Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Mains level: Challenges to Indian agriculture;
Why in the News?
India’s 100th independence anniversary in 2047 is approaching, and the goal to become ‘a developed nation’ has a significant focus.
Goals of Indian Agriculture by Vision 2047:
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Present starking Imbalance in the Indian Economy
- Workforce vs. GDP Contribution: Despite agriculture engaging nearly 46% of the workforce, it contributes only about 18% to the GDP, revealing a significant imbalance.
- Growth Disparity: While the overall GDP has grown at 6.1% annually since 1991-92, agricultural GDP has lagged at 3.3%. In the last decade (2013- 2023), overall GDP growth was 5.9%, with agriculture growing at 3.6%, which is insufficient for the sector’s socio-economic importance.
- Future Projections: By 2047, agriculture’s share in GDP might shrink to 7%-8%, but it could still employ over 30% of the workforce, necessitating significant structural changes to avoid exacerbating the disparity.
Government Initiatives:
- For Water Management: The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has promoted water-use efficiency through micro-irrigation, covering 78 lakh hectares with a ₹93,068 crore allocation for 2021-26.
- For Risk Management: The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) offers financial assistance for crop losses, with 49.5 crore farmers enrolled and claims totalling over ₹1.45 lakh crore.
- For Market Access: The Electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM) integrates existing markets through an electronic platform, benefiting 1.76 million farmers and recording trade worth ₹2.88 lakh crore by September 2023.
- For better Farmer Support: The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, disbursing ₹6,000 annually to farmers, has benefited over 11.8 crore farmers.
- For enhanced Soil Health: The Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme aims to optimize soil nutrient use, enhancing productivity, with over 23 crore SHCs distributed.
Need for Strategic Planning
- Population Growth: India’s population is projected to reach 1.5 billion by 2030 and 1.59 billion by 2040, increasing the demand for food by approximately 2.85% annually.
- Future Demand: By 2047-48, food grain demand is projected to range from 402 million tonnes to 437 million tonnes, requiring sustainable production exceeding demand by 10%-13% under the Business-As-Usual scenario.
Way Forward:
- Investment in R&D: To meet future demands sustainably, significant investments in agricultural research, infrastructure, and policy support are necessary.
- Budget Allocation: The Budget for 2024-25 includes ₹20 lakh crore for targeted agricultural credit and the launch of the Agriculture Accelerator Fund, highlighting a proactive approach to fostering agricultural innovation and growth.
- Enhance Digital Infrastructure: Support and expand digital platforms like eNAM to improve market access, provide real-time data, and facilitate better price realization for farmers.
Mains PYQ:
Q Give the vulnerability of inidan agriculture to vagaries of nature, discuss the need for crop insurance and bring out the salient features of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). (2016)
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