If the first quarter of this century has been devastating for the countryside — nearly 450,000 farm suicides, rural-urban distress migration, high indebtedness — how does the next one bode? Most farmers have no allied incomes, far less any share in the services, the highest contributor to GDP. This raises an uncomfortable question: are small farmers meant to survive in India’s future food system? Yet, small farmers remain central to India’s food security since they produce a large share of cereals, pulses and vegetables. The future of food depends on it.

Source: The Telegraph January 15, 2026 02:15 UTC