Introduction: Farmers' Journey through Uncertainty

Abstract

Smallholder farmers face relentless challenges from pests, diseases, and the severe impacts of climate change across developing countries. Each year, they endure droughts and floods, thrusting them into a vicious cycle of poverty and distress. "Weathering the Storm: Farmer Resilience and Adaptive Strategies to Crop Losses" provides a vital exploration of these issues, offering insights into the struggles and resilience of farmers in the wake of devastating crop losses. Drawing on data from 1,440 farmers who faced severe crop losses in three states namely Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka of India, the book uncovers: Staggering Losses: Crop losses range from 30% to 100%, causing financial damages of three to five lakhs rupees per farmer; Government Response: A critical analysis of various assistance programmes, highlighting the effectiveness of schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and YSR free crop insurance; Resilience Strategies: Insights into the self adopted strategies farmers use to cope with challenges, alongside governmental support; Effective Governance: Examination of Andhra Pradesh’s decentralized governance model as a best practice for rapid response; Farmers Distress Index (FDI): Introduction of an innovative forewarning system to identify farmers and areas in urgent need of intervention.