Pushing Indian agriculture to the optimal point

It would be no exaggeration to say that in an general sense, the journey of Indian agriculture because independence has been pretty a tale. From depravity (resulting in hand-to-mouth existence for a sizeable chunk of inhabitants post-independence) to self-sufficiency ultimately ushered in by the inexperienced revolution just after 1960’s to the latest situation of surplus manufacturing in several crops and India currently being adjudged as an agriculture powerhouse globally – it could possibly be a tale with no parallels in terms of logical progression. 

And right here a single must not forget about that the reforms initiated in the early ’90s which arguably improved the fortunes of the Indian overall economy did not have a great deal aim on agriculture.

In actuality, the important emphasis of that course of action was to shed the image of India above-relying on agriculture and give it the id of prospective solutions and manufacturing powerhouse to draw investments. In various levels, the region has succeeded in that mission to a considerable extent in the previous a few decades.

Creating quick strides

But even as agriculture was pushed to the back again seat (not to be equated with backburner) for quite some time, the sector has built quick strides in its individual way. There has been a regular raise in foodgrain output and in the very last 10-15 decades, the country’s agriculture sector has found a silent revolution unfolding in the area of horticulture (fruits and greens). 

In a astonishing pattern that has gone unnoticed by many, horticulture generation which traditionally has been actively playing next fiddle to foodgrains, has registered a quantum leap over the previous ten years and now has taken the lead in terms of the driving property of the Indian agriculture basket.

In a cumulative feeling (foodgrain and horticulture merged), India currently has an agriculture creation base 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 main producers in the environment.

In most of the important foodgrains and now also fruits and vegetable groups, India is amongst the top rated a few producers.

Agri in a sweet spot

Pretty obviously, the dependable surge in generation has also offered a significant improve to the ensuing worth-addition segments like the foods, beverage or FMCG industry.

They have all turn out to be businesses of colossal scale and dimension in the recent decades. Meanwhile, in new several years, emergence of get started-ups has been a significant favourable trend across the economic spectrum.

And this also envelops the agriculture sector. There are a spate of properly funded new entities, usually referred as agtechs or agri-techs, who are trying to attract the broader contours of a new age agriculture program powered by synthetic intelligence (AI), net of matters (IoT), data analytics, etc.

Considerably absent from the general public glare, these new age warriors are striving to redefine Indian agriculture and the preliminary signals recommend the larger changes will develop into obvious in the coming several years.

Indian agriculture possibly is in a sweet spot right now with the standard strengths and the new evolving streams exactly where sky is the limit. The challenge now is to force it to the ideal stage equally in the qualitative and quantitative sense.

Balanced solution is plainly the need of the working day whereby benefit-addition backed by higher-conclude technological procedures need to be inspired. It need to be carried out in a fashion that the incremental profit unquestionably trickles down to the producers and the farmers far too.

Owning achieved a commendable manufacturing level, the nation ought to also aspire to turn into an agro-export powerhouse and this is an apt second as the planet is hunting at ‘China in addition one’ technique in agriculture as well right after Corona.

In actuality, India in the final a person and half yr has witnessed a extra than standard surge in agri-exports and this needs to be further more harnessed to reward all stakeholders and realise the purpose of doubling farmers money in the medium operate.

A vital component of a balanced solution would also contain using a considered get in touch with on the use of inputs like agro-substances and pesticides. It is no magic formula to anyone that the cultivable land in India is extra than China but the latter has a sizeable guide in production amount.

And that’s mainly mainly because it doesn’t have an unwarranted and sweeping adverse angle to chemical compounds and pesticides. It has built the most of these inputs in augmenting the generation degree.

With more investigate, scientific advisories and answers as effectively as tax rationalisation on agrochemicals and pesticides, we can also drive our quantitative sample to the optimal degree.

The author is Group Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech Ltd

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February 05, 2022