As the Economic Survey rightly shows, a fundamental truth: India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047 will be shaped as much by its farms as by its factories. Agriculture remains central not only to economic output, but to livelihoods, food security, climate resilience, and social stability. The Survey’s emphasis on deepening reforms, promoting climate-resilient technologies, empowering farmer-producer organisations, strengthening cooperatives, improving markets and logistics, and enhancing risk management reflects a sound understanding of the sector’s structural importance.
Yet, while the diagnosis is largely accurate, the prescription remains familiar. The recommendations, though well-intentioned, do not substantially move beyond repeated advisories that have circulated across policy documents for years. The gap is not in intent, but in execution. Many of the reforms highlighted by the Survey have struggled to translate into consistent, scalable policy outcomes on the ground. Without confronting why these measures have not fructified so far, the risk is that agriculture policy continues to recycle solutions without resolving underlying constraints.
The survey acknowledges notable gains. Agricultural production has expanded steadily, with dairy, poultry, fisheries, and horticulture emerging as major contributors to GDP and rural incomes. The renewed focus on cooperatives and the expansion of farmer-producer organisations have widened access to institutional credit, technology adoption, and more efficient value chains. These developments reflect a gradual shift away from subsistence farming towards diversified, market-linked agriculture.
At the same time, the Survey candidly flags the vulnerabilities threatening the sector’s long-term sustainability. Climate change is no longer a distant concern but a present and intensifying reality. Erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events are already depressing yields and increasing volatility. Water scarcity, especially in regions heavily dependent on monsoon rainfall, has emerged as a critical binding constraint. These stresses are not evenly distributed, making uniform national solutions increasingly ineffective.
What this moment demands is a decisive shift towards region-specific agricultural strategies. Agro-climatic diversity is India’s strength, but policy design has often treated it as an inconvenience. Tailoring interventions to local water availability, soil conditions, and climate risks is essential. Promoting climate-resilient practices such as drip and sprinkler irrigation must move from pilot projects to systemic adoption, supported by financing, extension services, and local capacity building. Crop diversification, particularly towards drought-resistant and climate-resilient varieties, must be guided by ecological suitability rather than procurement distortions.
The survey’s emphasis on expanding high-growth segments such as horticulture, agroforestry, dairy, poultry, and fisheries points to a credible pathway for inclusive growth and rural job creation. These sectors offer higher value addition, stronger market linkages, and greater employment intensity. However, scaling them requires more than production incentives. It calls for investments in veterinary services, cold chains, processing infrastructure, and market intelligence, along with regulatory clarity that encourages private participation without marginalising small producers.
Private sector engagement, especially in food processing, logistics, and high-value agricultural products, will be critical to improving competitiveness in domestic and export markets. Here, the challenge is trust and predictability. Investors respond to stable policies, clear pricing signals, and reliable contract enforcement. Without addressing these institutional issues, calls for private investment risk remaining aspirational.
Several structural priorities merit sharper policy attention. Assured access to water must be treated as a foundational public good, requiring the revival and rejuvenation of traditional water bodies alongside modern irrigation systems. Agricultural research and development need deeper coordination between public institutions and private innovators to accelerate breakthroughs in climate resilience, productivity, and income enhancement. Fertiliser reforms are unavoidable if soil health is to be restored, nutrient imbalances corrected, and soil carbon rebuilt. Similarly, crop diversification must be actively aligned with water availability and soil ecology, rather than driven solely by short-term price incentives.
The survey sends an important signal: agriculture will be a pillar of India’s development story, not a residual sector. But signalling intent is only the first step. The harder task lies in moving from broad consensus to difficult, differentiated, and regionally grounded choices. If India is serious about becoming a developed country by 2047, agricultural policy must evolve from incremental adjustments to structural transformation—anchored in climate realism, institutional reform, and farmer-centric execution. Only then can agriculture shift from being a source of vulnerability to a driver of resilience and growth in India’s development journey.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication. |
