India’s agricultural production should increase at a rate fast enough to ensure food security for national growing population. Equally importantly, growth in India cannot be truly inclusive if it does not benefit the farmers; especially those who are small and marginal. Investment in the agricultural sector needs to increase, a larger area needs to be covered under irrigation, agricultural markets need to be reformed and farmers need to be provided remunerative prices for their produce and better quality seeds and inputs. Sustained efforts have to be made to prevent degradation of land and water resources. To increase production it is a need to increase the farm yields also, because the scope for increasing the area under cultivation and under irrigation is rather limited. Yields must go up particularly in those parts of India where they have lagged behind compared to other parts of the country. All must endeavor to raise India’s agricultural growth rate from around 2 per cent per annum to 4 per cent.

In the last six years the central government has endeavored to give the highest priority to agriculture. A number of new centrally sponsored programmers have been started to increase investment and to tap the unused potential for achieving higher productivity and production. The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) has been launched with an allocation of Rs. 25,000 crore as Central Assistance to States with a view to incentivize them to make higher investment in agriculture. Further, RKVY envisages promotion of district agricultural plans and thus brings in improvements in the agricultural planning process. The National Food Security Mission (NFSM), the National Horticulture Mission (NHM), and the Technology Mission on Oilseeds and Pulses (TMOP) have been launched for achieving higher production of food grains, oilseeds and pulses and horticultural corps. All this has helped agriculture in India. Agricultural universities could help in planning for agriculture at the district level, especially through the Krishi Vigyan Kendras.

Without solid support from agricultural scientists and technologists it would be impossible to achieve the national production targets, whatever other measures have taken. There is a widespread feeling that there has not been any really big breakthrough in agricultural technologies since the green revolution of the late 1960s. This is a real challenge to the ICAR system, agricultural universities and agricultural scientists. India commands about 2.3 per cent of the world’s land area and about 4 per cent of the earth’s fresh water resources, but feeds about 17 per cent of the world’s population. This puts tremendous pressure on Indian resources and makes the need for newer and better technologies even more critical.

Agricultural extension is another area which needs urgent attention, particularly from the state governments. It is often perceived to be the weakest link in the chain of transfer of technology from the research lab to the farmer’s land. India should innovate on extension models and specifically integrate the needs of farm households so that the farmers get the latest information about an array of technologies. The Agricultural Universities and the ICAR system should come forward and develop successful Public Private Partnership (PPP) models in extension of agri-related services involving their graduates, which later can be replicated by the public and private systems.

The generation and dissemination of technology is hampered not only by lack of investible resources but also by sub-optimal priorities across crops, regions and institutions, and lack of appropriate incentives and autonomy in most public research institutions. Through the National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) and National Agriculture Innovation Project (NAIP), resources are being mobilized for furthering quality research. However, just pouring in more resources in public R&D without commensurate institutional reforms, is not likely to make the existing system deliver efficiently. India also needs a system that transfers the improved technologies to farmers smoothly and without delay. It is needed to create an appropriate information technology network through which the farmers can have information on crops and varieties, best practices, market prices, demand and supply gaps etc.

Indian growth processes have put a huge pressure on resources, particularly on natural resources. Policy makers and scientists, therefore, need to put their heads together and work towards developing and implementing sustainable technologies that can produce more from less: particularly in the background of the new challenges of global warming and climate change. Ecological and agricultural sustainability go hand in hand and it is needed to follow the three fundamental principles of sustainable agriculture; a live soil, protection of biodiversity, and precision farming and nutrient cycle. The soil is one of the most wonderful ecosystems of the world. If it stays alive total agriculture will be vibrant. Traditionally, farmers could conserve biodiversity; however, with the demand for more food production, this has taken the back seat. One of the weaknesses of modern agriculture is its dependence on fewer varieties and a limited number of cultivars. Monoculture, as a rule of nature, infuses vulnerability in the whole system and compels us to be dependent on chemicals to protect crops against pests. A balance needs to be worked out between conserving biodiversity on the one hand and increasing food production on the other. Towards this end, an appropriate agricultural cycle should adopt with precision farming so that the nutrient cycle in the soil is maintained. In situ and on-farm conservation of biodiversity should, therefore, be an important factor in the interventions for enhancing agricultural production.

Agricultural development in the mountains requires a special approach which is sensitive to the need for preserving their eco system and also respects the social and cultural traditions of the people. The Himalayas need to be saved from the invasion of exotic species. Their biodiversity, most of which is endemic, should be allowed to flourish in its original habitats. In mountain areas, traditional crops are still a significant part of the agricultural practices. These crops possess unique characteristics such as resistance against pests and drought conditions, better palatability, aroma and medicinal properties, and should be protected and promoted. Cultivation of a base crop along with a dozens of inter-cultured crops is also a unique characteristic of hill agriculture. It is a wonderful example of preservation of bio-diversity and minimization of risk. Such traditional systems need special attention in Research and Development efforts.

Source : This is based on the speech of The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the convocation  and  ceremony at the Govind Ballabh Pant University Of Agriculture And Technology.