Pushing Indian agriculture to the optimal point

It would be no exaggeration to say that in an general perception, the journey of Indian agriculture because independence has been rather a story. From depravity (ensuing in hand-to-mouth existence for a substantial chunk of populace submit-independence) to self-sufficiency sooner or later ushered in by the green revolution just after 1960’s to the existing state of affairs of surplus production in many crops and India getting adjudged as an agriculture powerhouse globally – it may well be a tale with no parallels in conditions of reasonable progression. 

And right here a person should not neglect that the reforms initiated in the early ’90s which arguably modified the fortunes of the Indian financial system did not have considerably target on agriculture.

In point, the significant emphasis of that process was to shed the image of India in excess of-relying on agriculture and give it the identification of prospective providers and production powerhouse to draw investments. In different levels, the place has succeeded in that mission to a significant extent in the earlier three many years.

Generating rapid strides

But even as agriculture was pushed to the back again seat (not to be equated with backburner) for pretty some time, the sector has manufactured fast strides in its have way. There has been a consistent boost in foodgrain output and in the past 10-15 several years, the country’s agriculture sector has viewed a silent revolution unfolding in the area of horticulture (fruits and vegetables). 

In a astonishing development that has absent unnoticed by many, horticulture production which typically has been participating in next fiddle to foodgrains, has registered a quantum leap above the final decade and now has taken the direct in phrases of the driving property of the Indian agriculture basket.

In a cumulative sense (foodgrain and horticulture merged), India today has an agriculture creation foundation in the vicinity of 650 million tonnes – horticulture is close to 325 million tonnes and 315 million tonnes for foodgrains – which is mammoth and locations India among the the foremost producers in the earth.

In most of the necessary foodgrains and now also fruits and vegetable groups, India is between the top rated three producers.

Agri in a sweet place

Very naturally, the regular surge in manufacturing has also presented a significant enhance to the ensuing price-addition segments like the meals, beverage or FMCG industry.

They have all come to be businesses of colossal scale and size in the recent a long time. Meanwhile, in latest yrs, emergence of begin-ups has been a important constructive pattern across the economic spectrum.

And this also envelops the agriculture sector. There are a spate of effectively funded new entities, often referred as agtechs or agri-techs, who are striving to draw the broader contours of a new age agriculture program powered by artificial intelligence (AI), online of issues (IoT), knowledge analytics, and many others.

Significantly absent from the general public glare, these new age warriors are striving to redefine Indian agriculture and the preliminary signals suggest the more substantial alterations will turn out to be visible in the coming many years.

Indian agriculture possibly is in a sweet location now with the classic strengths and the new evolving streams exactly where sky is the limit. The issue now is to press it to the optimum point each in the qualitative and quantitative sense.

Balanced strategy is obviously the will need of the day whereby price-addition backed by significant-close technological procedures ought to be inspired. It should really be carried out in a way that the incremental reward unquestionably trickles down to the producers and the farmers much too.

Obtaining attained a commendable manufacturing stage, the state must also aspire to turn into an agro-export powerhouse and this is an apt second as the earth is on the lookout at ‘China moreover one’ strategy in agriculture way too soon after Corona.

In reality, India in the very last a person and half calendar year has witnessed a extra than standard surge in agri-exports and this demands to be further more harnessed to profit all stakeholders and realise the aim of doubling farmers profits in the medium operate.

A significant aspect of a well balanced tactic would also include things like getting a even handed phone on the use of inputs like agro-chemical compounds and pesticides. It is no solution to anybody that the cultivable land in India is a lot more than China but the latter has a substantial direct in generation amount.

And that is mostly for the reason that it does not have an unwarranted and sweeping adverse frame of mind to chemical compounds and pesticides. It has designed the most of these inputs in augmenting the creation degree.

With extra analysis, scientific advisories and answers as very well as tax rationalisation on agrochemicals and pesticides, we can also press our quantitative sample to the best amount.

The author is Group Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech Ltd

Published on


February 05, 2022