Quick fixes will put farm sector into greater mess, warn experts

The first two years of the NDA government, 2014 and 2015, were drought years, which pulled down output

The ruling BJP’s defeat in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh has revived the question of rural distress.

Though the jury is out as to how far and by how much farmers’ discontent contributed to the below par performance of the party in the three states, most experts and economists warn attempting any short-term, hasty solution to problems of India’s agriculture sector could do more harm than good.

India’s farm sector growth between 2014-15 and 2017-18 averaged just 2.55 per cent, much lower than the average 3.8 per cent growth in the 10 years of the UPA government between 2004-05 and 2014-15.

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