India, Jan. 14 -- Even as the focus is generally on the manufacturing and services sectors, it is agriculture which is the hero of this year. Food grain production is set to cross 355 million tonnes. Horticulture output is expected to surpass 375 million tonnes. Production of milk has exceeded 250 million tonnes, and is projected to be more than 270 million tonnes. Even in the other allied activities such as poultry, fishing, shrimp farming, and others, the estimates are optimistic. At the end of day, the farm sector may boost growth to 7-8 per cent.

Yet, there is an irony. Under the Kisan Samman Nidhi welfare scheme, the Government will dole out INR 6000 a year per farmer's household to boost incomes, and help the poor farmers to tide o...