That is because when the Indian farmer decides to take collective action, there is really no way to counter it. It was an awesome display of political power which propelled him — howsoever briefly — into the Prime Minister’s office. More recently, the Jats of Haryana once again demonstrated the might of farmer power, seeking ‘Backward Class’ status — and associated reservations in jobs and education — for themselves by coming out into the streets. On the other hand, with rising incomes, education levels and prosperity, the nature of food demand has also changed. This means that domestic demand for cereals isn’t growing any more — while output, even in bad monsoon years, has risen.

Source: The Hindu June 03, 2017 18:35 UTC