Firstly, we did not benefit from the government s policies beginning in the 1960s. The land reforms did not go far enough and merely redistributed land amongst the richer farmers. The Green Revolution widened the gap between the rich and poor, by providing technology that was only accessible to those farmers with large sums of capital. In the end, modern technology with tractors began to do the work of agricultural labourers, thus displacing us from the farm. Liberalization has mainly been carried out on the industrial front.
Agriculture still remains within state control.
The little that has been done in terms of opening up trade has once again benefited the powerful landlords at the expense of the small farmers. We continue to be marginalized today, as the government has only supported the large scale export farmers. Further capitalization and modernization of agriculture has thrown even more labourers off the land. This has encouraged considerable rural-urban migration into the cities, where opportunities are also limited. Farmers are being encouraged to produce paddy and maize to cater to the needs of the growing middle class, at the expense of basic food crops.