Pushing Indian agriculture to the optimal point

It would be no exaggeration to say that in an all round feeling, the journey of Indian agriculture given that independence has been pretty a story. From depravity (ensuing in hand-to-mouth existence for a significant chunk of inhabitants publish-independence) to self-sufficiency ultimately ushered in by the environmentally friendly revolution soon after 1960’s to the recent circumstance of surplus manufacturing in numerous crops and India being adjudged as an agriculture powerhouse globally – it could be a tale with no parallels in conditions of rational progression. 

And right here 1 ought to not forget about that the reforms initiated in the early ’90s which arguably altered the fortunes of the Indian overall economy did not have considerably target on agriculture.

In fact, the big emphasis of that system was to shed the impression of India above-relying on agriculture and give it the identity of potential products and services and producing powerhouse to attract investments. In different levels, the nation has succeeded in that mission to a sizeable extent in the earlier 3 decades.

Producing rapid strides

But even as agriculture was pushed to the again seat (not to be equated with backburner) for very some time, the sector has produced speedy strides in its possess way. There has been a dependable improve in foodgrain production and in the very last 10-15 a long time, the country’s agriculture sector has seen a silent revolution unfolding in the space of horticulture (fruits and greens). 

In a astonishing trend that has long gone unnoticed by several, horticulture creation which usually has been enjoying 2nd fiddle to foodgrains, has registered a quantum leap above the previous decade and now has taken the direct in phrases of the driving property of the Indian agriculture basket.

In a cumulative feeling (foodgrain and horticulture mixed), India nowadays has an agriculture output base in the vicinity of 650 million tonnes – horticulture is all over 325 million tonnes and 315 million tonnes for foodgrains – which is mammoth and areas India among the the foremost producers in the globe.

In most of the crucial foodgrains and now also fruits and vegetable categories, India is among the prime three producers.

Agri in a sweet place

Fairly the natural way, the regular surge in generation has also supplied a significant raise to the ensuing value-addition segments like the food stuff, beverage or FMCG industry.

They have all grow to be corporations of colossal scale and dimension in the the latest a long time. In the meantime, in modern several years, emergence of get started-ups has been a significant positive development across the economic spectrum.

And this also envelops the agriculture sector. There are a spate of properly funded new entities, often referred as agtechs or agri-techs, who are trying to draw the broader contours of a new age agriculture method driven by synthetic intelligence (AI), world wide web of points (IoT), data analytics, and so forth.

Much away from the public glare, these new age warriors are striving to redefine Indian agriculture and the preliminary indicators advise the greater changes will turn into visible in the coming years.

Indian agriculture likely is in a sweet spot these days with the regular strengths and the new evolving streams in which sky is the restrict. The situation now is to thrust it to the best point both equally in the qualitative and quantitative sense.

Balanced strategy is plainly the require of the day wherein worth-addition backed by superior-stop technological procedures really should be encouraged. It need to be carried out in a way that the incremental benefit unquestionably trickles down to the producers and the farmers as well.

Obtaining attained a commendable generation degree, the place must also aspire to develop into an agro-export powerhouse and this is an apt moment as the planet is wanting at ‘China as well as one’ tactic in agriculture also following Corona.

In simple fact, India in the previous one and fifty percent yr has witnessed a additional than common surge in agri-exports and this needs to be further harnessed to benefit all stakeholders and realise the intention of doubling farmers income in the medium run.

A essential aspect of a well balanced approach would also involve taking a considered phone on the use of inputs like agro-chemical compounds and pesticides. It is no magic formula to anybody that the cultivable land in India is far more than China but the latter has a sizeable guide in production quantity.

And that is primarily for the reason that it does not have an unwarranted and sweeping adverse angle towards chemical compounds and pesticides. It has created the most of these inputs in augmenting the manufacturing level.

With extra investigate, scientific advisories and methods as effectively as tax rationalisation on agrochemicals and pesticides, we can also thrust our quantitative sample to the optimal stage.

The author is Group Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech Ltd

Released on


February 05, 2022