Let the farmers be Entrepreneurs

Everyone says that Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. But farmers are the real backbone of Indian economy. If there are no farmers then how there will be cultivation? They are the one who is working day and night to feed the billions of people. Unfortunately, they are the one who is suffering the most to meet their day to day life. Farmers are the one who is working hard and still they are leading a miserable life. We have to change it, where in the place farmers are waiting for the mercy of the intermediaries or for the customers, have to be replaced with customers and intermediaries where they wait for the farmer’s produce.

                                This can be possible when farmers themselves become entrepreneurs. If the milk which has only less than one day shelf life can be stored and marketed for a week or more, then why can’t be it in the case of perishable vegetables and fruits. Small farmers possess technical and managerial skills but lack entrepreneurial drive to take calculated risks to overcome agribusiness challenges related to accessing remunerative markets, timely finance, low bargaining power, regulations, appropriate technologies and information.

                              When farmers become entrepreneurs, they become free and independent. They will be a part of large number of people including other farmers, input suppliers, traders, transporters and processors. These farm entrepreneurs can form a group where farmers with common goals and objectives can do business together. The group will become the investor, employee and the risk taker. Small scale farmers will be more secure by working together with other farmers in a group. These group can avail government support collectively in terms of loan, technologies, subsidies, expertise knowledge and special training etc. The group can do collective harvesting, cleaning, packing, and can store it in refrigerator if it is needed. They can create a brand for their produce. Branding the produce will increase the demand and also make marketing easier, thus farmers can make profit.

                        If the produce is more than the need then these collective group can jointly convert it into further processed food products. Converting the produce to processed items will create further more employment opportunities for the farmers itself. Farm group entrepreneurs will get protection from shared enemies in the form of exploitive traders and markets.                       The future of farming and Agriculture is in the hands of farm entrepreneurs. Let’s each farmer join together to make it as a way of life.