{"id":25578,"date":"2024-06-11T17:59:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T12:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=25578"},"modified":"2024-06-12T12:02:55","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T06:32:55","slug":"imperatives-to-enhance-agricultural-performance-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/11-06-2024\/imperatives-to-enhance-agricultural-performance-in-india","title":{"rendered":"Imperatives to Enhance Agricultural Performance in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Agriculture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0dab4a35479cb7a88ac0f778de143bb9\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>In Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India&#8217;s agricultural sector, despite its vast acreage, faces challenges in productivity and competitiveness. While foodgrain production reached a record high in 2023, the sector&#8217;s contribution to GDP has declined due to lagging growth compared to other sectors.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1cd4b026513ad627e781dd75e1ff8c9f\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Decline in Agriculture&#8217;s GDP Share<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There is a significant <strong>decrease in the share of agriculture in India\u2019s GDP from 35% in 1990-91 to 15% in 2022-23<\/strong>. This shift underscores the rapid growth of the industrial and service sectors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Despite challenges, India&#8217;s foodgrain production reached a record <strong>high of 3.2 billion tonnes in 2023<\/strong>, reflecting an increase of 140.71 million tonnes from the previous fiscal year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With a population exceeding 1.40 billion, ensuring food security is a pressing concern, necessitating continuous innovation in the agricultural sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-725b6272c41c3bde51d2be44eed7fd9d\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Key Challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Limited Availability of Advanced Crop Nutrition:<\/strong> India lacks access to tailored crop nutrition due to regulatory constraints and hurdles in the licensing process. This hinders the adoption of innovative fertilizers that could boost productivity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Subsidized vs. Specialty Fertilizers:<\/strong> Bulk fertilizers, which are heavily subsidized, often do not meet the targeted nutritional needs of crops, whereas specialty fertilizers face regulatory barriers that limit their market introduction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Innovation and Efficiency:<\/strong> The gap in adopting innovative agricultural practices and fertilizers limits the potential for higher yields and competitiveness in global trade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Subpar Yields: <\/strong>The lack of advanced fertilizers and regulatory constraints contribute to lower crop yields, affecting farmer incomes and export potential.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stringent Regulatory Process:<\/strong>&nbsp; The Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) in India makes the fertilizer registration process lengthy and cumbersome, discouraging innovation and the introduction of new products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1caf791dd614d4c78c60c73c99a78a26\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Government Reforms and Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Trade Facilitation Action Plan (NTFAP) 2017-2020: <\/strong>While primarily focused on cross-border trade, this initiative indirectly contributes to agricultural efficiency by improving import\/export processes for agricultural inputs and products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2014 Guidelines for Water-Soluble Fertilizers: <\/strong>This reform demonstrates the government&#8217;s willingness to streamline regulations and promote innovation in the fertilizer sector. It reduced approval times for new water-soluble fertilizers to less than 60 days, leading to increased fertigation and better crop quality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digital Registration Processes:<\/strong> Efforts to digitize applications for fertilizer registration to streamline processes and ensure quicker approvals, facilitating the introduction of innovative products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f8e305d9fde03a5a582b678b0480605c\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Micro-nutrient Coated Fertilizers:<\/strong> Incorporating micronutrients into bulk fertilizers can enhance efficiency and reduce subsidy reliance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Streamlined Regulatory Framework:<\/strong> Establishing general specifications for fertilizers with minimum nutrient and maximum contaminant levels can expedite the approval process for innovative products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digitalization of Registration Process:<\/strong> Online applications and faster approvals can streamline the introduction of new fertilizers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Learning from Success Stories:<\/strong> Emulating the 2014 guidelines for water-soluble fertilizers, which reduced approval times and boosted fertigation acreage, can be a model for further reforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Investment in Research and Development:<\/strong> Allocate resources to develop new fertilizer formulations tailored to Indian soil and crop needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d0adc4bd9eb2e9b9b187dc32f0e06642\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reforming the fertilizer registration process<\/strong> and promoting innovative solutions are crucial for enhancing agricultural productivity, empowering farmers, and ensuring sustainable growth in the sector.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By streamlining regulations, incentivizing research, and embracing digital solutions, India can unlock its agricultural potential and achieve greater competitiveness in global markets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q] <\/strong>Examine the challenges faced by the Indian agriculture sector in integrating advanced crop nutrition.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindubusinessline.com\/economy\/agri-business\/crucial-imperatives-to-enhance-agricultural-performance-in-india\/article68265808.ece#:~:text=The%20Government%20should%20consider%20issuing,available%20to%20the%20Indian%20farmers.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>BL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Daily-Editorial-Analysis-11-06-2024.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India&#8217;s agricultural sector, despite its vast acreage, faces challenges in productivity and competitiveness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25578"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25597,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25578\/revisions\/25597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}