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Indian Agriculture: Challenges and potential |
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India is an agricultural country, one third population
depends on agriculture sector directly or indirectly. Agriculture continues to be
the main stay of the Indian economy. Indian agriculture contributes to the national
Gross Domestic Product is about 25 per cent. With food being the crowning need of
the mankind, much emphasis has been on commercializing agricultural production.
Hence, adequate production and even distribution of food has lately become a high
priority global concern. With the changing agricultural scenario and global competition,
there is a need of exploiting the available resources at maximum level.
In Indian agriculture the factors like high soil productivity, supply of balanced
crop nutrients, efficient water management, improved crops, better plant protection,
post-production management for value-addition and marketing, are responsible for
higher yield as compared to most of the other countries.
Achievements of Indian agriculture like development of HYVs, new hybrids of different
crops, research in the area of vaccine production, varietal development through
soma-clonal variations, developing better quality products and transgenic in crops
such as brinjal, tomato, cauliflower and cabbage have strengthened the field. In
21st century agriculture, application of modern biotechnologies like DNA finger
printing, tissue culture, terminator gene technology and genetic cloning will hold
the key in raising the productivity.
In the new millennium, the challenges in Indian agricultural sector are quite different
from those met in the previous decades. The enormous pressure to produce more food
from less land with shrinking natural resources is a tough task for the farmers.
To keep up the momentum of growth a careful economic evaluation of inputs like seeds,
fertilizers, irrigation sources etc are of considerable importance.
Considering the irrigation needs in Indian agriculture, emphasis be given to promote
the proven cost-reducing micro-irrigation technology of drips irrigation which helps
conserve water reduces fertilizer inputs and ensures higher productivity. Farmer
awareness programmes coupled with subsidy incentive may prove helpful strategies.
The sustainable method of irrigation needs to be popularized. Salinity and water-logging
problems in the commands of major irrigation systems need to be minimized by recognizing
and incorporating corrective measures. Further, proper drainage facilities involving
farmer’s groups need to be created. Watershed approach to management of water in
rainfed areas should continue to get the due thrust.
Diffusion of fertilizer consumption in Indian agriculture has been quite widespread.
The imbalances in the use of N, P and K have become highly conspicuous. The intensity
of fertilizer use has gradually gone up from about 3 kg/ha. In early Sixties to
about 88 kg/ha in 1997-98. Therefore, wider distribution of fertilizer needs to
be promoted by covering regions with low use of fertilizers such as central and
eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh (in the case of wheat and rice) through creation
of an extensive network of rural infrastructure (including roads and credit) for
establishing an appropriate interface of input markets and output markets in these
regions.
In Indian agriculture, multiplication, distribution and availability of good quality
seed is crucial to accelerated food production. With entry of MNCs in seed production
and distribution and consequent effects of patenting under the WTO regime, providing
quality seeds to farmer at an affordable cost will be a measure challenge in future.
To meet the growing competition companies should adopt modern processing technologies
and seed growers have to be trained in cost reducing methods of growing quality
seed material.
Indian agriculture has to become more cost-effective to meet the growing challenges
and opportunities arising out of WTO agreements and the consequent globalization
impacts. For this, future growth of agriculture has to be yield based. Development
of infrastructure is essential to support this growth.
The farm credit system in Indian agriculture, evolved over decades has been instrumental
in enhancing production and marketing of farm produce and stimulating capital formation
in agriculture. Credit for Indian agriculture has to expand at a faster rate than
before because of the need to step-up agricultural growth to generate surplus for
exports, and also because of change in the product mix towards animal husbandry,
aquaculture, fish farming, horticulture and floriculture, medicinal plants, which
will necessitate larger investments.
Indian agriculture has potential and prospects in the following areas of agri business.
India is the third largest producer of fruits and the 2nd largest grower of vegetables.
The total production is about 27.83 MT in fruits and 54 MT in vegetables. The farmers
can grow any type of vegetable and fruits throughout the year.
Flowers are estimated to be grown in about 35,000 ha in India of which 10,000 ha
are under modern flowers like rose, carnation, orchid, etc. Major flowers grown
are jasmine, marigold, rose, etc. In many countries including Israel flowers are
cultivated under green house conditions. In India, the land and climate are suitable
to grow all types of flowers throughout the year in one part or the other.
India has attained self sufficing in food. It is now exporting rice and wheat to
some countries including China. There is a vast scope of exporting the cereals to
various countries.
Though India’s irrigated area is about one third of the world, the area under drip
and sprinkler irrigation is very meagre compared to total drip and sprinkler area
in the world. The area under drip is 1,60,000 ha and under sprinkler, it is about
0.60 Mha. It is estimated that in the next 7 years, the area under drip and sprinkler
will be about 1 Mha and 5 Mha respectively.
India’s share in the world market has risen to 0.7%. If the trend continues it is
expected that the trade may go upto 1.5%. This is because of rising exports and
the opening up of the domestic market rapidly. India will make its presence felt
on the world trade scene.
In Indian agriculture, rural women play a vital role and participate in all stages
of crop production, as they constitute 50% of rural labour force. They contribute
in agricultural operations like, transplanting, manuring and fertilizing, harvesting,
threshing, winnowing, drying and carrying the product. To better exploit the emerging
apportunities, there is need for changing property rights in favour of women, evolving
technologies to suit women farmers, increasing the number of women extension workers,
educating and training women farmers.
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Agrikhalsa Special Article Collection
