Why factory jobs matter for farmers in India
That's why India made a smart decision not to open its farming markets to food from the U.S., like grains, fruits, dairy, and fish. In the U.S., farms are huge and use lots of machines. If cheap American food came into India, many small Indian farmers would not be able to compete. It would hurt them badly.
But protecting farmers from foreign competition isn't enough. The government needs to help farmers earn better and live better. Right now, too many people in India still depend on farming to survive. In countries like the U.S., UK, and Japan, only 1% to 3% of people work in farming. Even China, which was like India in 1991, has reduced its farm workers from 63% to just 22%. India is still at 46%, like Afghanistan or North Korea.
The problem is that as families grow, farms are getting smaller and smaller. In 1971, the average farm was about 2.28 hectares (a little over 5 acres). By 2021, it dropped to just 0.74 hectares (less than 2 acres). That's too small to make a good living. Also, the cost of seeds, fertilizers, and other things is going up faster than the money farmers make from crops.
Worse, the number of people working in farming is growing again because there aren't enough new jobs in factories or other industries. To help farmers truly move forward, India needs to create more jobs outside farming — especially in factories — so people can earn more and live better.
It's not just about saying we care for farmers — it's about giving them real choices and a better future.
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