Calamity of drought—how to help farmers

We have had less rainfall this year than ever before. We had less than one thirds in the states of Punjab and Haryana. In other states like UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madya Pradesh have had very little rainfall this year. Drought has been declared. Monsoon has failed to arrive in most parts of India. Worst affected by this are the tillers of soil—farmers. 55% of water needed for agriculture comes from rains. The rest come from wells and canals which are also rain-fed.Farmers are restricted by the limited resources available to them. They cannot increase production because of limited technology available to them. Any program for poverty alleviation has not worked for the farmers because their occupation is full of uncertainties. Although government provides subsidy in fertilisers, subsidy in electricity, and  loans for buying equipment, and gives them access to seed repository, they are not able to make big profits. And even after they have so much help, they have to cope with bigger losses. Minimum support price is not enough to make farming a profitable occupation. The returns are just not enough. They are not able to implement production programs given their small piece of land. they are caught in a vicious circle of debt and more debt. Suicide is on the rise amongst farmers because they are not able to come out of their debts. Their health suffers and anyway they have short lives, and the next generation also suffers. We must help these farming people to overcome their problems. Only few who can make profits should farm and the rest of the farming people should migrate to urban areas where some source of income would be available. We must help them assimilate into urban life. Some social welfare schemes like the MGREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) discourage migration.Farmers are forever stuck in poverty and can just survive on welfare schemes. We must create industries which would help in giving them more opportunities so that poverty is alleviated. We must know how to help whom and at what time. What would be 'the long term benefit of social scheme' should be analysed before implementing them. Government must make more agro-based industries instead of spending on more and more subsidies. Food processing industries, cattle rearing, or other rural based industries have to be made. Rural uprisings will become more common. The costs of rural unrest would be higher than finding a solution now.Farmer is victim of climate and victim of politics. The gullible farmer is used as vote bank by aspiring politicians. We have plans on making quicker harvests by late sowing. We reap three harvests a year. We need to change the crops because of lack of rains.We must sow those varieties which can tolerate variation in rains. Traditional farming (nor modern farming) uses methods which work with nature.We have grow pulses and oil seeds which are in demand instead of grains. Poly crop model is one in which more than one crop is grown in the same filed in alternate rows. ICAR which has done research on drought situations has contingency plans; it will advise the farmers on those lines.Immediately we have to import and procure pulses as the demand for them will grow higher in the international market. Food grains have been stocked due to bumper crops last year. We must reduce dependency on farming by making more diverse occupations in rural India.Poultry products can bring profits as proteins in form of eggs are on big demand. Fodder can be grown; demand for cattle feed is now very high. Buying capacity of the farmer has to be increased so that his dependency on subsidies would reduce. Right now, he should  be given loans in lower interest rates, for he may not be able to pay back his loans in the near future. By helping the agriculturalists to farm better, we will be able to get better food for ourselves. Drought and its consequences are serious issues because farmer's survival determines our survival.