India’s agricultural sector holds a pivotal position in the nation’s economy, contributing significantly to the livelihoods of around 55% of its population. With notable achievements like leading in the cultivation of major crops such as wheat, rice, and cotton, and being the world’s largest producer of milk, pulses, and spices, India’s agricultural prowess is undeniable. It also ranks second in various categories including fruit and vegetable production, tea cultivation, and farmed fish output. However, the sector faces several limitations and challenges that need to be addressed.
Limitations and Challenges
- Supply and Affordability: Despite producing 330 million metric tons of food grains, India struggles to meet the demand for essential food items like coarse cereals, pulses, and vegetables. Many in the population cannot afford these items, leading to a significant prevalence of malnourishment, particularly among children.
- Crop Productivity: India’s crop productivity lags behind due to factors like fragmented landholdings, limited mechanization, and inadequate investments in the agricultural sector.
- Irrigation: While being the second-largest irrigated country globally, only a third of cultivated land in India receives irrigation. This is a critical factor given the monsoon-based climate.
- Traditional Methods: While mechanization is embraced in some areas, a significant portion of India still relies on manual labor and basic tools for farming.
- Pressing Challenges: Depleting natural resources, a growing population, severe weather events, and the impact of climate change pose significant challenges, particularly for smallholder farmers.
Requirements for Advancing Indian Agriculture
To enhance agricultural profitability, global export share, and sustainable development, India needs to focus on key areas:
- Bridging Productivity Gap: Improving farming practices, leveraging technology, and enhancing efficiency can narrow the productivity gap in various crops.
- Cost Reduction: Efficient practices, resource optimization, and waste reduction can lower production costs.
- Nutrient-Rich Crops: Promoting nutritionally-rich crops like millets can address nutritional deficiencies and diversify diets.
- Emphasis on Produce Quality: Implementing quality control measures can enhance marketability and consumer satisfaction.
- Seed Availability and Advancements: Ensuring high-quality seeds and leveraging seed technology can improve crop yields and resilience.
- Technology Integration: Combining modern innovations and traditional knowledge can optimize productivity and resource use.
Suggested Measures
- Millet Cultivation: Promoting millets, which are nutritionally valuable and resilient, can tap into the global seed market and enhance sustainability.
- Seed Advancement: Utilizing molecular technologies and gene-editing tools can create crop varieties that perform well under challenging conditions.
- Quality-Enhanced Seeds: Focusing on delivering superior seeds with heightened productivity and resilience is crucial.
- Public-Private Collaboration: Collaborative efforts between sectors can engineer eco-friendly seeds cost-effectively.
Way Forward
- ‘Clean Green Mission’: A regulatory framework for quality seedlings aligns with India’s commitment to “Green Development” within the proposed “Clean Green Mission.”
- ‘Next Gen’ Innovations: Upcoming AI-driven seed responses and integration of metabolic cues hold immense potential for future agriculture.
UPSC Mains Questions
- How can India effectively balance traditional farming practices with modern technological advancements in its agricultural sector?
- What strategies can India employ to bridge the gap between crop productivity potential and attainable levels, especially in the context of smallholder farmers?
- How might climate change and increasing weather variability impact the adoption and effectiveness of advanced seed technologies in Indian agriculture?
