The recent release of a new Rainfed Agriculture Atlas has brought to light various policy biases that make farming unfeasible for many in Indian rainfed areas. The documentation highlights the persistent negligence towards these areas, which subsequently leads to lower incomes for farmers working under these conditions. A conspicuous illustrated example is that farmers situated in rainfed areas receive 40% less of their income from agriculture when compared to those operating in irrigated areas.
The Emerging Bias and Its Impact
Despite rainfed agriculture contributing to 60 percent of the value of agriculture GDP of India, it suffers from visible neglect when it comes to public investment in agriculture. This disregard, combined with unsuitable programme design, has ensured that the potential of rainfed areas remains untapped. The imbalance becomes further evident when evaluating procurement over the decade between 2001-02 and 2011-12. While the government procured ₹5.4 lakh crore of wheat and rice during this period, coarse cereals, predominantly grown in rainfed areas, had only ₹3,200 crore worth of procurement.
Assessing Flagship Government Schemes
Flagship government schemes like seed and fertiliser subsidies and soil health cards devote more attention to irrigated areas. Often, these schemes are extended to rainfed farmers without considering their unique needs or circumstances. Beginning as an initiative for irrigated fields, these programmes don’t offer the required assistance in rainfed areas due to the lack of customisation and context-specific considerations.
Data Table: Comparing the Two Farming Modalities
| Parameter | Rainfed Farming | Irrigated Farming |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural GDP Contribution | 60% | 40% |
| Procurement Value (2001-2012) | ₹3,200 crore | ₹5.4 lakh crore |
| Govt. Scheme Implementation | Inadequate customization | Well-suited schemes |
The Need for a More Balanced Approach
Calling for a more balanced approach, the atlas suggests that rainfed farmers deserve the same research and technology focus, and production support as their counterparts in irrigation areas. There’s an urgent need to increase R&D in rainfed agriculture and introduce more policy perspectives such as tweaking of government schemes to consider the needs of the rainfed agricultural areas.