Reading Comprehension for SBI PO Mains 2015 – 6

A dramatic turnaround of
agriculture, India’s most important sector, has gone largely unheralded. Contrary to the popular
narrative, agriculture has been transformed in the last 10 years. The second
green revolution is underway. At the end of the second tenure of the UPA and
after a decade of persistent work, we are witnessing record agricultural
outputs for every major crop — grains, oil seeds, pulses, cotton, vegetables
and sugarcane. And more importantly, we are also seeing record profitability
ratios for our farmers. Today, we are not only self-sufficient but have also
made steady progress in becoming a feeder to the world. Our farmers are the
unsung heroes of this untold story. Life in a village is no longer a clichéd
bundle of miseries, thanks to the inclusive growth policies of successive UPA
governments. Emphasis on access to credit, higher farm productivity, road
connectivity, debt write–offs and remunerative prices has
transformed the face of agrarian India. In 2014 alone, agriculture is expected
to grow at 4.6 per cent. Our agriculture production of food grains this year is
expected to break the 2011-12 record of 259 million tonnes. More importantly,
agricultural profitability has increased over the last decade with record
increases in MSPs (minimum support prices for agricultural produce) for all
covered crops. MSP increases in the past 10 years, between 2004-05 to 2014-15,
vary from about 125 per cent for food grains such as wheat and paddy to over
200 per cent for pulses like moong dal. These numbers represent the highest
rate of MSP increase for any decadal period in our history. The substantial
rise in farmland prices across India is proof that the profession of farming is
back in vogue. The situation was
drastically different when the UPA formed the government in June 2004.
Agriculture was in crisis. A government drunk on its “India Shining” propaganda
had largely ignored the sector. From 1998-2004, agriculture grew by a paltry 2.9 per cent. This low growth
adversely affected the livelihoods of farmers and posed a serious threat to national
food security. There was the (incorrect) perception that the agricultural
sector was crumbling. Farmers were
getting uprooted. Unable to service debt, some even took their own lives. For
the record, farmer suicides peaked in 2004. A decade later, a sector once
described as terminally sick is now a beacon of hope. The UPA’s inclusive
policies have helped the farmer achieve this remarkable success. Such a
transformation could only have been achieved by the methodical work and
cooperation between the agriculture minister, finance minister, prime minister
and the Congress party president, who has taken passionate personal interest in
supporting this cause.