XPost: soc.culture.indian, alt.fan.jai-maharaj, alt.politics.economics   
   XPost: talk.environment, alt.politics, talk.politics.misc   
   XPost: soc.culture.india   
   From: alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com   
      
   MAKING FARMERS RESILIENT TO CLIMATIC VARIATIONS   
      
   By Kota Sriraj, Op-Ed, The Pioneer, dailypioneer.com   
   Thursday, August 3, 2017   
      
   Indian agriculture has been on the back-foot due to   
   persistent crop failures. What has worsened matters are   
   man-made challenges. The Government has a herculean task   
   to not only retrieve the sector from the vice-like grip   
   of deteriorating environment but also restore the   
   confidence of the farmers   
      
   Agriculture in India is not only the source of sustenance   
   and livelihood for millions but is considered to be the   
   backbone of the economy. However, challenges and setbacks   
   have been plaguing this sector increasingly and making it   
   extremely difficult for the ordinary farmer to eke out a   
   decent living. Incessant drought, electricity shortages,   
   crop failures, floods amid mounting debts have left the   
   farmer with no option but to take the unfortunate step of   
   committing suicide. The increasing rate of farmer   
   suicides has now become an inalienable feature in the   
   Indian agricultural landscape.   
      
   Inspite of intense dialogues and demonstrations over the   
   years, the reasons and dynamics of the longstanding issue   
   have been poorly understood. Even data collection and   
   analysis of links between suicide and debt burden among   
   farmers has been predominantly circumstantial, poorly   
   documented and interpreted.   
      
   The fact that agriculture and its prospects have been   
   suffering on account of vagaries of a worsening   
   environment is a well-known matter. But a new research   
   study from the University of California in Berkeley has   
   identified how other variables; mainly climatic   
   variations on agricultural yield have been instrumental   
   in contributing to India's burgeoning agricultural   
   suicide rate.   
      
   The study shows a dramatic increase in suicide rates from   
   1967 to 2013, especially in the southern and central   
   region in the country. Maximum surge is noted in States   
   viz Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.   
   It is also apparent in the study that variations in daily   
   temperature and rainfall pattern have a direct and   
   detrimental impact on the well-being of the farmers.   
      
   Continues at:   
      
   http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/oped/making-farmers-resil   
   ent-to-climatic-variations.html   
      
   Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi   
   Om Shanti   
      
   http://bit.do/jaimaharaj   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)