Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said farmers are finding agriculture as an unattractive profession because of low and stagnated income and productivity.
“The agrarian distress is characterised by fragmented holdings, dependence on monsoons and markets, resource degradation and depletion. The share of agriculture in GDP has been falling over the years. The economy has always performed well during high agriculture growth. Hence, strategies for faster, inclusive and sustainable growth must address the issues faced by millions of people. Farmers and their produce are subjected often to serious stresses related to untimely monsoon, and calamities like floods and hailstorms.”
Delivering the VKRV Rao Memorial Lecture on “Challenges & Opportunities Facing Indian Agriculture” at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) here, to mark the 47th Founders’ Day of the Institute, Mr. Naidu said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana was a right step. Similar initiatives are required for addressing the risks in the livestock sector.
The Vice-President unveiled a 12-point agenda for spurring growth in the sector which included providing good quality seeds; balanced use of fertilizers; release of timely institutional credit; diversification of agricultural activities by focusing poultry, dairy etc.; food processing; farm mechanisation; intensification of agriculture by focusing on horticultural activities; judicious use of water, particularly surface water; larger share in consumer prices for farmers by declaring higher MSP; reform in land policy such as contract farming; climate change; and strengthening R&D in the farm sector.
Despite these challenges, it was heartening to note that Indian agriculture has made rapid strides since independence. The country moved from food import to self-sufficiency and exports. “We have made the transition from subsistence farming to intensive and technology-led cultivation.”
Transformative changes
At present, India occupied top position in the production of many crops. It has the highest milk production in the world and has seen many transformative changes as it ushered in green, white, blue and yellow revolutions, Mr. Naidu said.
The growth rate in food production has surpassed that of population growth; between 2000 and 2014, food production was increasing at 2.04 % while the population is increasing at the rate of 1.44 %.
During 2016-17, agricultural output increased at the rate of 5% with an all-time record production. There is a discernible achievement through technological innovations, infrastructure for irrigation and water resources. “It was gratifying to note that the investment in agriculture & allied sectors increased at 11.6% during 11th Plan due to private investment growing at 15% .
Public investment in agriculture increased from 2.8% of GDP in the 10th Plan to 3.1% in the 11th Plan. Private investment increased from 15.9% of agricultural GDP to 18.1%.
Even though public investment in agriculture is critical and important, it forms less than 15% of total investment in agriculture. Private investment (by farmers) contributes to more than 85% of the total investment.
“We need to formulate a long-term and a medium-term action plan detailing how private and public investments will be channelled and the strategic directions we should pursue to revitalise this sector,” Mr. Naidu said.
