Poverty amidst plenty: a case of small landholders in Punjab

Agriculture is a lifeline of society as it provides the basic ingredients to humankind and plays a strategic role in the process of economic development. India a predominantly agricultural economy, has primarily concentrated on increasing the food production to cope with a burgeoning population. Although Punjab is known as agriculturally developed state of India but still small farmers are trapped in the clutches of poverty. Based on a sample of 600 farmer households from different agro-climatic zones of Punjab during 2012–13, it was observed that economic surplus of small peasantry was very low. As much as 24% families of marginal farmers and 12.86% families of small farmers of the state were living below the poverty line. To address this malady, farm profitability of the marginal and small farmers should be enhanced. Provision of subsidized farm to reduce cost of production is imperative. Although, the subsidies are being provided but rationalization of these in order to channelize to the smaller farmers is need of the hour. Also, as the non-farm sources of income supplement the lower incomes from farming, there is a need to provide employment opportunities in the non-farm sector, especially to the smaller farmers, in order to reduce family dependency ratio and thus enhance their income level.