FARMERS: The Backbone of the Indian Economy

Farming and agriculture have been the primary occupation in the Indian subcontinent. Currently, about 42% of the Indian workforce is in farming and agriculture, with about 140 million farmer families currently working within the sector. This includes crop farming, animal husbandry, milk, and dairy, as well as fish farming.

Agriculture and farming in the Indian subcontinent date back to 9000 BC with barley and wheat being the earliest crops to be produced. Since then, the agriculture sector has evolved to its current position and changed rapidly over the last century, and agriculture remains a mainstay occupation for many in India.

In this article, we will know the role of farmers in our country and towards our economy, the struggles faced by the farmers, and some ways to tackle them and Kisan Divas (National Farmers Day).

Importance and Role of Farmers:

Farmers are the soul of the nation. Agriculture is the only means of living for almost two-thirds of the employed class in India.

●????They are the Food Producers of the Country: Before the late 1970s, India was not able to produce sufficient food grains to meet its requirements. In other words, India was not self-sufficient in terms of food grains. We used to import large quantities of food grains from other countries. It went well for some time but after the Indo-Pak war in 1965, there was a scarcity with respect to trade activities pertaining to food.

Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” in 1965 at a public gathering in Uruwa, Prayagraj, and took some drastic measures, which resulted in the green revolution and because of that India became self-reliant in terms of food grains and even started exporting the surplus produce. India has never looked back since then. Our farmers have never let us down, even though they are facing many problems. They have been able to meet the demand of the growing population.

●??????Drivers of the Indian Economy: It is estimated that India's agriculture sector accounts for around 14 percent of the country's economy and 42 percent of total employment in the agricultural sector. Indian agricultural product exports contribute a total percentage of 19.92 as of October 2022.

●??????Food Security is National Security: As we all know that food is the basic necessity of life. This is why in olden times, food grains were stored in large quantities in forts, so that in times of war, when outside supply would be stopped by the enemy, still there would be food to eat. The same logic is valid even today. We are “self-reliant” in terms of food grains, mainly because of the hard work of our farmers.

?Health Issues faced by farmers: Although many social and policy level changes have been brought about in the past two decades, the Indian farmer still grapples with multiple health-related problems. Some of them are:

Health Insurance, accessibility to Health Centers and Tertiary Care Hospitals, Unhealthy Water, food and Sanitation Infrastructure, Respiratory Diseases, Lung problems and Mental Health Issues.

Benefits of whole-grain foods: Grains are the seeds of grasses grown for food. These plants also are called cereals. Examples of grains include wheat, oats and rice. Whole-grain foods are good choices for a nutritious diet. Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

The vitamins and minerals in whole grains are important for our overall health. Also, the high fibre content of whole grains may help with:

●?????Lowering bad cholesterol levels.

●?????Raising good cholesterol levels.

●?????Lowering insulin levels.

●?????Lowering blood pressure.

●?????Creating a feeling of fullness that can help with weight loss or control.

A healthy diet throughout life promotes healthy pregnancy outcomes, supports normal growth, development, and aging, helps to maintain healthy body weight, and reduces the risk of chronic disease leading to overall health and well-being. A proper nutritious meal can help guard against malnutrition and help prevent diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer.

Farmers are the nutrition providers of any nation. They are responsible for producing food for the entire nation. Ironically, they are also one of the most malnourished people in India. The farmers are also paid the least in the entire food production and distribution hierarchy.

Initiatives are taken by the Government to tackle a few of the challenges:

The government launched several programs to double farmers’ incomes by 2022. These seek to remove bottlenecks for greater agricultural productivity, especially in rain-fed areas. They include the National Food Security Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), the Integrated Schemes on Oilseeds, Pulses, Palm oil and Maize (ISOPOM), and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

The government has also taken significant steps to combat under- and malnutrition over the past two decades, such as through the introduction of mid-day meals at schools, Anganwadi systems to provide rations to pregnant and lactating mothers, and subsidized grain for those living below the poverty line through a public distribution system. The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, aims to ensure food and nutrition security for the most vulnerable through its associated schemes and programs, making access to food a legal right.

The launch of the POSHAN Abhiyan (Nutrition Mission) in March 2018 refocused the national agenda on nutrition. The POSHAN Abhiyaan Jan Andolan (people’s movement for nutrition) further intensified regular monthly mass communication on nutrition behaviors.

Initiatives at EJY Health to tackle the issues faced by farmers

We at EJY Health aim to build a strong Health infrastructure by:

●????Health Clubs: It is a voluntary club formed and managed by us to promote good health and hygiene practices, create awareness about diseases and medical-related topics and try to create a behavior change in the surrounding communities through various health clubs like mental health club, physical health and fitness club, health innovation and management club, female health club, etc.

●????Health Literacy: In India at least 9 out of 10 people suffer from low health literacy. Only 3.2% of the Indian population tend to take life insurance policies and schemes.

Health literacy is critical to empower Communities against emerging threats, creating awareness about the importance of health schemes and programs, insurance, malnutrition topics, etc. We ensure to deliver the best quality information and education about these topics to create an impact in our society.

●????Health Security: Health security enables to cover of patients' services, ensures access to preventive care, enhances coverage, helps in reimbursement of charges, and many more.

●????Enabling nearby facilities: Nearby services take into account our convenience, help in saving our time and money, prevent losses due to delays, get to know our community in a better way, potentially avoid load-shedding and experience fast-paced medical help.

●????Health Navigation system: The purpose of a health navigation system is to reduce the time for diagnosis of a disease, improved treatment adherence, improved patient quality of life, and better communication with the healthcare team.

The focus should be on building a good infrastructure in remote areas and providing affordable services to them. We should also make the public aware of medical insurances and various schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY) to make healthcare more affordable.

December 23rd, Kisan Diwas:

In India Farmer's Day is celebrated every year on 23rd December. Farmer's Day is also known as Kisan Diwas in Hindi. This day also commemorates the birth anniversary of the 5th Indian Prime Minister, Shri Choudhary Charan Singh who was a great farmer's leader. He introduced many policies to improve the lives of Indian farmers. On this auspicious day various events, programs, debates, quiz competitions, workshops, and exhibitions are organized on agriculture to transform and educate farmers and general people about agriculture and its importance.

How is the day Celebrated?

1. The government announces fresh policies for the benefit of the farmers.

2. Kisan seminars are arranged at the divisional, district, and block levels.

3. Agricultural officers and agriculture scientists educate the newest data to the farmers in such functions.

4. The farmers' seminars are conducted at various agriculture science venues and agriculture knowledge venues

5. The district rural development firm conducts seminars, fests, and exhibitions on several factors of agriculture and rural development.

Farmers are undoubtedly the backbone of our country, the pillars of our society. Without farmers, no country can progress. The life of an Indian farmer is dedicated to their fields.

But they face a lot of day-to-day challenges which still need drastic measures to be taken. As responsible citizens, we can try creating an impact by joining non-profit organizations which promote sustainable development, sustainable livelihood, rural development, and civil society development, create awareness amongst the general public about all these issues, and provide better employment conditions so that the youth are attracted towards the agricultural sectors.