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When looking at the factors that contribute to the development of a country, agriculture is one of the most important factors. It is considered to be the epicenter of any country on its journey to self-reliance. After independence, India focused heavily on strengthening its agricultural economy and the last decade saw a large number of agricultural reforms. As we approach 2023, here’s what we can look forward to in the agriculture and agritech sector.
Climate change is one of the biggest problems affecting agriculture worldwide. And natural agriculture has proven to be an effective tool for managing its diseases. Union Minister for
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar recently revealed that India has already started natural farming. The Union Minister informed that 100 percent natural farming is being done in Dang district of Gujarat. In Himachal too, farmers are moving quickly in this direction, while Madhya Pradesh has planned it in 5,000 villages. Tomar’s statement gave an insight that after years of chemical use and degradation of soil quality, Indian farmers are finally returning to natural farming.
The union minister further pointed out that soil fertility has weakened due to chemical agriculture. “It is our responsibility to save the country from the crisis it will face after 25 years,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has re-launched the method of natural farming and it is getting mass movement.
Various programs and schemes of the Union government have seen an increase in the average monthly income of agricultural households.
According to the National Sample Survey, the estimated average monthly income per agricultural household has increased from Rs 6426 in 2012-13 to Rs 10,218 in 2018-19. To increase the income of farmers, the government has taken initiatives in several focus areas. Income support is provided to farmers through PM KISAN scheme, crop insurance is provided through Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and irrigation facilities are provided under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. Access to institutional credit is also provided through the Kisan credit card and other channels.
Under the e-NAM initiative, markets across the country are now open to farmers to enable them get more remunerative prices for their produce. The umbrella scheme of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aai SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) ensures Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers for various Kharif and Rabi crops while maintaining a robust procurement mechanism. Tomar recently announced that so far more than 2.16 million dinars have been deposited directly into the bank accounts of farmers. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Rs 1.24 crore was given to farmers in lieu of crop loss. In 2023, more and more farmers will benefit from these schemes.
Future-ready measures
The government has also announced plans to convert more than 3.25 lakh fertilizer shops across the country into Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras. To future-proof Indian agriculture, initiatives like the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, promotion of scientific warehousing and adoption of unmanned aerial vehicle technologies have been undertaken. The government has also taken several steps to increase investment in the agricultural sector, such as the establishment of the Agro-Technological Infrastructure Fund, the promotion of organic
agriculture through Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, and creation of long-term irrigation fund and micro irrigation fund.
Under the Agricultural Infrastructure Fund, entities such as farmers, start-up companies, government agencies and local bodies benefit from the establishment of eligible infrastructure projects. Under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVI) scheme, grants-in-aid are given to state governments on the basis of projects approved by the State Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) meeting.
According to official PIB data, India is the world’s largest sugar producing country and is the second largest rice producing country after China. India is also the second largest producer of wheat with a share of about 14.14 percent of the total world production in 2020. India is also moving towards self-reliance in the production of pulses. According to the 4th advance estimates of the Union Ministry of Agriculture, the production of food grains in the country is estimated at 315.72 million tonnes, which is 4.98 million tonnes more than the production of food grains during 2020-21.
While the agricultural sector has gone digital in the last few years, experts believe that in 2023, farmers will go digital to a large extent. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoting internet connectivity in villages and states like Uttar Pradesh working steadily towards this goal by making internet available in panchayat bhavans, 2023 will bring the internet closer to farmers.
Sharing digital information not only saves time and money, but also allows farmers to share useful information and facts. Farmers can interact with input suppliers, crop advisors and other professionals to improve crop yields and generate higher profits. In 2023, faster internet connectivity will facilitate real-time communication and exchange of key agricultural information between farmers and agricultural experts.
The union government has also realized the importance of Agritech in managing crop issues due to climate change. In September 2022, Tomar spoke about the Union government’s support to the Agritech sector. “The government is working on the mission of digital agriculture. There is a need to take advantage of technologies in the agriculture sector. Adoption of machinery is much needed as it increases production. The government is also working to provide drones at subsidized prices so that there is more large-scale adoption of drones,” Tomar said. He indicated that in 2023, the government will provide more support to the Agritech sector to provide sustainable solutions for better crop productivity as well as to manage the impact of climate change.
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