It seems a little odd that an agrarian state like Punjab does not have an agricultural policy or a water policy till date. The Punjab State Farmers’ and Farm Workers’ Commission has now drafted the first ever Farmers’ Policy, but has proclaimed it to be a "pragmatic" rather than an "ideal" policy document. In this dialogue with Shri Ajay Vir Jakhar, the Chairman of the Commission, and Dr Balwinder Singh Sidhu, the member secretary of the Commission, we try to understand various layers of the policy.

Produced after what it claimed to be "wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders," it seems the Commission was more focussed on "financial constraints of the Government of Punjab," but it is a claim that was stoutly and consistently countered by Shri Ajay Vir Jakhar throughout the debate.

The debate raises questions about why the state government was nowhere close to investing public funds in agriculture and the policy remains confined in large measures to usher in better governance model and tinker with administrative procedures to ameliorate the lot of the farmers.

The fact is that the shoring up of institutional and economic infrastructure, streamlining agricultural research and extension services, strengthening of cooperative credit structure and expansion of markets as well as land reforms and proper implementation of land ceiling legislation requires a strong political will and considerable induction of funds.

Also, since agriculture is a victim of the larger economic eco-system where the lot of the farmers nowhere figures in the priority list of the government, the need is to have a radical transformative change in the resource allocation and budgeting.

Official apathy and lack of political will coupled with farmers' movement's inability to pressurise the powers that be has resulted in a situation where news of farm suicides is now staple stuff and lip service to farmers a national pastime.

In such a scenario, any effort at policy formulation needs to be seriously engaged with, and hence this debate.

A few points:

-- Punjab has about 10 million acres of cultivated land.
-- Total short-term credit required is estimated at Rs. 24,000
crores per season whereas the crop loan outstanding of all banks
is around Rs. 60,000 crores.
-- There are around 26 lakh farmers in the State whereas all banks together have issued more than 40 lakh Kisan Credit Cards.
-- Over a period of 11 years (2004-05 to 2015-16), the credit oftake has increased by around 8 times whereas production increased only 1.11 times.
-- This raises concerns about (a) the quality and use of credit; and (b) the inadequacy of the monitoring system.
-- It is estimated that one tractor is available for every 8.7 hectares of cultivable land in the State and average use of tractors is less than 40% of the 1000 hours required for economic viability.
-- There is over dependence on tube-wells, resulting in over exploitation of ground water. There are 34 tube wells per sq km of net sown area in Punjab (2015-16).
-- In 110 of Punjab's 148 blocks, there has over exploitation of ground water. The situation has reached a critical stage.
-- The department of agriculture and animal husbandry are
understaffed by over 50%.
-- Livestock share in agriculture GDP is continuously increasing and contributed 31.86 per cent of the agricultural GDP during 2015-16. -- -- There is one veterinarian for about 6,000 animals in the state.

Some Draft Policy Recommendations:

-- Merge the ministries of agriculture, cooperation and animal
husbandry into one ministry.
-- Create a data bank on the farmers’ ecosystem.
-- Leverage ICT technology to deliver services, farm extension
and knowledge of government programmes to the farmers.
-- Set up a responsive grievance redressal mechanism
-- Activate and facilitate Gram Sabha
-- Incentivise whistle blowers
-- Set up a mechanism in Delhi to proactively advocate the
concerns of the State before the Union Government.