21 Feb, 2016
Not consulting for change
Is the government’s consultation with farmers about understanding the need for change or to secure a forced validation of its own position?
28 Jan, 2016
Ghost of the ship-to-mouth era
The conversation on the farm sector needs to free itself of the haunt of food shortage and radically shift to issues of nutrition and safety.
24 Dec, 2015
State of the subsidy
Subsidy as a percentage of the GDP has been decreasing in India. The fertiliser subsidy helps farmers grow crops at a lower cost and the consumers who pay a lower price for food.
23 Dec, 2015
Kisan Diwas but whither farmer power?
On Kisan Diwas, the thinking farmer rues the absence of towering farmer leaders like Charan Singh as the farm sector sinks deeper into a crisis.
1 Dec, 2015
Plutocrat versus the ploughman
Paying the plutocrats and impoverishing the farmer is the name of the government’s game with a ₹1,00,000 crore largesse going the bureaucracy’s way.
27 Nov, 2015
Ajay Vir Jakhar lunches with Business Standard By Kanika Datta
“Show me any farmer in any of the major national parties, who holds a senior position…” None; which explains the farm sector mess in India.
24 Nov, 2015
Pamper bureaucrats; Impoverish farmers
The Seventh Pay Commission recommends an additional annual benefit of Rs 1 lakh crore for salaried employees and pensioners. Where does it leave the hapless farmer?
20 Nov, 2015
Fending off the WTO offensive
India needs to weather the WTO storm with diligent data collection, research, documentation and superior negotiation skills.
28 Oct, 2015
Breadbasket to basket case
A series of misadventures over trifurcation and a religious-political agenda followed by central and state governments have converted Punjab into a economic basket case
11 Oct, 2015
Prediction predicament
In order to be useful to the farmer, IMD predictions must be at the block level. Lack of accuracy and specificity render forecasts irrelevant for individual farmers.
