Farmers need markets and certainty, not only relief
Opinion: this editorial reflects the editor's view.
Agriculture still supports the livelihoods of a large share of families in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, yet farmers carry most of the risk: unpredictable rain, volatile prices and costly inputs. Relief schemes help in a bad year. They do not build a farm economy that works every year.
A lasting answer is to give farmers more ways to sell and more certainty about what they will earn. That means better storage and cold chains so crops do not have to be sold at harvest-time prices, stronger farmer producer organisations that can bargain collectively, wider access to electronic markets, and crop advice that helps farmers move to less water-hungry crops with steady demand. Good data matters too. The Union government's announcement that 11 crore farmer IDs have been created ahead of schedule can help deliver benefits directly and cut leakage, if the database is accurate and kept current.
Reform will only work if farmers trust it. Governments should consult them before changing the rules, and pay them on time.
The other side
Farmer unions argue that a legal guarantee of the minimum support price is the real protection against market swings, and many remember the 2020 farm laws, which were repealed in 2021 after prolonged protests, as proof that market reforms can weaken the safety net. They want price assurance first and market changes second.
