Cultivating wealth, not dependency
productivity and resilience in the agriculture sector got us sitting up. It was not just about politically cultivating an electorate — of cultivators — but about setting pathways for sustained higher incomes for the farm sector.
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Acknowledging that higher incomes require ensuring that agriculturalists adapt and use the fruits of science and better techniques and processes is critical, especially to mitigate impacts of climate change. The plan to release 109 new high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties of 32 field and horticulture crops for cultivation opens up new trajectories for increasing yields and incomes, while bettering conditions all around. The proposed use of digital public infrastructure for a digital crop survey in 400 districts will help identify the most suitable crops for cultivation. Encouragement for high-value produce — such as vegetable production and encouraging self-sufficiency in oilseeds — is about crop diversification, market access and higher incomes. Expanding natural farming is another progressive step forward.
The allocation for agriculture, ₹1.52 lakh cr, accounts for 3% of the budget, and is 6% more compared to last year. Rather than the quantum, GoI's budget should be judged for utilisation and achievement of goals it sets out, as well as the outcomes of these policies. To this end, GoI must undertake an impact assessment of schemes and measures, including the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi and fertiliser subsidies, to understand their utility. The lens through which this must be measured is the twin goals of productivity and
