BS Agri Round Table: Doubling farm income by 2022 possible, says Chand

Says By 2030, we will have a surplus in many commodities such as rice, wheat and coarse cereals

Doubling of farm income by 2022 is a challenging but achievable goal, said Ramesh Chand, member, NITI Aayog, at the Business Standard Agriculture Round Table on Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022 - The Road Ahead.

“Doubling of farm income is an ambitious and challenging goal. It is possible in majority of states. But much depends on the initiatives of states,” said Chand. He argued that part of the explanation for rise in farm distress was the rise in inputs costs — in particular that of labour.

“If you remove horticulture and livestock and just consider cereals, pulses, etc, then farmer