MOST of the farmers who committed suicides owe heavy debts to usurious moneylenders, in some cases, to banks as well. Many moneylenders have invested crores of rupees in this business. In many cases, moneylenders seem to be the immediate provocation for the extreme decision. In most cases, these moneylenders are the traders, middlemen and landowners at the same time. At times, the roles are also interchangeable. They effectively control the variety of seeds, type of fertilizers and pesticides, the cropping pattern and also marketing. The small peasants are heavily dependent on this usurious capital for all their needs. There is virtually a new form of landlordism in rural areas influencing, controlling and dictating each and every aspect of the life of a peasant. It is an admixture of usurious and merchant capital reinforced by semi-feudal relations in the countryside.

The Indian version of corporatisation of agriculture facilitates the establishment of a well-entrenched nexus between corporate capital and this class of neo-landlords or neo-elites. In some cases, corporate capital aligns with them, while in some other cases, corporate capital itself assumes the mantle of these neo-landlords/neo-elites reinforcing the landlord path of capitalist development in agriculture. It is being amply proved that no amount of capital, foreign or domestic, can really change the course of pre-capitalist relations in the country, but for the assertion of the labouring peasantry and agrarian labourers. The experience of ‘Rallis India Kisan Kendra’ in Karnataka is an ample proof at hand.

Rallis India Kisan Kendra:

Corporate Feudalism?

Rallis India, a leading marketing network in seed and pesticide business and a business partner of Monsanto, has come up with a 'novel' idea of setting up Kisan Kendras to take on the challenge of local middlemen and money lenders who control almost all agricultural operations in rural areas and also act as an effective impediment in the way of free entry of private houses. The strategy is to appropriate the methods of dominance of the middlemen, to accommodate the challengers in the framework of Kisan Kendra, to directly reach out to farmers in general, through the medium of Kisan Kendra and to promote sale of inputs like seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, etc., and thus establishing a new rural power center unchallengeable by the local elites.

This is the same colonial strategy adopted by British when they entered our country as merchants. They established their central authority through the principle of mutual accommodation and appropriation of the existing feudal system without disturbing basic feudal class equilibrium. Finally, they emerged as the sole power center. Industrial capital established its dominance through a smooth collusion with the existing feudal structure. Kisan Kendra is nothing but a replica of the same old strategy in the era of globalisation.

According to Rallis India, all concerns of a farmer must be addressed in a holistic manner. Rallis India addresses these concerns by disseminating agricultural knowledge and good crop production management practices through supply of quality agricultural inputs and by bringing in business partners for other concerns (fair credit and market areas).

Kisan Kendra established at Challakere, Chitradurga district of Karnataka by Rallis India is a pilot project. ICICI and Mahindra and Mahindra are also venturing into so-called 'holistic' approach to ensure their sales of inputs through services. This also signifies the end of state intervention in procurement and marketing that was carried out through FCI, Agricultural Products Marketing Committees (APMCs) and PDS.

Rallis India has promised to provide farmers with technical advice and training, supply of quality inputs, soil and water testing facilities, 'sourcing' credit to farmers, post-harvest management and finding market for the products.

The ramifications of this type of farm management ser­vices are frightening. Rallis India is also producing hybrid seeds and other inputs. The deadly mix of credit and marketing does have the potential to fundamentally alter the cropping pattern and it could also lead to high input agriculture. The emphasis on horticulture and other cash crops would lead to food insecurity at the regional level. Farmers' knowledge and management practices will disappear and farmers will be left with not even land but only 'dust bowl'. The extensive application of pesticides and fertilizers will destroy the soil and once the undermining is over, the corporate caravan could move on to other greener pastures.