New Delhi, Feb. 23 -- The government has developed a farm distress index to alert local authorities in case of deterioration of conditions of cultivators, crops and their livelihoods based on 21 parameters so that timely intervention can be initiated, officials said.

Experts tasked with devising the index at the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) said hardships, which often lead to serious economic and emotional consequences for farmers, can be averted if detected early and, for that, an advance warning mechanism is required.

Nearly half of India's population still depends on a farm-based income and agriculture accounts for about 17% of the country's gross domestic product or GDP, making the sector critical to gr...