View: Punjab-Haryana’s top 200,000 farmers want to remain among the top 8 per cent of all earners in India

It is for policymakers to decide whether a ‘fair’ guaranteed income to the top 200,000 farmers of Punjab Haryana — remember, MSP is not subject to market forces and is like a price set by a monopolist — is to place them among the richest earners in India.

Synopsis
The Punjab farmer has the lowest cost of production, about 75% of average for wheat, and 59% of all-India average for paddy. The yields are also higher, with the net result that the Punjab-Haryana large farmer (farm ownership over 4 ha) earns Rs 1.25 lakh a year per ha from cultivation of wheat and paddy.

Inequality has been a major concern for societies, and has caused revolutions, and upheavals, now for close to 200 years. The farm protests in India have garnered international attention, and concern has been expressed about the exploitation of farmers via the new farm laws — laws that guarantee more freedom for farmers to buy and sell their produce in markets other than government-regulated mandis.If a farmer chooses to go the old route, he can

Surjit S Bhalla

ET CONTRIBUTORS

6 mins read, Last Updated:

Jan 4, 2021, 09:38 AM IST

Share This Article

GIFT ARTICLE
FONT SIZE
AbcSmall
AbcMedium
AbcLarge
SAVE
COMMENT

Sign in to read the full article

You’ve got this Prime Story as a Free Gift

Monthly

₹399

No Trial Period

Yearly

(Save 49%)

₹2499

15 Days Trial +Includes DocuBay and TimesPrime Membership worth ₹1499 & ₹999 resp.

2-Year

(Save 63%)

₹3599

15 Days Trial +Includes DocuBay and TimesPrime Membership worth ₹1499 & ₹999 resp.

Why ?

Sharp Insight-rich, Indepth stories across 20+ sectors
Access the exclusive Economic Times stories, Editorial and Expert opinion
Clean experience with
Minimal Ads
Comment & Engage with ET Prime community
Exclusive invites to Virtual Events with Industry Leaders
A trusted team of Journalists & Analysts who can best filter signal from noise