Indian Agriculture has demonstrated resilience, registering a steady growth, with the main contribution coming from the allied sector, says the Economic Survey 2025-26. tabled in Parliament on Thursday by Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman.
The survey adds that while foodgrain production has increased in recent years, higher-value allied sectors, such as livestock, fisheries, and horticulture, are assuming an increasingly important role in enhancing income opportunities and strengthening rural livelihoods.
It notes that over the last five years, the average annual growth rate in the agriculture and allied sector has been around 4.4 per cent at constant prices. In Q2 of FY 2025-26, the agriculture sector registered a growth of 3.5 per cent. The decadal growth of 4.45 per cent (FY16-FY25), the highest in comparison to previous decades, has primarily resulted from the strong performance in livestock (7.1 per cent) and fishing and aquaculture (8.8 per cent), followed by the crop sector at 3.5 per cent
During FY 15 and FY24 the livestock sector recorded a strong expansion, with its GVA increasing by nearly 195 per cent, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.77 per cent at current prices. The fisheries sector has also performed well, with fish production increasing by more than 140 per cent (by 88.14 lakh tonnes) during 2014-2025, compared to the increase from 2004-14. Thus, allied sectors are increasingly emerging as important growth engines and key contributors to enhancing farm incomes.
India’s foodgrains production has witnessed a steady increase, estimated to have reached 3,577.3 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) in Agriculture Year (AY) 2024–25, an increase of 254.3 LMT over the previous year. This growth has been driven by higher output of rice, wheat, maize, and coarse cereals (Shree Anna).
The horticulture sector, which accounts for about 33 per cent of agricultural GVA, has emerged as a bright spot in the country’s agricultural growth trajectory. In 2024-25, horticulture production reached 362.08 MT, surpassing the estimated food grain production of 329.68 MT. As of August 2025, horticulture production increased from 280.70 million tonnes in 2013–14 to 367.72 million tonnes in 2024–25.
The survey says that with the objective of doubling farmers’ income, the government has been implementing a wide range of measures to raise productivity and enhance farmers’ incomes.
Several interventions have been undertaken through inputs, technology, income support, market-related support, and insurance support. Many of these priorities are being implemented through a mission-mode approach.
The survey says the government has taken significant efforts to provide affordable housing, social and food security, financial inclusion, and universal access to basic amenities and improve the overall well-being and standards of living with the spirit of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’.
These efforts have yielded significant measurable gains towards the eradication of poverty and preventing inequality from rising.