India’s initiatives for agriculture towards 2047 targets

Source: The post India’s initiatives for agriculture towards 2047 targets has been created, based on the article “The road to 2047 for Indian agriculture” published in “The Hindu” on 24th August 2024.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 – Agriculture

Context: The article discusses India’s efforts to transform agriculture to achieve the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. It highlights challenges, government initiatives, and the need for sustainable practices, technology, and strategic planning to boost productivity and farmer incomes.

For detailed information on Challenges for Indian agriculture to realize its aspiration of a Viksit Bharat by 2047 read this article here

What are the goals for Indian agriculture by 2047?

1. India aims to become a developed nation by 2047, which requires a significant increase in Gross National Income and improvements in agriculture.
2. The government focuses on sustainable practices, technology, and strategic planning to enhance productivity and farmer incomes.

What initiatives are being implemented to support sustainable agriculture?

1. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY): This program has improved water use efficiency through micro-irrigation, covering 78 lakh hectares with a budget of ₹93,068 crore for 2021-26.
2. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): Launched in 2016, it has enrolled 49.5 crore farmers and disbursed claims worth over ₹1.45 lakh crore for crop losses.
3. Electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM): Since 2016, this platform has integrated 1,361 mandis, benefiting 1.76 million farmers and facilitating trades worth ₹2.88 lakh crore.
4. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): Offers ₹6,000 annually to farmers, benefiting over 11.8 crore farmers.
5. Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme: Has distributed over 23 crore SHCs, helping farmers manage soil nutrients better.
6. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: Aims to modernize post-harvest management and has sanctioned over 38,326 projects, improving farmer incomes by 20%-25%.

What are the challenges in Indian agriculture?

1. Employment vs. GDP Contribution: Agriculture employs about 46% of the workforce but contributes only 18% to GDP, indicating an imbalance.
2. Low Growth Rate: Agricultural GDP growth is just 3.3%, lagging behind the overall GDP growth rate of 6.1% since 1991-92.
3. Climate Impact: Unseasonal rains led to a weak agricultural GDP growth of 0.7% in 2023-24.
4. Future Food Demand: Meeting the food needs of a population expected to reach 1.5 billion by 2030 is challenging with current agricultural practices.

What is the strategic plan for 2047?

1. Anticipating Demand: Projected food grain demand for 2047-48 ranges from 402 million to 437 million tonnes.
2. Exceeding Production Needs: Production is expected to exceed demand by 10%-13% under the Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario.
3. Rationalizing Subsidies: The government plans to rationalize food and fertilizer subsidies, redirecting savings toward agricultural research and development.
4. Funding Innovations: The 2024-25 budget allocates ₹20 lakh crore for targeted agricultural credit and introduces the Agriculture Accelerator Fund.
5. Improving Infrastructure: Over 38,326 agricultural infrastructure projects have been sanctioned, mobilizing ₹30,030 crore to enhance post-harvest management and increase farmer incomes by 20%-25%.

Question for practice:

Evaluate the effectiveness of India’s government initiatives in addressing the challenges of sustainable agriculture and boosting farmer incomes as part of its goal to become a developed nation by 2047.