the government that if a truck cross the check post with more than 30 Gunny bags of rice they should declare that it belongs to so and so farmer with land proof etc.Also its banned that rice should not be sold from one state to another state.This state intervention is preventing both the welfare of Farmers as well private players too.Hence who will do a farming job with so much of difficulty and atlast gaining nothing?This is the current situation and reason for declining in agricultural sector.This is what the poor is suffering from lack of economic liberalization in this country and hence a huge demand is created for rice and other stuffs which we are forced to get imported from other countries;though we have potential opportunities to develop indigenous.Mr.kalaiselvan understands,felts badly that as a farmer he could not improve his life style and look after his family,that is the reason he left farming field and moved abroad to do some other task which would fetch him some income for his family.The core point is lack of economic freedom is felt,well understood by Mr.Kalaiselvan.Also other fringes which enables agriculture are highlighted in the discussion like Poor irrigation facilities,Lack of water bodies like (Dams)which will be useful for continuing agriculture even during drought and extreme summer conditions for which state shall enable/provide opportunities to the private to take up these tasks instead of controlling themselves.

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****Statistical data and required reforms for agricultural sector**** 

Below are the statistical data which i would like to just show some light on the current situation of agricultural sector in India.

"When tillage begins other arts follow.The farmers,therefore,are the founders of Human civilization-Its a famous OLD adage."


"A doctor wants his child to become a doctor,engineer wants his child to become an engineer,but no farmer wants his child to become a farmer-New adage"

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy,you would have heard this word commonly and many times. About 65% of the population depends directly on agriculture and it accounts for around 22% of the India’s GDP. Agriculture is important because of the vital supply and demand link with the manufacturing sector. Share of agriculture sector in India’s GDP has declined from 48% in 1950 to around 20% in 2007.

Food security and sustainability our major goal has been still a big ?????. Now agriculture sector is at point from where it can take big leap.

STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT:

• Need for public private partnership in policy development and research.
• Linking of markets-domestic and international through efficient open market supply chain.
• Turning agricultural sector into organized business. Where farmer is an entrepreneur.
• Making farming an activity for profit rather than for subsistence.
• Economic freedom should be there for farmers to sell their products any where in India and open market freedom should be given.

India being so diverse in climate, soil types, geography and all the more disparities in the growth level in different state, it is utter most important to plan growth through micro level initiatives.

• Privatize for developing rate of growth of irrigated area.
• Improving rain water harvesting and watershed development through privatization.
• Improving incentives structure and functioning of the market.
• Refocus on land reforms.
• Promote animal husbandry and fisheries.

CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED TO INCREASE GROWTH OF AGRI SECTORS:

• Declining Productivity.
• Poor irrigation and water management.
• Declining agricultural research.
• Distorting market due to government intervention.
• Declining public and private investment.
• Unorganized credit and insurance.
• Poor infrastructure.
• Inefficient supply chain and marketing strategy.
• Slow development of agro processing units.

India's Productivity compared with world best(Shameful and pity):

Don't you ever think we need a reform to save Indian agri industry???If you think pls do join http://freedomteam.in/blog/main

Agriculture being constrained by the availability of land, the productivity remains the crucial factor based on which is the future of India’s food security.
(unit: tones per hectare)

FOOD ITEM	YIELD(INDIA)	POTENTIAL YIELD(HIGHEST IN WORLD)
RICE	3.03	9.71(EGYPT)
WHEAT	2.69	8.89(NAMIBIA)
TOTAL CEREALS	2.39	10.41(IRELAND)
PULSES	0.6	5.14(BARBADOS
EDIBLE OILSEEDS	0.25	4.29(PERU)
SUGARCANE	60.7	122.7(MALAYSIA)

Just think about it why are we lagging and why cant we do our best to achieve best yield with available landscape where as others are able to do.

  

Best Regards,

A.Stalin,

"Government that's ideal govern the least"