Budget 2018: How to double farmers' income

Since landholdings in India are small, income growth must be achieved by raising cropping intensity, improving resource-use efficiency and enhancing the role of the rural non-farm sector

Despite being the custodian of the country’s food security, Indian farmers are stuck in a low-income syndrome. Their per capita income in 2012-13 was about Rs 15,000, just one-fifth the national average. The Union government in its Budget of 2016-17 set a target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. Prior to Budget 2018-19, several measures have been initiated, but the extent to which these help in achieving the goal would depend on whom these target and where.

About 70 per cent farmers are marginal farmers (owning less than one hectare), and 77 per cent of them earn a meagre Rs 6,067