The revision of poverty estimates will have a wide and deep impact on our understanding of agriculture and its place in the rural livelihoods circle. The Report of the Expert Group to Review the Methodology for Estimation of Poverty (Planning Commission, November 2009) is now out and it has already shaken up the 'official' figures.

In 12 states there are 299 districts which have been declared by their state governments as affected by drought.

We know which districts these are, and the central and state governments have announced repeatedly since September 2009 what measures are being taken to lessen the impacts of crop losses and livelihood shock.