Contrary to claims by the authorities that the greatest attention was being paid to protect farmers’ interest during the pandemic, an independent survey has shown that a large number of farmers in the State feel that agriculture has not been getting the kind of attention other sectors have.
The survey, steered by former Karnataka Agricultural Prices Commission (KAPC) chairman Prakash Kammaradi with the help of several NGOs, found that about 53.6% of farmers across the State (of a sample size of 1,500) thought that agriculture had got less attention during the pandemic. While 11.3% of the respondents were of the view that agriculture got more attention than other sectors, about 35.3% felt that attention to the farming sector was similar to that given to others.
The feeling that the farm sector has not been getting enough attention was greater in the Kalyana Karnataka region, where 57.5% farmers expressed this view. This was followed by the Malnad and coastal region (56.9%). The sentiment was more common among farmers below the age of 40 (57.1%).
Interestingly, a look at the classification of farmers based on their land-holding size indicates that medium and poor farmers felt that the sector has not been getting enough attention, while a majority of the big farmers expressed satisfaction. The view that agriculture has not been getting enough attention is more common among farmers without irrigation facilities and well- or medium-educated farmers.
Dr. Kammaradi said such a survey was conducted to hear the farmers’ views and present them before the government as well as society. “The farmer’s voice is not heard, especially during the pandemic. A large number of farmers called and narrated their experiences, prompting me to take up the survey.”
