The fury of farmers

The risks linked to market uncertainties can be mitigated by policies that empower farmers

The farmers’ agitation in Madhya Pradesh and several other states has raised concerns about the health of the agricultural sector. It is worth noting that the farmers’ agitation this year has come in the wake of a good monsoon in 2016. That there is distress amongst farmers cannot be denied as is evident from the scale of the protests. But looking for immediate and longer-term responses requires a better understanding of the roots of the stress in the farming economy.

Over the past five years, the agricultural economy as measured by the gross value added (GVA) reported in the National Account