Ways In Which Agriculture Is Being Reshaped By Interstate Farmer Migration

During a field visit for a research project, we met two brothers in Narmadapuram district, Madhya Pradesh. They are from Amritsar, Punjab. Their story, shared on condition of anonymity, offers a glimpse into a lesser-discussed form of inter-state migration in India, from agriculturally advanced states such as Punjab to the fertile but relatively underdeveloped lands of Central India.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, they used to travel to Central India, leasing their mechanical harvesters to cultivate crops on local farmlands. During one such visit, a local resident from Dharav Parav village in Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh approached them with the sale of a sizable plot of land at an exceptionally low cost. While the soil quality paled in comparison to the fertile fields of Punjab, the sheer size of the land, coupled with a price point ten times lower than that of their home region, presented an undeniable opportunity. Eventually, the brothers acquired 10 acres of land in Dharav Parav village in Bankhedi tehsil and set about agricultural expansion never seen before in the area.

Their success story is far from unique. Over time, an increasing number of farmers from northern Indian states such as Punjab and Haryana have followed suit, relocating to central states such as Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. A few hundred such households are settled in the Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh. There, they have capitalised on affordable land prices to establish and grow large-scale agricultural lands, reshaping the region’s farming landscape.

Unlike the usual urban migration where people are moving from agriculture to other sectors for livelihood, the migration here happens because farmers are looking for better farming options, as land in their native states is small and expensive, water resources are limited, and restrictions are more. Most farmers migrating from Punjab and Haryana are leaving because of three major problems in their native region: falling groundwater levels, heavy use of fertilisers and chemicals in farming, and the serious issue of stubble burning, as is revealed through interactions with the farmers.

Boosting yields through intensive farming and modern techniques

For the past ten years, Balwant Singh, who came from Kapurthala, Punjab, to Bankhedi in Narmadapuram has been farming with his family on 40 acres. He owns 10 acres and leased the other 30 acres from local farmers. Sharing his experience, he says, “Farmers here used to grow soybeans in the rainy season and wheat in winter. However, the soybean yield was continuously dropping, which led to revenue loss. So, we switched to growing paddy and wheat cropping systems in a year. At first, it was tough to adjust to Madhya Pradesh’s climate. The first two seasons gave us low yields, but we started getting good results after that. One big advantage was the huge price difference between land in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. We sold two acres of our land in Punjab for Rs. 10 million and bought about five acres here on our first visit. Though we spent a lot moving from Punjab and invested heavily in irrigation, fertilisers, and crop management, it paid off.”

This story is similar to many farmers from Punjab and Haryana who moved to Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh. They shifted from growing soybeans, wheat, and gram to paddy, wheat, mustard, and pulses, as local farmers adopted similar cropping patterns. Many respondents quoted abundant water resources from the Narmada River and affordable labour and land as the main reasons for shifting to paddy farming in Narmadapuram. Over time, these new crops produced more because of the methods these migrant farmers brought with them.

During the field investigation in Narmadapuram, we observed these farmers have invested a lot in irrigation, used more agrochemicals, and introduced modern tools like threshers, harvesters, and seeders. This led to a significant increase in the production of cereals and millet in the region. It is well established that high-tech, agrochemical-intensive farming boosts productivity and contributes to agricultural productivity.

This knowledge gradually spreads to local farmers, helping them improve their own farming practices and further increasing productivity in the region. Due to the knowledge spillover at the local level, promotion of agricultural productivity, and extension of improved technologies through subsidies by the national government, cereal and millet production has grown significantly. According to data obtained from the Area, Production & Yield reports published by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, crop production increased significantly between 1997 and 2023, from 2.3 lakh tonnes to 11.9 lakh tonnes in Chhattisgarh, and from 90.4 lakh tonnes to 541 lakh tonnes in Madhya Pradesh.

Another benefit observed during this field visit was the reduction of seasonal labour migration due to the influx of farmers from Punjab and Haryana. In the past, many small farmers and landless workers in the region had no jobs during the off-season (March to June) and had to move to nearby towns for work. Large-scale farming by migrant farmers is creating steady employment, providing a more stable livelihood for local workers.

Beyond the yield

Not everything about this migration is bright and happy. There is also a grim side to it. While the farmers from Punjab and Haryana have settled in Madhya Pradesh and helped increase farming output, we observed in our field visits that many local people don’t see them in a good light. Some local farmers feel that this large-scale farming has made things harder for small and poor farmers. They can’t compete with the big farmers and are forced to sell or lease their land to pay off their debts and daily expenses.

Krishna Bharge, a young farmer from Bijanhai village in Raisen, said, “After the Punjab farmers came here, they have ruined the balance of our land. Paddy is not a good crop; it takes too much water and requires a lot of chemicals. This is not good for the land in the long run. After 10 or 15 years, these farmers will leave when the land stops giving good returns. But we can’t leave. This is our land. We live here. Our traditional crops give us less income but are better for the soil. Because of all the chemicals, even our fertile land may become useless.”

As mentioned earlier, after coming to Madhya Pradesh, most migrant farmers switched to paddy farming instead of the traditional soybean crop in the Kharif season. Paddy farming, widely criticised by agricultural experts, is known for its excessive water consumption and environmental impact. India already grows enough cereals, which causes so much resource depletion and very high crop residue generation. The excessive use of agrochemicals is harming soil health and water resources, raising concerns about the future of farming in the region. Punjab and Haryana are already facing severe water shortages due to intensive agriculture.

It is time to shift towards crop for which the country is dependent on imports. These crops include pulses and oilseeds, which also use fewer natural resources. The government has started programmes like the National Food Security Mission for pulses and the National Mission on Edible Oils to boost local production, as the nation focuses on maximizing the use of natural resources while avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides in Madhya Pradesh. But changing the way farmers have been growing crops for years is not easy. It needs continuous government support and farmers’ cooperation to make farming more sustainable in the long run.

Modern farming practices in Madhya Pradesh have increasingly contributed to issues of crop residue and crop burning, which are causes for concern. During our field visits, in one of the focused group discussions on crop residue burning and potential solutions in Itarsi, Narmadapuram, some migrant farmers suggested that the government should provide some help or subsidies to the farmers in collecting the residue. The government should purchase the residue or incentivise private people to buy it at a good price. They pointed out that industries pollute the environment much more than farmers, yet the government easily gives them licenses. At the same time, it puts strict rules on farmers for burning residue. Farmers are the backbone of the country, and the government should understand how hard it is to remove residue from big farms. Farmers often find it simpler to burn it before the next planting cycle instead of collecting and handling it. As there is not much livestock holding, they do not require it and consider it waste. The government should either offer a viable solution in the form of better technology, which can be scaled up or provide adequate compensation for the effort to manage the residue.

Towards a shared future

While the migration of farmers from Punjab and Haryana to Madhya Pradesh has led to increased agricultural productivity and the spread of modern farming techniques, it has also created social and environmental challenges for local people. The imbalance between large-scale and small-scale farmers is causing distress among local farmers, who feel left behind and worry about long-term soil health and water depletion.

Framing policies to offer better prices, seeds, training, and support for the millets, oil seeds, and pulse crops will encourage them to shift away from these problematic cereals. They should also promote eco-friendly farming methods like rotating crops and using natural fertilisers. Most importantly, small farmers should get the help and training they need so they can succeed and grow instead of being left behind. To address the issue of stubble burning, the government should collaborate with local farmers and explore innovative, locally viable solutions.

Punjab means “the land of five rivers” — Chenab, Ravi, Jhelum, Beas, and Sutlej. These rivers made the land rich and fertile, helping ancient cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro grow and thrive. But today, this land is facing a water crisis. The Narmada Valley should not face the same danger, especially for the same reasons. To ensure this migration benefits everyone, the government must adopt a balanced approach that promotes inclusive development, protects natural resources, and supports migrants and local farmers.

(Published under Creative Commons from Mongabay India. Read the original article here)