Large Farmers

The definition of large farmer differs from state to state in India. For example, a farmer having 10 acres in Kerala is a large farmer, while in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana he falls under the category of medium or small farmer. All the studies conducted in areas where Green Revolution is a success show that the large farmers have been the main gainers of the package programme. In the initial phase of the Green Revolution, the large farmers were able to adopt the High Yielding Varieties easily. The new varieties increased their savings, both to buy machinery that can displace labour and to purchase more land of the marginal and small farmers. This trend increased the income base of those who were already relatively well off and better placed in society. The large farmers, in fact, are in a position to make the best use of tractors, threshers, and sprayers. They installed tube-wells and pumping sets for an effective utilisation of underground water. For the purchase of agricultural machinery and installation of tube-wells and other costly inputs, credit was necessary. Since the large farmers have more risk taking capacity, they could modernise their agriculture easily. Small and marginal farmers being constrained by financial resources could not adopt the High Yielding Varieties in the early phase of their diffusion. Consequently, they lagged behind in the adoption of new seeds.

In general, the complexity of farming increases with multiple cropping as more inputs and timely operations are required for good harvests. Intensification of agriculture and multiple cropping means more risk on the part of the cultivator. The agrarian institutions, credit agencies, and extension service, generally serve the large and powerful farmers as a result of which the small and marginal farmers are deprived of adequate inputs so essential for the successful cultivation of High Yielding Varieties. The big farmers who have close connections with the money economy and influential political persons are able to complete their agricultural operations more easily than the small farmers who rely on family labour for agricultural operations. This process accentuated the income inequalities in the rural society and led to polarisation of rural masses.