India became the world’s fastest-growing economy in 2015. Indian agriculture, however, fared much worse. Agriculture grew only by 0.2% in FY15. Two consecutive years of drought, unseasonal rains in rabi season and falling food prices in global markets have driven farmers to desperation. Turning agriculture around should be the top priority of government in the new year. We suggest changes in five existing government programmes to bring agriculture back on track in 2016. Irrigation: More than half of India’s net sown area is rain-fed and droughts continue to be the most common reason for crop loss to Indian farmers. The government launched the R50,000 crore Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai...
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