What’s Really Going On with Indian Farmers?

By: Ojaswita Palvkar

Hey there! Let’s talk about something serious but super important—our farmers. They’re literally the reason we eat, but it feels like they’re stuck in this never-ending cycle of problems. Imagine working so hard and still struggling to make ends meet. That’s what millions of Indian farmers are dealing with right now. Here's the lowdown on what’s wrong and how politics is making it worse.

Farmers’ Struggles: It’s More Than Just Debt

Okay, here’s the thing: about 50% of farming households are in debt, and the average loan is over ₹74,000. That’s crazy, right? And even though India produces a ton of food, most farmers earn less than 15000. In states like Jharkhand, it’s even lower—around ₹4,800! They’re drowning in loans because farming costs are skyrocketing, and their incomes aren’t keeping up. So, they end up doing suicide, data shows that 1.7 lakh farmers have done suicide also NCRB data shows that every hour one farm dies by suicide.

Books like "Everybody Loves a Good Drought" by P. Sainath explain how rural India is getting left behind. Seriously, give it a read. It’s eye-opening!

Where Are Politicians Messing Up?

Now, here’s where things get messy. Politicians love to make big promises to farmers, especially during election season they launch manifesto like providing ₹1,500 Per month to farmers if they vote them which is only ₹15000 per year this e.g. of Maharashtra politics  here politicians are just bribing the farmers  for votes but if they want to really help them  then  these politicians who form govt should   have  to free the farmers from slavery not to keep them in never ending -loop of  dreadful vicious cycle .

So can farmers really earn up to lakhs? Can they be freed from slavery?

Yes, ofcourse by knowing the right way and new technology they can earn up to 15 lakhs per year sometimes 60 lakhs no its not dream there are cases recorded by The Better India that there are farmers who earn 15 lakh per /acre the thing is that they have understood nature, they use techniques like drip irrigation, crop rotation and mulching. They do soil testing and plant crops based on results. If the government officials appoint some assistants to teach our countries farmers about techniques to do smart farming, then... yes, they would be free from this vicious loop eventually.

Here’s what needs to change, and fast

There are few more handful of things these politicians should know instead of providing 1,500 per month do this.

1. Fair Prices for Crops: Farmers need a proper Minimum Support Price (MSP) that actually covers their costs and gives them some profit. Transparency in markets is a must—no more shady middlemen taking all the money.

2. Better Infrastructure: Politicians need to spend money on cold storages and warehouses so crops don’t rot. Imagine working for months, only to have your entire harvest go to waste. Yeah, not cool.

3. Education and Tech: as I said earlier farmers must be taught techniques about smart farmingby agriculture assistant.

The Bigger Picture

Farmers don’t need handouts—they need real solutions. Politicians should focus less on making empty promises and empty schemes by just giving and more on fixing the system. It’s not just about helping farmers; it’s about securing India’s future. Because, let’s face it: if farming collapses, we’re all in trouble.

So yeah, the next time you hear about farmers protesting, remember—they’re not just fighting for themselves. They’re fighting for all of us. And if you want to dig deeper, pick up a book or two. Trust me, it’ll change the way you see things.