LocationsFarming Against the Odds: A Young Indian’s Bet on the Land
August 29, 2025
Arjun Singh, 29, farmer in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh
At 29, Arjun Singh has made a choice that sets him apart from many of his peers. In Bauddhikala village, about 40kms from Bhopal, the capital of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, he is betting his future on farming, even as erratic weather and shrinking returns push many young Indians toward city jobs.
Sharbati wheat, a premium variety grown mainly in the Sehore and Vidisha regions of Madhya Pradesh
In a district best known for its prized Sharbati wheat, Mr. Singh has emerged as part of a small but growing group of farmers embracing crop insurance, digital tools, and collective bargaining to navigate an uncertain climate. For him, agriculture is more than an occupation; it is an identity.
“Farming has inspired me since childhood,” he said. “Watching something grow with my own hands gives me a reward no other work can.”
A Sector Under Strain
Nearly two-thirds of India’s working population remains tied to agriculture, but the sector contributes only about 14 percent to the nation’s gross domestic product, according to government data. The mismatch has long fuelled migration to cities, where work can be steadier and better paid.
Yet in pockets across India, young farmers like Singh are staying put, determined to reimagine farming. Their decisions are shaped as much by tradition as by necessity, as climate change redraws the rules of rural life.
The Risks of Climate Change
Heat waves caused loss of crop, a farmland in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh
Singh farms three acres of leased land. Each season, he faces new threats: searing heat in March, water shortages in June, sudden rainstorms just before harvest. In good years, an acre of Sharbati wheat can yield as much as 2.4 metric tonnes. In bad ones, farmers report losses of 30 to 50 percent.
“In 2017, the heat came too soon,” he recalled. “The soil dried before the pods could form. Everything was affected.”
The blow taught him a lesson. Without crop insurance, a single bad year could wipe out a family.
Insurance as a Lifeline
A year later, he enrolled in the Government of India’s Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), a crop insurance scheme launched in 2016. Since 2018, the programme has been supported by the United Nations Development Programme, strengthening its reach.
In 2023, after another poor season, Singh received a payout of INR 21,000 (about $250) on his three-acre farm.
“It didn’t replace the loss,” he said. “But it made sure we didn’t break down completely. It kept us afloat. It helped me in managing household needs, groceries, medicines, and school fees.”
Since then, he has never skipped insurance. Signing up, he said, is straightforward: farmers can visit local service centres, call a helpline, or go through agents. For younger farmers, it has become as essential as seeds or fertilizer. “People think spending INR 1000 or 1500 rupees on insurance is unnecessary,” he said. “But when the crop fails, that small cost feels like a lifeline.”
Shifting Crops, Holding Roots
For years, Singh devoted his fields to Sharbati wheat, the premium variety that defines Sehore’s reputation. But repeated crop losses — heatwaves arriving early, unseasonal rain at harvest — forced him to reconsider. Even with insurance, the pattern of damage pushed him toward change.
This year, he has shifted to paddy and maize, which are better suited to the soil and more resilient to the erratic weather. Still, he hopes to return to Sharbati. “It’s what we grow best,” he said. “It’s what we’re known for.”
That balance - adapting while staying rooted - is shaping how a younger generation of Indian farmers approaches climate change.
New Tools, New Networks
Farmers receiving hands-on training with drones, gaining exposure to modern farming techniques
For Singh, adaptation goes beyond insurance. He is part of a Farmer Producer Organization, which pools small farmers’ harvests to gain better access to wholesale markets. He also experiments with technology, from drones used to spray fertilizer to farm apps that track weather and market prices.
On his phone, a WhatsApp group connects him with other farmers who swap advice, share deadlines, and trade updates on government programmes. His cousin and two friends have followed his lead, adopting less water-intensive crops and enrolling in insurance.
A Safety Net with Reach
Since its inception, PMFBY has insured more than 780 million farmer applications, covering nearly 500 million hectares of cropped land. In 2024–25 alone, over 620 million hectares were brought under insurance. Payouts so far have totalled 1.83 trillion rupees, benefiting more than 228 million farmers.
Small and marginal farmers – often the most vulnerable - account for nearly 90 percent of those insured. For many, the scheme has been the difference between recovery and ruin.
Betting on the Future
Singh knows that farming will never be free of risk. But he believes that with insurance, technology, and peer learning, agriculture can remain viable.
"It won’t make you rich,” he said of insurance. “But it can keep you from disaster.”
For him, that is reason enough to keep planting.
Story by Shubham Tripathi, UNDP India
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