Monsoon Reckoning
The weakest link in Indian agriculture has never been the farmer. It has been the country's enduring dependence on a monsoon that is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
The weakest link in Indian agriculture has never been the farmer. It has been the country's enduring dependence on a monsoon that is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
India’s agricultural crisis is no longer confined to crop failures, debt burdens or volatile market prices.
PM Modi used the FAO platform in Rome to project India’s agriculture model, highlighting millets, agri-tech and climate-resilient farming initiatives.
"Indian agriculture is at a historic turning point, with unprecedented potential to transform the country into a global food and agri-exports powerhouse," said C Rajasekhar, OSD, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, here on Friday.
"During the decade from financial year 2016 to 2025, the agricultural sector posted a decadal growth rate of 4.45 per cent, the highest compared to previous decades," Chouhan said while reacting to the Economic Survey.
''As landholdings are continuously shrinking, the focus should not be only on acreage but on increasing 'per-hectare productivity,'" he pointed out.
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.
Justice Pratibha M Singh on Monday underscored that stronger Centre-State coordination is crucial for reshaping India's agriculture ecosystem, stressing that agriculture is a state subject while key influencing factors, including environment, fall under the Centre.
The Bill aims to replace the Seeds Act, 1966, and the Seed Control Order, 1983.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, highlighted the government’s continued focus on empowering India’s agricultural sector while addressing the 16th Agriculture Leadership Conclave held in New Delhi.
