SMALLHOLDER FARMER FORUMS STAND FOR THEIR RIGHTS & ENTITLEMENTS

Smallholder farmers in India contribute more than 50 per cent of the farm output through their 44 per cent cultivable land. This inverse relationship between farms size and productivity is a powerful rationale for land and agriculture reform. These farmers face multitude of challenges varies from Declining productivity, Environmental Issues, Climate Change, Diversification, Water Shortage along with risks and vulnerabilities associated with agriculture.

To address these challenges Caritas India along with the smallholder farmers from different parts of the country pledged to form functional smallholder farmer’s forum to organize and prioritize their concerns through farmers driven forum on July 21, 2016. These forums will organise and prioritize their concerns related to climate variability, drought, market, production opportunities, limited availability of agricultural inputs & services and further raise their issues and challenges with the decision makers and policy makers.

60 smallholder farmer representatives from 6 project districts of Jharkhand selected 14 representatives to take lead in coordination with state level departments and institutions for their rights and entitlements.

District-wise specific issues and challenges related to smallholder farmers were compiled by the forum, which will be shared with the Faculty Agriculture of State Agriculture Management and Extension training Institute (SAMETI), Jharkhand. It was suggested by the authorities to submit the district wise details of smallholder farmers with their mobile numbers for linking it to the EARLY SMS and EARLY VOICE CALL ALERT facility to enable smallholder farmers informed about the upcoming schemes, provisions and rainfall information from Agriculture Technology & Management Agency (ATMA).