{"id":75984,"date":"2026-06-06T18:09:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T12:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=75984"},"modified":"2026-06-06T18:11:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T12:41:48","slug":"farmer-centric-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/06-06-2026\/farmer-centric-agriculture","title":{"rendered":"Building a Farmer-Centric Agricultural Ecosystem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Agriculture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over the last decade, India has shifted from a<strong> welfare-centric approach to a farmer-centric model<\/strong> focused on productivity, sustainability, and technological modernization, fostering a resilient and diversified agricultural ecosystem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Agriculture Sector in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Workforce Share:<\/strong> Agriculture and allied activities employ <strong>46.1% <\/strong>of India&#8217;s workforce.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Livelihood Reliance:<\/strong> The sector continues to support close to <strong>55%<\/strong> of the total population, providing critical rural income security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Contribution:<\/strong> Agriculture accounts for approximately <strong>one-fifth (~19-20%)<\/strong> of India&#8217;s Gross Value Added (GVA).\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Growth Rate: <\/strong>Agriculture and allied sectors recorded <strong>4.6% <\/strong>growth in 2024\u201325 (real GVA growth), driven largely by livestock and fisheries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Achievements in India&#8217;s Agricultural Transformation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Agricultural Output and Economic Contribution:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Agricultural and allied sector GVA<\/strong> increased from \u20b920.9 lakh crore in 2014-15 to<strong> \u20b948.7 lakh crore in 2023-24.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Foodgrain production<\/strong> increased to <strong>357.73 million tonnes in 2024-25.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enhanced Public Investment:<\/strong> Budget allocation for the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare increased to <strong>Rs.1,40,528.78 crore for 2026-27.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Agricultural exports<\/strong> rose to <strong>USD 51.1 billion (FY 24-25),<\/strong> with processed food share increasing to <strong>20.4%<\/strong>, signalling value-added growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"b9d2df\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"709\" height=\"498\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-42.png\" alt=\"agricultural output and economic contribution\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-75985\" style=\"--dominant-color: #b9d2df; width:429px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-42.png 709w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-42-300x211.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Challenges Faced by the Agricultural Sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Water scarcity &amp; irrigation:<\/strong> India\u2019s agriculture is heavily dependent on monsoon rain, making it vulnerable to droughts and inconsistent rainfall patterns.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access to irrigation facilities and water management are crucial challenges, particularly in regions with limited water resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of access to credit &amp; finance:<\/strong> Small and marginal farmers often face difficulties in accessing credit and financial services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Small landholdings: <\/strong>Average farmers are small landholders, leading to fragmented and uneconomical farming practices.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This makes it challenging for them to adopt modern agricultural methods and technologies, resulting in lower productivity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Outdated farming practices:<\/strong> A significant portion of Indian farmers still rely on traditional and outdated farming methods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Market volatility &amp; price fluctuations:<\/strong> Farmers in India often face price volatility due to lack of effective market linkages, intermediaries and price information.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Soil Degradation: <\/strong>Nearly 30% of India\u2019s total land suffers from soil degradation due to intensive chemical-based practices.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Overuse of urea and pesticides,<\/strong> alongside declining organic matter, has led to nutrient imbalance, affecting soil fertility and ecosystem services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rising Input Costs: <\/strong>The Green Revolution model has reached diminishing returns, with input costs rising faster than returns, driving indebtedness and farmer suicides.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate Change Impacts: <\/strong>Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, floods, droughts, and extreme weather events threaten agricultural productivity and food security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Initiatives for Agricultural development<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"c9d3d6\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"910\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-43.png\" alt=\"initiatives for agricultural development\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-75986\" style=\"--dominant-color: #c9d3d6; width:337px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-43.png 620w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-43-204x300.png 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Shift from a Welfare-Centric to a Farmer-Centric Model<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>From Subsidy-Based Support to Income Security: <\/strong>Earlier policies primarily emphasized input subsidies on fertilizers, electricity, irrigation, and food procurement.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The introduction of <strong>PM-KISAN provided direct income<\/strong> support through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), giving farmers greater financial autonomy and reducing leakages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>From Relief Measures to Risk Management:<\/strong> Traditional approaches focused on post-disaster compensation after crop losses.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Initiatives such as<strong> Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)<\/strong> and weather-based advisories have strengthened pre-emptive risk mitigation and climate resilience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>From Being a Beneficiaries to Recognising as Stakeholders: <\/strong>Earlier policies viewed farmers primarily as recipients of government assistance.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contemporary reforms emphasize farmer empowerment through<strong> FPOs, cooperatives, digital platforms, entrepreneurship, <\/strong>and participation in value chains.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>From Production-Centric Policies to Income-Centric Policies:<\/strong> Earlier strategies emphasized <strong>maximizing foodgrain production <\/strong>to achieve food security.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recent policies focus on <strong>doubling farmers income, <\/strong>diversification into horticulture, livestock, fisheries, beekeeping, and value addition<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Diversification: <\/strong>Encourage a shift from <strong>cereal-centric cultivation to horticulture, dairy, livestock, fisheries, sericulture, beekeeping, and agro-forestry<\/strong> to enhance farm incomes and reduce dependence on a few crops.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expand micro-irrigation systems<\/strong> under drip and sprinkler technologies to improve water-use efficiency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strengthen Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)<\/strong>, cooperatives, and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to improve aggregation, bargaining power, access to credit, and market linkages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promote food processing, cold-chain networks<\/strong>, warehousing, and logistics to reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers&#8217; share in consumer prices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Encourage start-ups,<\/strong> agri-tech innovations, and data-driven farming solutions to improve productivity, efficiency, and market access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concluding remarks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India&#8217;s agricultural transformation must now move beyond productivity enhancement towards creating a <strong>competitive, climate-resilient, technology-driven, and sustainable agri-food system <\/strong>that ensures higher farmer incomes, food security, environmental sustainability, and rural prosperity while contributing to the vision of a <strong>Viksit Bharat by 2047.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2269182&amp;reg=48&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Over the last decade, India has shifted from a welfare-centric approach to a farmer-centric model focused on productivity, sustainability, and technological modernization, fostering a resilient and diversified agricultural ecosystem. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Agriculture Sector in India <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Workforce Share: Agriculture and allied activities employ 46.1% of India&#8217;s workforce. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Livelihood Reliance: The sector continues to support close to 55% of the total population, providing critical rural income security. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Economic Contribution: Agriculture accounts for approximately one-fifth (~19-20%) of India&#8217;s Gross Value Added (GVA).\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/06-06-2026\/farmer-centric-agriculture \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75984","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\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75984"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75989,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75984\/revisions\/75989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}