The Price of Food: Bihar Farmers’ Struggle Behind Every Grain

In this special ground report by Witty Chokha, journalist Pallavi Rajput travels deep into the farmlands of Bihar to uncover the unseen reality behind the food that sustains our lives. Beneath the green fields lies a story of struggle, survival, and unshakable resilience a reality rarely shown in urban conversations about “development.”

Farmers in Bihar share their pain and frustration, revealing how farming has turned into a loss-making occupation. From sowing maize in June to harvesting in September, they face a relentless cycle of hardship unpredictable weather, stray animals, rising fertilizer prices, and poor market returns. Despite their toil, they earn barely enough to survive. One farmer captures the truth in a single line: “We can’t eat dollars or rupees someone has to grow food for the world.”

Pallavi draws a poignant contrast between ₹1500 popcorn in urban PVRs and the same corn grown with sweat and suffering in Bihar’s fields. Each grain of food, she reminds viewers, carries a story of months of backbreaking labor and silent sacrifice.

Through her empathetic storytelling, Witty Chokha highlights the widening gap between rural producers and urban consumers, questioning how a nation can progress when its food-givers live in poverty.