Pushing Indian agriculture to the optimal point

It would be no exaggeration to say that in an in general perception, the journey of Indian agriculture considering that independence has been really a story. From depravity (ensuing in hand-to-mouth existence for a considerable chunk of populace put up-independence) to self-sufficiency sooner or later ushered in by the green revolution following 1960’s to the existing scenario of surplus generation in quite a few crops and India remaining adjudged as an agriculture powerhouse globally – it could be a story with no parallels in conditions of reasonable development. 

And below one ought to not fail to remember that the reforms initiated in the early ’90s which arguably adjusted the fortunes of the Indian economic system did not have much concentration on agriculture.

In actuality, the important emphasis of that process was to lose the image of India more than-relying on agriculture and give it the identification of prospective services and manufacturing powerhouse to attract investments. In various levels, the place has succeeded in that mission to a appreciable extent in the earlier 3 a long time.

Producing immediate strides

But even as agriculture was pushed to the back seat (not to be equated with backburner) for fairly some time, the sector has built immediate strides in its individual way. There has been a steady enhance in foodgrain manufacturing and in the very last 10-15 several years, the country’s agriculture sector has observed a silent revolution unfolding in the region of horticulture (fruits and veggies). 

In a surprising pattern that has gone unnoticed by several, horticulture manufacturing which historically has been taking part in second fiddle to foodgrains, has registered a quantum leap in excess of the last 10 years and now has taken the direct in conditions of the driving belongings of the Indian agriculture basket.

In a cumulative feeling (foodgrain and horticulture merged), India nowadays has an agriculture output base in the vicinity of 650 million tonnes – horticulture is all-around 325 million tonnes and 315 million tonnes for foodgrains – which is mammoth and destinations India amid the primary producers in the globe.

In most of the necessary foodgrains and now also fruits and vegetable types, India is between the top rated 3 producers.

Agri in a sweet spot

Fairly the natural way, the steady surge in manufacturing has also offered a significant strengthen to the resulting value-addition segments like the foods, beverage or FMCG field.

They have all become companies of colossal scale and dimension in the the latest a long time. Meanwhile, in new yrs, emergence of start out-ups has been a key positive trend throughout the financial spectrum.

And this also envelops the agriculture sector. There are a spate of very well funded new entities, typically referred as agtechs or agri-techs, who are striving to attract the broader contours of a new age agriculture procedure driven by synthetic intelligence (AI), online of things (IoT), data analytics, and so forth.

Much away from the community glare, these new age warriors are striving to redefine Indian agriculture and the preliminary indicators recommend the more substantial alterations will grow to be noticeable in the coming several years.

Indian agriculture probably is in a sweet place now with the common strengths and the new evolving streams wherever sky is the limit. The issue now is to drive it to the best position both equally in the qualitative and quantitative perception.

Well balanced solution is clearly the require of the day wherein value-addition backed by high-end technological processes ought to be inspired. It should really be carried out in a method that the incremental gain unquestionably trickles down to the producers and the farmers much too.

Getting attained a commendable creation amount, the state really should also aspire to turn out to be an agro-export powerhouse and this is an apt instant as the world is looking at ‘China plus one’ method in agriculture far too soon after Corona.

In fact, India in the previous 1 and 50 percent calendar year has witnessed a a lot more than normal surge in agri-exports and this desires to be additional harnessed to reward all stakeholders and realise the intention of doubling farmers profits in the medium run.

A vital ingredient of a balanced technique would also include taking a even handed connect with on the use of inputs like agro-chemicals and pesticides. It is no secret to anybody that the cultivable land in India is extra than China but the latter has a sizeable lead in creation quantity.

And that is mainly since it doesn’t have an unwarranted and sweeping adverse frame of mind in the direction of chemical substances and pesticides. It has made the most of these inputs in augmenting the production stage.

With additional investigate, scientific advisories and methods as perfectly as tax rationalisation on agrochemicals and pesticides, we can also drive our quantitative pattern to the ideal level.

The author is Team Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech Ltd

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February 05, 2022