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Industry: Rice to cotton, rising costs have made farming less profitable | India News
While food prices have been rising over the years, Atul Thakur’s analysis shows farmers’ margins on all major crops have steadily declined.
Around 2010-11, India’s sugarcane farmers earned roughly Rs 2.8 for every rupee they invested in their crop. By 2020-21, they were making only about Rs 2.1 on every rupee. For cotton farmers, profitability has declined even more. They earned about 1.8 on every rupee spent around 2009-10. By 2020-21, it was down to Rs 1.3.
This has happened because agricultural costs have risen faster than farmers’ earnings per hectare. For crops like cotton, the earnings have, in fact, stagnated.
Around 2010-11, India’s sugarcane farmers earned roughly Rs 2.8 for every rupee they invested in their crop. By 2020-21, they were making only about Rs 2.1 on every rupee. For cotton farmers, profitability has declined even more. They earned about 1.8 on every rupee spent around 2009-10. By 2020-21, it was down to Rs 1.3.
This has happened because agricultural costs have risen faster than farmers’ earnings per hectare. For crops like cotton, the earnings have, in fact, stagnated.
