Good living of farmers should be well considered

Recently, some farmers’ welfare campaigners raised voice on need of protecting farmers in the country. The argument was to protect mainly small farmers who always face loss against input on farming to the income they make. Therefore, these farmers cannot upgrade their living condition. They cannot educate their children well, they cannot afford health facilities and can just dream the modern amenities including domestic appliances, dresses and self-owned vehicles, travelling and so on.

Moreover, some of the farmers have left cultivating their lands just because of ‘always loss on input vs income’. Leaving the farm uncultivated were if stay away from loss, their choice may be reasonable. However, many farmers still struggle to find a ‘good time to come any time’.

The farmers are also facing the scarcity of youth leaving the country for better earning. That also had affected the farmers turning to further serious condition.

The country has been importing food grain, vegetables and fruits from other countries in exchange of hard earned currencies. That can be reduced if farmers work hard and they get ‘good returns’. That means their income should support the livelihood including education, health, transportation and modern amenities at a minimum level at least.

That means their cost of production should be lowered and or the income by sales production should be better.Then the farmers can be happy at the farming and a big segment of youth who aim to go for foreign employment could be held at home.

The government had different programmes to support the farmers by subsidizing chemical fertilisers, pesticides, machines and tools, electricity bill on irrigation and insurance as well. But all such could not give the farmers ‘relief’ the experts and campaigners argue. The facilities said to be their benefits used to be diverted to some others who are not real farmers. Reformed policies in this regard may be influential to turn ‘influential instrument’.

Here, we recall that in the second half of April, 2014, the Ministry of Agricultural Development of Nepal Government announced that farmers would be provided identity card to help them access to agricultural services.

Farmers having annual income of up to Rs 250,000 are categorized as marginalized farmers, while those earning up to Rs 1 million annually as small farmers. Similarly, farmers earning between Rs 1 and 3 million are medium farmers, and Rs 3 and Rs 5 million are big farmers. 

The scheme was announced under the ministry’s common policy and programmes unveiled on Monday, which is slated to be completed within 100 days. The ministry said that guidelines for the farmers’ ID card would be prepared by May 14 and that distribution would be completed by July 15 of 2014.  

In due course of time (before adopting the federal structure in the country), the Ministry of Agriculture Development started discussions to provide pensions to all farmers across the country who are over 60 years of age. A task force was formed under the coordination of Joint Secretary of the ministry to further study the report on providing pensions to farmers. The same task force has initiated discussions to provide pensions to all the farmers who have been cultivating for 20 years and above 60 years.

In the report, it was recommended to start pension distribution from the poor VDCs of Sindhupalchok, Siraha, Chitwan, Khotang, Lamjung, Kailali, and Mugu.

The ministry was preparing to provide pensions to farmers across the country who meet the criteria, estimating that providing a limited number of pensions could lead to disputes. The coordinator of the task forcewas saying that it was necessary to move forward by including all the farmers as it was a long-term action plan.

There was a concept that farmers over 60 years of age who have been cultivating for 20 years can be selected on the basis of recommendations of local government bodies including community and agricultural service centers. The report has recommended providing a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 to the farmers who fall under such criteria. The Ministry is preparing to start the distribution of pensions to farmers from the current Fiscal Year 2013/14. Apart from this, the ministry has also formulated a concept to set up a pension fund and farmers would start getting pensions after contributing to it.

The above mentioned support plans were not all but there were some other as well thought to be good for real farmers. 

Therefore, the farmers who truly deserve good living should be provided financial and technical supports, so as they would more effort to grow more which ultimately contribute to reduce import of food items, fruits, vegetables, fishes, meat, dairy products.

Thus, the support provided to the real farmers will pay back naturally. However, there should be considerable mechanism to control misuse of facilities.