There are two ways to support any industry (including agriculture)- direct support by putting tariff and non-tariff barriers to crush competition, buying the goods to create an artificial market or indirect support by providing funds to the producer so that he/she can survive in a competitive market. PMKISAN scheme is helping Indian agriculture move towards globally accepted and a more efficient way of supporting the farmers- Indirect support. There are many ways in which it can help the farming community of India-
PMKISAN can make sure that a farmer has enough funds while sowing the crops. It can free them from the clutches of moneylenders. A marginal farmer often does not have enough funds to wait for the harvest. This results in either indebtedness or suicide, in case of crop failure. PMKISAN is a proactive way to provide more money in the hands of farmers.
PMKISAN can reduce corruption in our system by adopting Direct Benefit Transfer to the farmers in their Aadhaar linked bank accounts. There is enough money in the system to support all industries. The problem lies in high corruption, which does not allow the right money to reach its right beneficiary.
Majority of marginal farmers in India are unable to raise productivity of their crops due to lack of enough funds to buy hybrid seeds, irrigate at small scale and use high quality fertilizers. PMKISAN can enable such marginal farmers to raise their productivity by getting access to funds before sowing the new crop.
However, PMKISAN is not without its own challenges. Some of them are Rs 2000 per quarter is not enough as a support to small and marginal farmers. The support needs to increase in order to be effective in turning around lives of marginal farmers. The Government is often unable to increase quarterly handout equivalent with market inflation. If increase in handout is not proportional to increase in prices of inputs like seeds and fertilizers, the farmers will lose out in the long run.
Many large farmers might take advantage of the scheme by enrolling and deny support to deserving farmers. It is very difficult to differentiate between marginal and big farmers because they are not required to file for and submit any income tax.
Despite all the challenges, PMKISAN is a revolutionary move that can help India achieve the objective of Doubling farmer’s income by 2025. PMKISAN can help in upliftment of the most poor farmers by providing them proactive support that can save them from indebtedness.