The Drivers Of Agriculture Sector In 2023
When one looks at the factors that contribute to the development of a country, Agriculture forms one of the most significant factors. It is considered to be any country’s epicentre for its journey towards becoming self reliant. Post Independence, India focussed extensively on strengthening its agriculture economy and the last one decade has seen a large number of Agriculture reforms. As we move towards 2023, here is what one can look forward to in the Agriculture and the Agritech sector.
Climate change is one of the biggest issues affecting agriculture across the globe. And natural farming is proving to be an effective tool to manage its ills. The 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 per cent natural farming is being done in Dang district of Gujarat. In Himachal too, farmers are fast moving in this direction, while Madhya Pradesh has planned it in 5,000 villages. Tomar’s statement gave an insight that after years of using chemicals and degrading the soil quality, Indian farmers are finally switching back to natural farming.
The union minister further pointed out that the fertility of the soil has weakened due to chemical farming. "It is our responsibility to save the country from the crisis that it is going to face after 25 years," he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had re-launched the natural farming method and it is being given the form of a mass movement.
Various programmes 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 increased from Rs 6426 in 2012-13 to Rs 10,218 in 2018-19. To enhance the income of farmers, the government has taken initiatives across several focus areas. Income support is provided to farmers through the PM KISAN Scheme, crop insurance is assured through the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and irrigation facilities are ensured under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. Access to institutional credit is being provided both through Kisan Credit Card and other channels.
Under the e-NAM initiative, markets across the length and breadth of the nation are now open to farmers, to enable them to get more remunerative prices for their produce. The umbrella scheme Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) ensures Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers for various Kharif and Rabi crops while also keeping a robust procurement mechanism in place. Tomar recently announced that so far, more than Rs 2.16 lakh crore has been deposited directly into the bank accounts of the farmers. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Rs 1.24 lakh crore has been given to the farmers in lieu of crop loss. The year 2023 will see more and more farmers benefitting with these schemes.
Future Ready Measures
The government has also announced plans to convert more than 3.25 lakh fertiliser shops across the country into Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras. To make Indian agriculture future-ready, initiatives like the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, the promotion of scientific warehousing and the adoption of drone technologies have been undertaken. The government has also taken several steps to increase investment in the agriculture sector such as setting up an Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund, promoting organic
farming through Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, and creating a Long-Term Irrigation Fund and Micro Irrigation Fund.
Under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, entities such as farmers, startups, government agencies and local bodies benefit from setting up eligible infrastructure projects. Under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) Scheme, grants-in-aid are given to state governments on the basis of the projects approved in the State Level Sanctioning Committee Meeting (SLSC).
According to the official PIB data, India is the world’s largest sugar-producing country and holds the second position in rice production only after China. India is also the second largest producer of wheat with a share of around 14.14 per cent of the world’s total production in 2020. India is also inching towards self-reliance in pulse production. As per the 4th Advance Estimates of the Union Ministry of Agriculture, the production of foodgrains in the country is estimated at 315.72 million tonnes which is higher by 4.98 million tonnes than the production of foodgrains during 2020-21.
While the last few years saw the agriculture sector going digital, experts opine that 2023 will see the farmers going digital in a big way. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoting internet connectivity in villages and states like Uttar Pradesh working steadily towards achieving this goal by making internet accessible in panchayat bhawans, 2023 will see the internet coming closer to the farmers.
Digital information sharing not only saves time and money, it also allows farmers to exchange helpful information and facts. Farmers can communicate with input providers, crop advisors, and other professionals to improve crop yield and make more profits. In 2023, faster internet connectivity will facilitate real-time communication and exchange of crucial farming-related information between farmers and agri experts.
The union government has also realised the importance of Agritech in managing issues cropping due to climate change. In September 2022, Tomar spoke about Union government’s support to the Agritech sector. “The government is working on the Digital Agriculture Mission. There is a need to take advantage of technologies in the agriculture sector. The adoption of machines is much needed as it increases production. The government is also working to provide drones at subsidised rates so that there is more adoption of drones on a large scale,” said Tomar. He indicated that in 2023, the government will give more support to the Agritech sector to provide sustainable solutions for better crop productivity and also to manage the impact of climate change.
