India's farm sector grapples with falling yields to climate change
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India’s agriculture sector, employing about 42.3% of the population and contributing 18.2% to the GDP, is a key driver of rural development and economic growth. But it faces challenges such as climate change, inconsistent crop yields, and lack of adequate modernization.
As a result, the agriculture industry will closely monitor the upcoming Union Budget for FY26. The agriculture budget has seen a 379% surge over the past decade, from ₹27,662.67 crore in 2013-14 to ₹1,32,469.86 crore in 2024-25. The upcoming budget is expected to include further allocations to encourage farmers to boost cotton production through the Bhawantar scheme, a pilot for which is already on.
This reflects a larger shift towards supporting farmer income and addressing the sector’s growing needs. Also see | Budget Bites: How much does the government allocate for agriculture? As of now, the focus has primarily been on the production of agricultural goods, while agricultural marketing has received comparatively less attention. However, effective marketing is crucial to promote agricultural products and ultimately increase farmers' income.
The upcoming budget is expected to include proposals related to agricultural marketing, which could play a key role in addressing this gap and supporting the growth of the sector. With the future of agriculture lying in digital transformation, the industry's demands for the 2025-26 budget include the expansion of digital agriculture. This could revolutionize farming by providing data-driven insights for better crop management.
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