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Editorial
— Agriculture Census 2010
goal Without
consensus data Pakistan’s agriculture sector can develop fast if it is treated purely as a capitalistic enterprise and the factors of production are dealt with in an impersonal manner By Sarwat Ali It goes without saying that the agriculture sector in the country needs to be developed if Pakistan is to gain a competitive edge vis-à-vis the other agriculture producing countries of the world. It can develop fast if it is treated purely as a capitalistic enterprise where the factors of production are dealt with in an impersonal manner.
Editorial
— Agriculture Census 2010 Unlike the
population census which, for all practical purposes, remains an aborted
exercise, the findings of Agriculture Census 2010 may soon be made public.
In fact, TNS got hold of some exclusive data from the Agriculture Census
2010 regarding the landowning patterns and how they have changed over the
years and thought it fit to see what we make of this one. Like the population
census, the misgivings about how the exercise is conducted and its
authenticity remain. The data made available to us is restricted to
landownership but the two major areas that an agriculture census is supposed
to take into account are the crop pattern as well as the livestock counts.
Experts feel that while the crop estimates and projections especially in
wheat, sugarcane and cotton are broadly reliable, no such claims can be made
about the livestock. There is believed to be a lot of figure fudging in
livestock. While the statistics in
these two areas are yet to be made public, the focus of today’s Special
Report is on landownership. A comparison with the last Agriculture Census of
2000 reveals that there is a considerable increase (24 per cent to be exact)
in the number of small farmers. Energy crisis, unemployment and division of
inherited land are said to be the main reasons behind the increase in small
farming. These figures may appear
to be deceptive whereas according to some more details published elsewhere
“up to 80 per cent of the people in the country’s farming sector own
only 28 per cent of the privately-owned agricultural land (55.60 million
acres), according to the 2010 agricultural census carried out by the Federal
Statistics Division. Against this, big land lords and rich farmers combined,
with ownership of more than 50 acres, number only a little more than 100,000
(113,750 to be exact) and make up only 1.44 percent of the land-owning
population, but their share in the land is 15.86 million acres or 29 percent
of the total agricultural land”. To be honest, statistics
of this kind have lost their shock value. We have even ruled out land
reforms from the debate. A
census is supposed to be means to an end — new policies must be formulated
in view of the findings of a census. The policies in view of the current
census must aim at bringing in more efficiency into the system. Pakistan is
an agricultural economy but according to last year’s Economic Survey,
Pakistan was 21 per cent less efficient in wheat production, 27 per cent
less efficient in sugar cane and 19 per cent less efficient in rice compared
with the world average. Therefore, in today’s
Special Report, we have tried to suggest ways to improve efficiency and
productivity. Proper educated and trained manpower, breakthroughs in seed
and plant germination, improved hothouse conditions, new kinds and methods
of applying fertilizers, proper linkages between research institutions, soil
composition analyses, land levelling, financial incentives to the farmers,
unhindered water and power supply and accessible markets are some
suggestions to make the sector viable and efficient. This alone will break the
cycle of poverty and make the agriculture census a useful exercise.
goal Small in big numbers A comparative analysis with the last Agriculture Census (2000) shows the small farming trend is on a gradual rise. Reasons: energy crisis, unemployment and land divisions By Waqar Gillani A comparison of
the Agriculture Census 2000 and the recently compiled Agriculture Census
2010 indicates an increase in small farming. Overall, there has been a
24 per cent increase in small farming, says a concerned official. The
policy, to be made official in the next few days, shows that the small
farming — below 5 acres of land — was 58 per cent in the 2000 Census,
but it has gone up to 64 per cent. The farming in the category of up to 25
acres has also gone from 32 to 25 per cent. Pakistan’s agriculture
sector consists of food, fibre crops and horticulture, livestock and dairy,
fisheries and forestry. According to reports, out of 34.5 million hectares
of arable land in Pakistan, about 22 million is cultivated, 8.3 million is
non-cultivated but arable, and about 4.2 million is forest. The purpose of holding an
agriculture census is to assess the levels of food security. It is conducted
through samples counting all farming land, cultivated and non-cultivated,
from the selected villages and towns of the country in 30 assorted items and
86 tables. Dr Abdul Ghaffar, Joint
Commissioner of Agri Census Punjab, says that energy crisis, unemployment
and the divisions of inherited lands are major reasons for the increase in
small farming. “People have no jobs, only small pieces of land which they
have started cultivating in order to earn their daily bread and butter.” He also says the small
farmers are usually absorbed by the industry, but the industry in Pakistan
is facing a serious energy crisis and close to shutting down which has left
a deep impact on small farming. A comparison with the
previous census shows the biggest number of small farmers is in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa,
followed by Punjab, Sindh and Balochsitan. According to Ghaffar, in
Faisalabad, back in the 1970s, small farming was close to its end but after
the 1980s it has been on a significant rise “which is not a good sign.
People are cultivating their own lands but they are contributing very little
in the economy, only meeting their own needs.” He quotes the example of
the UK which once saw a rise in small farming but gradually the trend
shifted to industrial and technological development and advancement in
agriculture. “In Pakistan, this kind of a development may take time
because of the kind of economic, energy and water crisis we are facing,”
he says. Because of the divisions
of land units, there has also been an increase in breeding livestock. A study of the census of
2000 shows the farm size distribution is skewed. There were about 6.3
million farms and the average size was 3.23 hectors. About 86.2 per cent
were under 5 ha, accounting for 38.5 per cent of farm area; 7.8 per cent
were medium-size and account for 16.2 per cent of the area; and about 6 per
cent were large and take up more than 45.3 per cent of the area. The number of operational
units was about 6.6 million. The small operators were about 85.7 per cent
and they operated about 43.4 per cent of the farm area, while 8.8 per cent
medium-size farm operators share about 19.1 per cent of the area. The large
farmers were about 5.6 per cent and they operate 37.5 per cent of the area.
About 77.6 per cent of the farms was plowed by owners operating 73.3 per
cent of the area. Similarly, 8.4 per cent of farms was operated by
owners-cum-tenants cultivating 14.5 per cent of the area. The remaining 14
per cent of farms, spread over 2.2 per cent of the area, were run by the
tenants. The report suggests that
most farms were less than the economic landholding size of 5 ha. Most small
farms were jointly owned and the ownership had not been mutated or updated
to the individual owners. The data suggests the number of small operators
was on the rise, without ownership. Area of farms (ownership)
by size of farms as per Agricultural Census
2000 Size
Farms
Farms Area Avg.
size (Hectares)
Number
%
Hectares
%
(Hectares) All Farms
6,311,356 100.0
20,366,993 100.0
3.23 Under 0.5
1,455,802 23.1
401,662
2.0
0.28 0.5 to under 1.0
1,107,723 17.6
821,341
4.0
0.74 1.0 to under 2.0
1,297,226 20.6
1,782,716 8.8
1.37 2.0 to under 3.0
838,310
13.3
1,949,053 9.6
2.32 3.0 to under 5.0
744,114
11.8
2,883,253 14.2
3.87 Small Farms
5,443,175 86.2
7,838,025 38.5
1.44 5.0 to under 10.0
491,420
7.8
3,297,276
19.0
6.71 Medium Farms
491,420
7.8
3,297,276
16.2
6.71 10.0 to under 20.0
249,859
4.0
3,181,750 15.6
12.73 20.0 to under 40.0
86,506
1.4
2,199,333 10.8
25.42 40.0 to under 60.0
19,941
0.3
894,496
4.4
44.86 60.0 and above
20,455
0.3
2,956,113 14.5
144.52 Large Farms
376,761
6.0
9,231,692 45.3
144.52
Without
consensus Agriculture is the
mainstay of Pakistan’s economy and regular growth in this sector is a must
in order to keep it going and to feed the 180 million people of the country.
To make timely interventions, the relevant authorities have to have access
to up-to-date information on what’s going on in the sector, the trouble
areas, the trends and the practices. This is also necessary for other
stakeholders, so that they can make the right and sustainable choices. To this end, the
government carries out agricultural census approximately after every 10
years. The first census was done in 1960 and the results of the last (2010
survey) have been released recently. The census covers dozens of heads
ranging from land ownership and land tenure, land unit and sub-division of
land, land utilisation, crop acreage and production, livestock and poultry,
employment in agriculture, irrigation and drainage, fertilisers and soil
dressing, wood and fishery products, agricultural credit and so on. The census exercise is
supervised by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) which was set up in
December last year after merging the former Federal Bureau of Statistics,
the Agriculture Census Organisation, the Population Census Organisation and
the Technical Wing of the Federal Statistics Division. As per their mission
statement, the bureau is committed to providing accurate, reliable, timely,
comprehensive and user-friendly information to public, private, national and
international organisations. The statement says the PBS
will undertake research, update its technical knowledge and adopt improved
methodologies and new technologies for meeting the future demand of
potential users. It is learnt that contrary
to the claims cited above, the methodology used for agricultural census
these days is almost the same which was in place decades ago. Officials
reveal data for census is collected from the sample households visited by
officials and the information received from the inmates is trusted to be
absolutely true. The concerned officials prepare a comprehensive
questionnaire which is given to households that are asked to provide answers
in the relevant columns. All the submissions collected from the households
are documented and conclusions drawn on their basis without double-checking
with any other department like land revenue, district administration etc. This raises questions
about the authenticity of the data and the credibility of the exercise,
especially when people are not in the habit of disposing family incomes,
holdings and even composition. TNS talked to different
stakeholders on this issue and sought their comments. Nazir Wattoo, founder
of the NGO Anjuman Samaji Behbood (ASB), Faisalabad, believes accurate data
cannot be collected without the use of modern technology. For example, the
Global Imaging System (GIS) — a satellite-based technology — can easily
identify green areas, land masses and even measure the levels and categorise
agricultural land according to its fertility/productivity. Secondly, he says, the
data collected from a location can be linked to its Global Positioning
System (GPS) address and accessed by clicking its location on the map from
anywhere. But what happens here is that there is no practice of accessing
data gathered even a year ago and the whole exercise is done afresh. According to estimates,
the area of land under cultivation has increased by approximately 40 per
cent since independence. Of the total surveyed land, less than 20 per cent
retains the potential for intensive agricultural use, while 62 per cent is
classified as having low potential for crop, livestock and forestry
production. Dr Abdul Ghaffar, Joint
Commissioner, Agri Census Punjab, has faith in the methodology they adopt.
He says they do not have a problem dealing with small farmers and the
information they provide is quite authentic. The big zamindars are a bit
difficult to handle but their number is quite small. “We do not ask for
ownership documents, pass books etc; our main concern is to know who is
operating a particular land and how.” His point is that the
farmers’ trust has been built over decades and they know the information
they provide has never been used against them. The sample size is quite big
and diverse, so the effect of an incorrect entry is negligible. Safdar Abbas, a farmer
based in Bahawalnagar, recommends automation of land record and its
accessibility to all organisations making census and surveys for collection
of credible data. This record is exclusively available with the patwaris who
are the least willing to share it with anybody. One of the registers the
patwaris maintain is called ‘Shajra Kishtwar’; it carries maps of
village units drawn up on a cloth (lattha) for everyday use. The ‘Patwari
Jamabandi’ is a register that contains particulars about ownership,
tenancy, sources of irrigation, land revenue etc. ‘Roznamcha Waqiati’
records all the happenings about land affairs such as hailstorm, severe
rains, all transactions of land, encroachments on state land. ‘Lal Kitab’
or ‘village book’ has statistics of village lands such as the total
area, area sown and assessment of land revenue, notes about changes in
cultivation, and ownership for the last four years. It also shows the
population of a village and the approximate number of livestock. In short,
it is a statistical book of a village. One wonders whether there
is a need to conduct a door-to-door exercise in the presence of such
comprehensive compilations. To quote Safdar, “The main problem is that the
patwaris are not accessible, and the record they maintain is available only
in highly irretrievable hard forms.” If all this record was
available in digital form on computer networks, it would be of great help,
he says. Dr Fateh Muhammad Mari,
Faculty of Agricultural Social Sciences, Department of Agricultural
Economics, Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam, has no problem with the
methodology being used. He says the sample size is too large and variations
in data too small. Fateh also places trust in
the information provided by every household. His point is that the people
have no qualms sharing the information as they ensure their names will not
be revealed. Fateh says the results of
independent surveys done by private and public institutions and research
organisations also help to authenticate the census data. “If the results
gathered from common sample areas are the same as those recorded in census,
then there is no reason to refute the latter.”
The area of the
agricultural land, owned by 19,271 big landlords in the country, is almost
equal to the area held by 5.6 million poor farmers, as per the data provided
by the Agricultural Census 2010 conducted by the Federal Statistics
Division. In the following analysis, the landowners have been categorised as
‘big landlords’ (owning 150 acres and above), ‘rich farmers’ (owning
from 50 acres up to less than 150 acres), ‘middle farmers’ (owning from
12.5 acres up to less than 50 acres), ‘small farmers’ (owning from 5
acres to less than 12.5 acres) and ‘poor farmers’ (owning from under one
acre up to less than 5 acres). The official statistics
reveal rich farmers/big landlords, with the ownership of more than 50 acres,
number only 113,750 out of a total of around 8.4 million landowners, but the
share of their landstands at 15.86 million acres or 29 per cent of the total
land. However, the land-owning
pattern varies in each province. Balochistan is dominated by big landlords
or tribal chiefs who have land holdings of 150 acres or above; they own up
to 59 per cent of the province’s total privately-owned agricultural area. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is the
least feudal where big landlords own only 7 per cent of the total private
land. Middle, small and poor farmers have a dominant share of land in the
province as they all own 83 per cent of the total land. The official statistics
defy the common perception that big landlords or feudals reign supreme in
Sindh. Only 10 per cent of the total private agricultural land in the
province is owned by big landlords and 21 per cent by rich farmers. Middle farmers, owning
from 12.5 acres up to less than 50 acres, have a major share (40 per cent)
of Sindh’s land. However, the ratio of
land-holding (31 per cent of the total land) in Sindh by big landlords and
rich farmers combined is much higher compared to what it is in Punjab (15
per cent) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (17 per cent). In both Punjab and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, middle and small farmers own most of the lands — 51 per cent
of the total land in KP and 62 per cent in Punjab. In these two provinces,
the poor farmers, owning less than 5 acres, also have a sizeable chunk of
the total land — 32 per cent of the total land in KP and 24 per cent in
Punjab. The poor farmers have the
least share (3 per cent of the total land) in Balochistan, whereas in Sindh,
the percentage is only 10.3. They have the biggest share in KP, owning 32
per cent of the total land. Analysing the census
statistics, one can say KP and Punjab are largely dominated by middle and
small farmers and both provinces have similar patterns of land-holding. In Sindh, however, the
rich and middle farmers have the dominant share of the land (61 per cent)
while small and poor farmers have much less ownership (28.3 per cent) than
their counterparts in KP (59 per cent) and Punjab (58 per cent).In
Balochistan, their ownership is abysmally low at 11 per cent.
Country-wide land ownership pattern In Pakistan, a total of
8,355,772 (or 8.36 million) people privately own around 55.60 million acres
of agricultural land. There are around 19,271
big landlords who own 16 per cent (9,132,392 acres) of the total land. These
big landlords make up only 0.23 per cent of the total landowners but their
share of the agricultural land is almost equal to the 5.6 million (or 67 per
cent of the landowners.) Rich farmers make up 1.21
per cent (94,479 people) of the total owners, but own 13 per cent (6.73
million acres) of the land. Middle farmers number
725,922 or constitute nine (9) per cent of the total owners. They own 27 per
cent (15.38 million acres) of the total privately-owned agricultural land. Small farmers number 1.92
million or 23 per cent of the total owners. They own 25 per cent (14.18
million acres) of the total agricultural land. Up to 5.6 million people
or 67 per cent of the total owners of the agricultural land own only 18 per
cent (10.18 million) of the land. These people own less than 5 acres and can
be categorised as the poorest section of the farming sector. The province-wise
breakdown of the land-owning pattern is as following: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is
dominated by small and middle farmers who make up 51 per cent of the total
farming community. Big landlords hold relatively less area (7 per cent) in
the province. In the province, a total
of 1,599,907 (or around 1.60 million) people privately own 5,929,639 (around
5.93 million) acres. There are around 1,258 big
landlords who own 7 per cent (417,366 acres) of the total land. These big
landlords make up only 0.07 per cent of the total landowners in the
province. There are 8,862 rich
farmers in the province who make up 0.55 per cent of the total landowners,
but own 10 per cent (623,829 acres) of the land. Middle farmers number
68,112 and constitute four (4) per cent of the total owners. They own 1.43
million acres or 24 per cent of the total privately-owned agricultural land. Small farmers number
217,985 or 14 per cent of the total owners. They own 1.58 million acres or
27 per cent of the total agricultural land. Up to 1.30 million poor
farmers or 82 per cent of the total landowners own only 32 per cent (1.87
million acres) of the total land.
Punjab Punjab is also dominated
by small and middle farmers who own 62 per cent of the total land as
compared to 15 per cent of the total land owned by big landlords and rich
farmers.
In the province, a total
of 5,459,132 or around 5.5 million people own 28,779,516 (around 28.78
million) acres of the private agricultural land. There are around 5,319 big
landlords who own six (6) per cent (1,676,301 acres) of the total land.
These big landlords constitute only 0.09 per cent of the total landowners in
the province. There are 33,869 rich
farmers in the province who make up 0.62 per cent of the total landowners,
but own nine (9) per cent (2.5 million acres) of the land. Middle farmers number
406,026 and constitute eight (8) per cent of the total owners. They own 7.89
million acres or 28 per cent of the total land. Small farmers number 1.34
million or 24 per cent of the total owners. They own 9.86 million acres or
34 per cent of the total agricultural land. Up to 3.67 million poor
farmers or 67.25 per cent of the total owners in Punjab own only 6.89
million acres or 24 per cent of the total private land.
Sindh More than 60 per cent of
the land in Sindh is owned by rich and middle farmers unlike the perception
that big landlords dominate the scene. In the province, a total
of 961,935 people own 10,763,488 (around 10.76 million) acres of the private
agricultural land. There are around 4,244 big
landlords who make up 0.44 per cent of the total landowners in the province.
They own 10 per cent (1.11 million acres) of the total land. There are 32,729 rich
farmers in the province who make up 3.4 per cent of the total landowners,
but own 21 per cent (2.25 million acres) of the land. Middle farmers number
178,045 and constitute eight (18.51) per cent of the total owners. They own
4.36 million acres or 40 per cent of the total land. Small farmers number only
153,248 or 15.93 per cent of the total land owners. They own 1.93 million
acres or 18 per cent of the total agricultural land. Poor farmers number
493,669 or 52 per cent of the total owners. They own 1.12 million acres or
10.36 per cent of the total land.
Balochistan Balochistan is dominated
by tribal chiefs who own large tracts of land. The 59 per cent of the
private land in the province is owned by only three (3) per cent of the
total landowners. In the province, a total
of 334,798 or people own 10,125,633 (around 10.13 million) acres of the
private agricultural land. There are around 8,450 big
landlords who own 59 per cent (5,925,845 acres) of the total land. These big
landlords constitute only 3.0 per cent of the total landowners in the
province. There are 19,019 rich
farmers in the province who make up only six (6) per cent of the total
landowners, and own 13 per cent (1.39 million acres) of the land. Middle farmers number
73,739 and constitute 22 per cent of the total owners. They own 1.7 million
acres or 17 per cent of the total land. Small farmers number
103,218 or 31 per cent of the total owners. They own 811,990 acres or only
eight (8) per cent of the total agricultural land. There are 110,372 poor
farmers or 39 per cent of the total landowners in the province, but they own
only 300,104 acres or little more than 3 per cent of the total private land. Landownership pattern in
four provinces (percentage shows the land owned by the particular category
of landowners) Category
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa
Punjab
Sindh
Balochistan Big landlords (150 acres and above)
7 %
6 % 10 %
59 % Rich farmers (50 acres to less than 150 acres)
10 %
9 %
21 %
13 % Middle farmers (12.5 acres up to less than 50 acres)
24 %
28 %
40 %
17 % Small farmers (5 acres to less than 12.5 acres)
27 %
34 %
18 %
8 % Poor farmers (Less than 5 acres)
32 %
24 %
10.3 %
3 %
Factors
for efficiency It goes without
saying that the agriculture sector in the country needs to be developed if
Pakistan is to gain a competitive edge vis-à-vis the other agriculture
producing countries of the world. It can develop fast if it is treated
purely as a capitalistic enterprise where the factors of production are
dealt with in an impersonal manner. As a legacy, land is
considered more as a surrogate mother by the owners with the tenants having
some historical hereditary rights that prevent them from being evicted. As
efficiency and levels of production took a backseat in this middle-muddle,
the share of agriculture dropped in the total economic output of the
country. This has been the case ever since independence. Even if we take this
middle-muddle as a given, some indicators to ensure efficiency can be
identified. For instance, the labour force engaged in the sector is largely
uneducated. As in the other sectors of the economy, the lack of a properly
trained manpower is one of the basic areas that need to be addressed. In
view of the small landholdings in Central Punjab, any person who is educated
either wants a white-collar job or moves away from agriculture to sectors he
finds more lucrative or socially elevating. In other words,
agriculture is no longer a ‘fashionable’ profession. If the stock market
is any indication, the commodities have not really been a preferred option
of the investors for decades — it’s areas like finance, technology,
manufacturing, oil or precious metals like gold and silver, but hardly ever
wheat, cotton or rice whence the major investments flow in. If a person has gone
through the motions of acquiring education or training and his skills are
woefully low, this does not prepare him for a world which is charging ahead
with continuous technological breakthroughs. Much in the sector of
agriculture now depends on the various new varieties of seed, the
breakthrough in plant germinations, hothouse conditions and the kinds and
methods of applying fertilisers needed for the growth of particular crops. There is no proper linkage
between research institutions like Agricultural Research Council,
Agriculture Universities, Institutes of Rice, Cotton etc., the agriculture
departments of the provinces and the farmer. The benefits of most of the
research done even within the country are not fully availed. No proper and sustained
soil composition analysis takes place in the country — only in the case of
some enlightened farmer, one whose holding is big enough to afford such an
essential prerequisite or one who has other sources to supplement his
income, the rest irrespective of the composition of the soil all use
fertilisers, particularly the chemical variety, with indiscriminate
uniformity. The use of fertilisers, as
in the case of other usages, is based on information which is either hearsay
or an example set by some enterprising farmer. Usually, by following a
successful example, the farmer sets his priorities without going into the
scientific analysis regarding testing of soil and usage of fertilisers. Similarly, land levelling
is one concept which is still alien to the farmer. The reason is it costs a
packet and the farmer does not have the capital to invest in preparing the
soil and upgrading the quality of the seeds and other agricultural equipment
that is required for farming. Even soil testing is foregone for the same
reason and the government departments that are supposed to inform and
provide technical help are either treated by the employees as individual
consulting firms that charge for advice or they are more focused on the
requirements of the bigger and more affluent farmer. Given the power structure
of the society, the bigger farmers use their clout and money to attract the
government department at the expense of the small farmer who is always
cash-strapped. Cash or the lack of
financial manoeuvrability is one big reason why the farmer can never think
up out-of-the-box solutions. Usually, the investment he has made is in the
shape of the loan that he has got from the middle man — the aarti. The
middleman performs the role of a local banker and offers credit facilities
ensuring, in return, that the advance purchase of the crops is at a good
bargain price. The farmer, thus, pledges his crop in advance and reduces the
chances of trying more options than one in the marketing of his produce. The case with seeds is no
different. Most of the farmers do not buy certified seeds because either
these are expensive or their source of procurement is at a fair distance. So
he uses the seeds of the previous year or buys them as per the instructions
of the aarti, which may not be the best thing to do even within a certain
price range. Likewise, in the use of
water, the farmer is oblivious to the challenges that reduced water supply
poses. The way he uses water is most unproductive and wasteful, for the only
method that he knows is ‘flooding’ the field. At times, the water
channels are not maintained or, in their absence, the wastage of water
assumes colossal proportions. The use of water is still
seen in the context of how the neighbour is doing it or any farmer who they
happen to know, usually a distant relative who lives in another village. The connivance with the
irrigation officials in widening the mogah, in stealing water from canal by
digging underground pipes or by openly installing pumps on the canals is now
a regular practice which nobody seems to mind. It is the ability to bribe
the official that is the tipping point of this exercise and is crucial in
the context of who has the resources to bribe or pressurise the official. In
both instances, it is looked at with envy. In many cases, the markets
are located at the heart of a city or town — highly congested areas — so
it becomes difficult to carry the produce there. Moreover, the farmers are
subjected to harassment by the police and their days, not hours, are wasted
awaiting their turn. They are then subjected to the tempered weigh bridge of
the aarti but constricted by the loan that they have taken and the relative
nearness to their village have no option but to offload their produce. Wholesale markets, or
mandi, in open spaces outside the congested city centres, with relatively
easy accessibility, can help some of the problems faced by the farmers.
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