Editor,
Climate Change is gradually taking a toll on our environment and affecting sustainable development in the farm sector. The growing tendency of pursuing infrastructure development as well as various forms of socio-economic development, the state has a constitutional duty to ensure that there is sustainable and long-term protection as well for the affected communities who depend on various livelihood activities both farm and non-farm. Now the alarming fact is that farming which contributes a major amount to the national GDP is gradually losing trend due to massive mechanization and less labour force which leads to a vicious circle of unemployed people in the lurch. We need to also have look also at how market forces have forced farmers into adopting hybrid methods rather than improving traditional practices like from cultivating soil-friendly crops that are climate resilient to crops that are said to be highly commercial but less in nutritional value due to the factors such as high costs, high external inputs and also degrading forest. Look at the kind of support system in place which again differs from one group of farmers with another so and so forth. All of these and other factors today have left our farmers struggling to stock up to a massive population of hungry people which calls for better workable policies and improved practices for our farmers so that farming becomes a meaningful activity and source of direct and indirect employment.
Dominic S. Wankhar
Via e-mail
