The Farmer's Problems

As an agricultural country in the main,we need to understand the farmer's problems in detail like China,India and Australia.We have to provide food,jobs and chances of advancement to more than 70% of our people who live in the villages.

What is it that does not let our farmers produce as much as their counterparts(persons doing the same jobs) in the advanced countries like the US,Canada and Australia are doing?First and foremost is their problem of not knowing the best techniques and methods of farming and not having the latest machines and equipment.It is because they are uneducated and are not in contact with those well-informed about these.

Secondly,poverty and lack of resources is the second major problem of our farmers.In fact,poverty,ignorance and immobility to use modern farm machinery and techniques to go hand in hand with our farmers.Without the purchasing power,how can a farmer get the modern machinery even when he is told or instructed about it?The problem can be overcome and solved if the government takes away the property,lands and capital in possession of the biggest landowners and use them for the betterment of the farmers.

Thirdly,the availability of enough water at the time of sowing the crops and during their growth is now a major problem of our farmers.During the lase few dry years,the farmers could not get enough water for irrigation as the water level in the few big dams soon went very low during the dry seasons.The best course now is to construct small and big dams across rivers and to have new waterways or canals in different areas.

Fourthly,the non-availability of standard fertilizers and pesticides at low rates is a major agricultural problem.The fertility of many of our lands have been affected badly by the twin ills of water logging(too much rising of the underground water table) and salinity(presence of harmful salts in the land).

Fifthly,the common poor farmer works on the lands taken on rent from very rich landowners.He is their tenant, and has to pay them a major part of the land produce and even rent on the land.This leaves him very little for his own spending and livelihood.It was the duty of the governments to break up and replace this out-dated feudal system.

Sixthly,the farmer cannot easily get loans from the rural banks or loaning agencies to sink a small tube-well, to buy buffaloes or cows.to marry his daughter or to build a house,to get his ailing wife treated, and so on.The government and social welfare organizations together should establish loaning agencies for deserving farmers on easy terms.

It is high time we attended to the above problems.The question deserves to be answered right now.If not now,then when we are going to help our farmers and workers of the soil(land)?

The Causes of Poverty

The poorest of the poor everywhere desire a change in their condition.Who does not aspire for a better and more comfortable life,rather a grand and impressive living?Poverty is not easily acceptable to anyone except the truly religious "dervishes" or "sufis or mystics.

Firstly,we are facing a population explosion.A poor man of very ordinary means has several children,often more than five or six,partly because he marries early.He cannot afford to maintain such a large family.As he struggles hard to earn more,with all his poverty and ignorance with him,he goes on getting weaker and poorer.Generally,he falls ill, and quite often dies before time.After his death,his wife has to work manually in village fields or city homes to bring up the children.At times the children,if they are grown up, are forced to work for their living.

Secondly,illiteracy or ignorance does not let the people learn better and modern methods of farming,production in factories and construction of buildings,bridges,roads and dams.We know that modern machinery is mostly computerized.How can illiterate workers learn the working and maintenance of computers and other electronic devices?As a result,they cannot add to their incomes in accordance with their growing needs, and continue to remain poor.

Thirdly,the past governments did not build small and big dams in different parts of the country.In case new dams had been built,electricity would have been much cheaper and so the old and new factories would have employed more labor and produced more goods for export.With more water and cheaper electricity,farm production would have increased appreciably and more labor would have been employed.

Fourthly,the hold of big landowners or feudal landlords has kept small farmers or peasants all over the country in practical slavery.The "haris" in Sindh,for example, have tried to get free of the feudal hold at times, but to no avail.In Balochistan exists the "sardari" system that allows the sons and daughters of the big "sardars" or landowners to study here or abroad or to enjoy the sweet fruits of life while keeping the common people uncultured and backward.In the Punjab and Khyber-Pukhtunkwa,too,the big "lords" do not allow the small farmers and their families to progress and prosper.

In order to help the poor,their general education level should be drastically improved.The government should take immediate steps to industrialize the country extensively.As many big and small dams should be constructed across our rivers as possible.Feudalism should be abolished permanently.Farmers should be able to own their lands in large commercial units.