India's Divide

India primarily consists of small and marginal farmers defined as having landholding below two hectares (Ha). India’s 85 per cent of landholdings are below 2 Ha.

Let’s look at the income equality among various landholding groups. According to the Committee on Doubling of Farmers’ Income, the average annual earning of a small and marginal farmer household was Rs 79,779 in 2015-16. Now compare this with the earning of large farmers having a landholding above 10 Ha. Such farmers earned seven-and-a-half times more than a small and marginal farmer, or to be specific Rs 605,393 each year. A medium and semi-medium farmer’s household earned Rs 201,083 or two-and-a-half times more than a small and marginal farmer’s household. 

It means 85 per cent of farmer households earn 9 per cent of total income while the rest (15%) earn 91 per cent