The primary focus of this policy is on ‘farmer’ defined holistically and not merely on agriculture. In that sense, it is much more comprehensive than an Agriculture Policy. The objective is, inter alia, to improve the economic viability of farming through substantially improving net income of farmers. Needless to say, there is emphasis on increased productivity, profitability, institutional support, and improvement of land, water and support services apart from provisions of appropriate price policy, risk mitigation measures and so on. The major goals of the National Policy for Farmers are: (i) To improve economic viability of farming by substantially increasing the net income of farmers and to ensure that agricultural progress is measured by advances made in this income. (ii) To protect and improve land, water, bio-diversity and genetic resources essential for sustained increase in the productivity, profitability and stability of major farming systems by creating an economic stake in conservation. (iii) To develop support services including provision for seeds, irrigation, power, machinery and implements, fertilizers and credit at affordable prices in adequate quantity for farmers. (iv) To strengthen the bio-security of crops, farm animals, fish and forest trees for safeguarding the livelihood and income security of farmer families and the health and trade security of the nation. (v) To provide appropriate price and trade policy mechanisms to enhance farmers’ income. (vi) To provide for suitable risk management measures for adequate and timely compensation to farmers. (vii) To complete the unfinished agenda in land reforms and to initiate comprehensive asset and aquarian reforms. (viii) To mainstream the human and gender dimension in all farm policies and programmes. (ix) To pay explicit attention to sustainable rural livelihoods. (x) To foster community-centred food, water and energy security systems in rural India and to ensure nutrition security at the level of every child, woman and man. (xi) To introduce measures which can help attract and retain youths in farming and processing of farm products for higher value addition by making it intellectually stimulating and economically rewarding. (xii) To make India a global outsourcing hub in the production and supply of the inputs needed for sustainable agriculture, products and processes developed through biotechnology and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). (xiii) To restructure the agricultural curriculum and pedagogic methodologies for enabling every farm and home science graduate to become an entrepreneur and to make agricultural education gender sensitive. (xiv) To develop and introduce a social security system for farmers. (xv) To provide appropriate opportunities in adequate measure for non-farm employment for the farm households.
National Policy for Farmers 2007.