The Viability Crisis and Institutional Challenges Before Indian Agriculture

In the concern for boosting production in agriculture, there was a tendency to ignore the farmer and the need for a farm family to have a viable income, not only to survive but also to save and invest. Unfortunately, Indian agriculture has been suffering from a growing structural weakness, with the average size of holdings and the proportion of viable holdings fast declining. This is not a question of profitability, but basically one of viability. The Green Revolution could not solve this problem, as the population dependent on agriculture kept on increasing, while the availability of land for farming could not. The non-viable holdings are more vulnerable to crises due to inadequate incomes. The viability line has to be much higher than the poverty line of income. The problem has been caused due to the failure of the non-agricultural sectors to absorb increasing rural population and provide them with alternative sources of livelihood. The problem of agriculture cannot be solved within the framework of agriculture. Policies are needed with a wider vision and stronger political will.