Letters: Farming woes

Apropos the edit "Tears over spilt onions" (January 24), the act of dumping potatoes on the roads was an expression of farmers' frustration. Maharastra and other states, too, have seen such forms of extreme protests that are often well-arranged affairs. In all of this, it is small farmers and consumers that suffer the most. The political leadership has simply not shown any interest in organising small farmers since almost all political parties are keen on protecting and furthering the interests of the lobby of the medium and big farms and wholesalers. Before the government goes about reforming the sector, it is necessary to understand that farmers and consumers' interests do not clash. Infrastructural development in rural areas and establishing a mechanism to protect consumers and producers in cases of supply shortages or bumper productions are two important steps in this direction.

Narendra M Apte, Pune

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