India’s drive to boost the agriculture sector to great heights

The growth of a nation is closely linked to the well-being of farmers and agricultural productivity. Empowering farmers is therefore a priority for any a government trying to take a nation to greater heights.

On this basis , the Indian government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , a visionary, took strategic steps to accelerate the transformation of the agricultural sector with the aim of empowering farmers.

Doubling farmers' incomes, safeguarding them and their efforts, making them tech-savvy, promoting agricultural research and education, and building agricultural infrastructure are some of the major objectives set and developed for the growth of the agricultural sector and the welfare of the farmers.

The New India envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi operates on his motto of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Everybody's company will help in everybody's growth) while the welfare of farmers is no doubt an integral part of it.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has taken stringent steps to empower farmers by implementing government schemes pedantically. This work is happening at an accelerated pace because the government led by Prime Minister Modi is aware that India, where about half the workforce is involved in farming, cannot flourish without making agriculture sustainable.

The Indian Government will promote chemical-free natural farming across the country. As an initial step, the Indian Government will focus on farmlands within 5-km-wide corridors along the river Ganga. In addition, agricultural universities will be encouraged to revise their syllabi to include natural, zero-budget, and organic farming, technology-based modern-day agriculture or precision farming, value addition, and management.

From technology to crop insurance, from easier credit access to modern irrigation methods, the Government of India is implementing a comprehensive action plan to empower farmers throughout the farming cycle - a facilitating umbrella of Beej Se Bazaar Tak (BSBT) (from seed to market).
However, as the quality of crops is directly linked to seeds, ensuring quality seeds is vital. For this end, seeds are made available in sufficient quantities to farmers especially during the sowing season which is key to the health of the farming life cycle.

Through the setting up of agriculture posts, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the government provides good quality seeds to farmers at their doorstep. After successfully implementing this project  in 20 districts, the scheme was extended in 100 districts of 14 states in association with the Agricultural Science Centers.

The Government intends to launch a scheme in the public-private partnership (PPP) model to deliver digital and hi-tech services to farmers, which will bring together public sector research and extension institutions, private agri-tech players, and stakeholders in the agri-value chain. 

Further, the government had provided ‘Kisan Drones’ for crop assessments, land record digitization, and spraying insecticides and crop nutrients.

A fund with blended capital was also raised under the co-investment model, through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) -  an apex regulatory body for overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex cooperative banks in India.. The fund would finance agriculture and rural enterprise start-ups involved in providing support to farmer-producer organizations (FPOs), machinery for farmers on a rental basis, and technology, including IT-based support, among other activities relevant to the farm-produce value chain.

It is a known fact that healthy soil is vital for agricultural productivity. Disproportionate use of fertilisers has affected soil health. Hence, the Indian Government decided to combat it by educating farmers about the importance of soil health. A soil testing kit was developed for quick analysis of soil samples to optimise the use of fertilisers and provided to 650 Agricultural Science Centers. 
Another milestone in the Indian Government’s endeavours was the provision of neem (Kohmba) coated urea.

In just one year, the Indian Government has made available 100 percent neem coated urea and curbed unauthorised use of urea by chemical factories.
The efficiency of neem coated urea is 10-15 percent more as compared to normal urea, it is reported. 

Water is another precious natural resource and lack of it leads to non-remunerative farming. Ensuring the availability of water and proper use is crucial to reform the farming sector. PM Modi launched an end-to-end solution to India’s irrigation woes, with the objective of “Water To Every Field”. This programme is working towards developing long-term remedies to mitigate the effect of drought. It is being implemented in mission mode by three ministries.

As announced in the Indian Government’s  budget for this year, a dedicated micro irrigation fund with a sum of Rs. 5000 crores was set up for the achievement of “Per Drop – More Crop”. Micro-irrigation which is vital to ensure optimal use of water – minimum water, maximum yield.

The Indian Government will also provide a comprehensive package for farmers to adopt suitable fruit and vegetable varieties that can be processed. The package developed with the participation of the states will also include appropriate crop production and harvesting techniques. The Budget allocation for Food Processing Industries was 126% higher than last year’s revised estimate (₹2,941.99 crores). 
Budget 2022 has proposed policy and legislative changes to promote agroforestry and private forestry. It also specifies financial support to farmers belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes who want to take up agroforestry. Tribal communities hold vast knowledge of traditional agroforestry systems and practices that promote productivity, adaptability, and sustainability, and can contribute immensely to the rural economy, employment, and poverty alleviation at a local level. 

Meanwhile, India hosted the second Agriculture Ministerial-level meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in New Delhi on the 10th of November under the chairmanship of the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar. Addressing the BIMSTEC, India’s  Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Tomar said that along with digital farming and precision farming, initiatives under the ‘One Health‘ approach are also taking shape in India.

He emphasised the importance of cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors to ensure food security, nutrition, environmental sustainability and livelihood support, for which it is required to increase technical and economic cooperation to deal with the challenges of climate change, agro-biodiversity, microbial preventive resistance under the ‘One Health’ approach and other programmes.
The agriculture minister reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s statement at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held in Colombo, Sri Lanka  in March, 2022 on enhancing regional cooperation between BIMSTEC nations for food security, peace and prosperity in the region. At the same time, he expressed India’s commitment to promote agricultural productivity, food security and nutrition, sustainability, research and development and enhancing cooperation with BIMSTEC in the areas of agribusiness, climate change management, and digital agriculture, among other related areas.

Under the leadership of India’s Prime Minister Modi, the country is positive that farming will become a lucrative profession at all levels. Farmers feel empowered and they will take the agriculture sector to great heights, contributing to the overall GDP in a bigger way.