The Hindu Newspaper Analysis

Editorial Topic : Challenges and Opportunities in Indian Agriculture: A Road to 2047

Introduction

Road to Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable practices: Key to long-term productivity and environmental health.
Technologies: Precision farming, genetically modified crops, advanced irrigation (drip, sprinkler).
PMKSY: Covered 78 lakh hectares, promoting water-use efficiency. Allocation of ₹93,068 crore for 2021-26.

Challenges and Solutions

Challenges: Climate change, land degradation, market access issues.
Solutions:
- PMFBY: Provides financial assistance for crop losses. Enrolled 49.5 crore farmers, claims over ₹1.45 lakh crore.
- eNAM: Integrates existing markets, benefiting 1.76 million farmers. Trade worth ₹2.88 lakh crore.

An Imbalance in Indian Agriculture

Limited contribution: Agriculture contributes 18% to GDP despite employing 46% of the workforce.
Growth: Agricultural GDP lags at 3.3%. Under Modi administration, overall GDP grew at 5.9%, agriculture at 3.6%.
Future: Agriculture’s share in GDP may shrink to 7-8% by 2047.
Unpredictability: Unseasonal rains impacted 2023-24 agri-GDP growth (0.7%).
Rising demands: Growing population and food demands.
Food prices: Estimated expenditure elasticity of food at 0.45.
Per capita income: Increased by 41% from 2011-12 to 2021-22.

Key Initiatives for Agricultural Progress

Rationalising Subsidies: Redirecting savings from rationalised food and fertilizer subsidies to agricultural R&D, innovation, and extension services.
PM-KISAN Scheme (2019): Provides ₹6,000 annually to farmers in three installments; over 11.8 crore farmers have benefited so far.
Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme: Distributed over 23 crore SHCs to optimize soil nutrient use, improving agricultural productivity.
International Year of Millets (2023): Promoted nutritious coarse grains both domestically and internationally, boosting millet production and consumption.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: ₹1 lakh crore financing facility for modernizing post-harvest management infrastructure; created 5.8 lakh jobs and improved farmer incomes by 20%-25%.
SVAMITVA Initiative (2020): Aimed at transparent rural property ownership; over 1.6 crore property cards issued by September 2023, enhancing land security and credit access for farmers.

Strategic Planning for Agricultural Growth (Towards 2047)

Anticipated Demand: Projected increase in food grain demand by 2047-48, requiring a focus on sustainable growth.
Past Insights & Future Challenges: Strategic planning incorporates lessons from past growth, addressing current challenges, and seizing new opportunities in agriculture.
Budget 2024-25: Allocated ₹20 lakh crore for targeted agricultural credit; launched the Agriculture Accelerator Fund to foster innovation and growth.

Way Forward & Conclusion

Sustainable Growth: Emphasizing investments in agricultural research, infrastructure, and policy support to meet future demands sustainably.
Vikasit Bharat 2047: The government’s proactive approach aims to enhance farmer incomes, meet food demands, and achieve inclusive development, contributing to India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.