Agriculture: Why it is more important now than ever?

 

The agriculture sector in India stands at the crossroads of transformation. The green revolution - characterized by intensive modern farming techniques, high yielding variety (HYV) seeds and fertilizers, remains the most distinctive phase in the Indian agriculture sector.

However, with rising consciousness for food safety and sustainable farming in India and around the world, it is imperative to reimagine the future course of India's agri sector.

Agriculture is often attributed as the backbone of the Indian economy as 42% of the workforce depends on the agricultural sector to earn their livelihood. It contributes 19.9% to the GDP, indicating its significance to the country's economy.

Farming, being one of the world's oldest and labor-intensive industries, necessitates resilience and innovation not only to boost productivity but also to ensure the sector's overall sustainability. Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has additionally intensified the need for agri-sector reforms.

Horticulture, which is the prominent segment of agriculture, has witnessed steady growth over the last decade. It contributes to 30% of agriculture GDP and will continue to grow further.

Horticulture has consistently been a significant priority in India's overall agri-policy framework. Consequently, total horticulture production in 2020-21 is estimated to be 327 million tons, an increase of about 6 million tons over that in 2019-20 overtaking cereal production by a fair margin.



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