Irrigation,
doubling farmers' income, agricultural finance, R&D are some of
the key points the government needs to focus on.
Key challenges
Doubling farmers’
income: In the past, focused efforts in agriculture has been
around increasing yield, mechanisation, reducing post-harvest losses,
etc., that are indirectly linked to farmer remuneration. However,
there is still a huge gap in the optimum price realisation by
farmers.
Agricultural finance:
Access to finance forms is an integral part for the overall value
chain performance in agriculture. While Kisan Credit Card provides
sufficient credit options and benefits, efficient implementation
still remains a challenge.
Irrigation: Over
50% of our agriculture is still rain fed, hence, there is an
associated uncertainty leading to reduction in growth. There is thus
a need to increase the coverage of irrigation. It is estimated that a
total of 27 million hectares area has the potential of drip
irrigation application, showcasing a huge potential to reach out to
more farmers.
Research and
development in agriculture: Considering India's dependency on
agriculture, it is highly imperative to invest in R&D. India
spends 0.30% of agricultural GDP on agricultural research. Besides,
private sector participation in the sector is relatively lower.
Market linkages and
integration: The farmers need be better connected to the end
consumer. The number of stakeholders across the agricultural value
chain need to be reduced.
Agricultural
infrastructure: There is still a lack of sufficient supporting
infrastructure at various value chain stages creating lacunae such as
lack of adequate primary processing centers, cold chain, warehouses
leading to an increase in post-harvest losses and distress selling at
times.
Technology and
innovation: There’s a need to integrate technology and
innovation closely in the agriculture sector. Global trends such as
drone technology, block chain, FinTech, traceability need to be
strengthened in Indian context.
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