Should Agricultural Subsidies be stopped?

Since agriculture is backbone of India there is a need for supporting farmers by some way. So according to my view agricultural subsidies are one of the good method which give help to the farmers when he is in problem. But the main problem in this system is the subsidies are not reaching to poor farmers, only rich peoples are getting the advantage of these policies. There should be nationwide campaign to make aware about subsidies in illiterate farmers and correct person should get advantage.

In a country whose agriculture sector is dominated by the marginal and small farmers, who are unable to sustain food and fibre requirement of their family. In this condition subsidy is the only way for their development to bring them into the mainstream. But at the same time the leakage of these funds must be checked.

Agricultural sector comprises 57% of population. It means 57%of population depends directly or indirectly upon agriculture for their livelihood. Subsides though cost on taxpayer is boon to Indian economy. Subsides in form of MSP, direct or indirect farm subsides substantiates nations inclusive growth strategy.

Substantial part of Food security comes through MSP which support 75% of urban population and 65% of urban, midday meals which has provided food to nearly 12 crore children's, food stored in buffer stock are also utilized for export when nation is need to reduce current account deficit. Subsidies food is only support to our entire BPl population.

More than 70% people of our country is serving in agriculture in various form. GDP of our country was contributed by agriculture with more than 50% contribution 50 years ago and today this contribution is declined to less than 14% of overall GDP, where % of population serving in agriculture sector declined by 5-6 % only.

Status of agriculture did not grow with other sectors like others. The Govt must provide subsidized seeds, fertilizers and essentials that motivate them to produce grains happily and prevent misplaces of subsidies provided to needy.

I want to convey some ideas known to me. In order to develop a sector particularly weak sector, subsidy is very important. Our govt has various schemes. But it is not implemented properly. Agriculture, which is prone to many risk factor, we need to give various measures to develop the same. But, by recalling the subsidy, we will be against to farmers. Fathers are playing an important role in the society. Regarding gas subsidy, our govt has made an incredible performance like the same.

True farmers to be identified and must be given separate identity to get subsidy. I agree it is waste when the subsidy is not properly given. Farmers are eligible for 3 percent interest subsidy for short term crop loans availed by them. If the govt gives any separate id card to the farmers incorporating the bank account, then the benefit of interest subsidy will be available only to the farmers. Subsidy is available for farmers only. Govt must identify the farmers who are in need of real help. And must be given separate identity. Then only subsidy funds will be effectively utilized.

Subsidy should be reduced. I would like to suggest two types of subsidy to be Encouraged mean those people achieving their targets (Subsidy received for Improving Agriculture) to encourage and motivating purposes we could give the subsidy By doing this the people are in future too volunteer involve agriculture. The other one is as usual here wasting or unnecessary subsidy should be controlled which makes people irresponsible and lazy.

Subsidy need not be stopped but to be regulated. Regulation means the cyclical process of allocation and supervision. For areas like agriculture and because of the huge demographic dividend of our nation, the sensitiveness of the sector is important and thus considered as priority sector which are not allowed to be neglected for the national interest. We were having a 50% GDP contribution of agriculture during the birth of the nation and gradually reduced to 14% these days, this is due to the shift in the nation's priority from agriculture to Service industry. Stopping of subsidies will further top up the issue and a further reduction in the GDP contribution of agriculture is not advisable. Here as I said in the beginning, regulation needs to play an important role to curb the issues associated with subsidy schemes like poor targeting of the subsidy, misuse of subsidy, lack of proper planning in case of devising the subsidy instruments like as in case of urea subsidy etc.

In the next face, one should think that we have started giving subsidy for decades back and still we are doing the same. This need to be introspected without delay. The very motto of subsidy is the welfare of the nation. Giving welfare implies the equalization of the society. Proper policies/schemes to be devised to eliminate subsidy for a long term benefits like adoption of modern technologies, developing the R&D industry etc. The policy of Government should be welfare oriented as in the DPSP of the Constitution but it should not be endless and the agricultural industry which contributes around 70% of labour force must be independent of financial aides like subsidy and grants in future.

Hence this is not the right time to stop the subsidies in the agricultural sector and at the same time we should not have a mind of depending the Government for long. Instead of giving subsidies regulate it and utilize the saved subsidies for the development of the society itself like infrastructure building, R&D, promotion and adoption of newer technologies which all will benefit the agricultural sector (in this context) in the real sense. Therefore conclusion can be drawn in such a way that stoppage of subsidy is not good to the current scenario of India and a proper regulation of subsidy is highly needed with an eye of elimination of subsidy in future.

Thanks.

Viswaraj BR.

In my opinion government should prefer subsidies as one of the former P.M Lal Bahudar Shastri quoted a slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kissan" which shows the importance of agriculture in our country. As food is ours necessity but if the production becomes low then how we sustain in this world. Government should make efficient which is helpful for all needy farmers.

My point of view the agricultural subsidies for those farmer who having marginal and small scale farmer it's important for increasing their agricultural quality production and also helpful for increasing National Agricultural Production 80 % farmer are depend on agriculture subsidies. Agricultural Subsidies is most important factor for increasing agricultural production.

On the part of me agriculture is the backbone of India, so that we should give subsidies to those farmers who really need and we distribute this facility to farmer according to their requirement. So subsidies are good as well as bad so that it depends on the situation.