Mystery of India's farm distress

Over 58% of rural households in country depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood

A professor of economics at an international university was at pains to explain to his students why the agriculture sector in India seemed to be in a perpetual state of distress. Over 58 per cent of rural households in the country depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood. This apart, several members of Parliament come from rural India. So his students found it difficult to fathom why the farm sector in the country was in such poor shape, the professor said.