In February 2016, the Central government had set a goal of doubling the income of farmers by 2022 in real terms from the baseline income of 2015-16. The timing of the declaration was most appropriate, as the farm sector was struggling to recover from a severe drought in 2015-16. There was a decline in farmers’ incomes, rising indebtedness of farm households and a sharp increase in the incidence of farmer suicides. The contribution of agriculture to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) had fallen to 18 per cent, though agriculture accounted for 50 per cent of employment. The target set
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