The solution to farmers' grievance lies not on farms but in factories

If fewer hands were employed on the farms, incomes per head would rise for those who stay engaged in agriculture. Farmers would then not worry about assured product prices, writes T N Ninan.

The problems that farmers face have more to do with incomes than prices. Wheat is procured by the government at just under Rs 2,000 per quintal; you can get it in international markets at the same price. Rice, of which India is one of the leading exporters, presents a different picture: India offers the lowest prices for its rice in the international market. Yet that price is attractive enough for farmers to grow excessive quantities of paddy, even in states where water tables have dropped precipitously. They should be switching to other crops, especially if the paddy procurement price is