Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Achieving Aatmanirbharta in Agriculture
Posted On: 11 NOV 2022 12:05PM
The darkest scar of colonialism in India in all probability got here in its ultimate days when Bengal suffered an excellent famine within the early Nineteen Forties as a result of unfair insurance policies of the British authorities within the backdrop of World War II. The famine, looking back, drives residence India’s sheer dependency even when it comes to assembly its want for meals. Right after Independence, India needed to import a big amount of foodgrains from the USA and different developed economies and attributable to successive wars in 1948, 1962 and 1965, India confronted an acute scarcity of meals. Thus, the well-known slogan was given by former Prime Minister Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri – “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”.
Fast-forward to 2022: India’s agriculture exports touched a historic excessive of USD 50 billion (FY 2021-22). The highest-ever exports have been achieved for staples like rice, wheat, sugar, different cereals and meat. As per the provisional figures launched by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), agricultural exports have grown by 19.92% throughout 2021-22 to the touch $50.21 billion. This outstanding feat has been made attainable on the shoulders of a number of key initiatives taken by the Central authorities to extend the manufacturing of meals grains in recent times.
However, the story of India’s Atmanirbharta in meals begins virtually 5 many years again. In 1950-51, India was affected by meals scarcity with occasional droughts and famines which compelled it to import meals grains. A quickly rising inhabitants was creating rising strain on agriculture, with meals manufacturing and productiveness unable to maintain tempo. Even at this level, the agriculture sector was contributing 50% of the GDP; exhibiting how dependent our economy was on agriculture.
Green Revolution that started within the Nineteen Sixties enabled the nation to make nice strides in home meals manufacturing and considerably contributed to progress in agriculture and allied sectors. The principal focus areas of the motion have been (a) farm mechanization by substituting using cattle with trendy tractors and different equipment to extend productiveness, (b) using hybrid kinds of seeds for higher yield, and (c) utilizing the brand new dams constructed post-independence for higher irrigation. It remodeled India from a food-deficit nation to a food-surplus nation.
India has achieved self-reliance within the manufacturing of meals grains within the final a number of many years, and it’s a mammoth achievement for our agriculture sector in addition to the general economy. Today, India is the world’s largest sugar-producing nation and holds the second place in rice manufacturing solely after China. India can also be the second largest producer of wheat with a share of round 14.14 per cent of the world’s complete manufacturing in 2020. India can also be inching in the direction of self-reliance in pulse manufacturing. As per the 4th Advance Estimates, the manufacturing of meals grains within the nation is estimated at 315.72 million tonnes which is increased by 4.98 million tonnes than the manufacturing of meals grains throughout 2020-21.
It is price noting that our farmers grew document meals grains in the course of the deadliest pandemic of the century whereas the entire world was tottering below the influence of COVID-19. To facilitate farmers in the course of the lockdown, greater than 2,067 agriculture markets have been made purposeful. The Kisan Rath software was launched in April 2020 to facilitate farmers and merchants in transporting Agriculture/Horticulture produce. To construct the arrogance of the farmers, the Government of India has been declaring the Minimum Support Price for Kharif and Rabi crops earlier than sowing seasons, making certain remunerative costs.
*Data for 2021-22 is from 4th Advance estimates of meals grain manufacturing
Agriculture continues to be the prime pulse of the Indian economy and is on the core of the socio-economic growth of the nation. It accounts for round 19 per cent of the GDP and about two-thirds of the inhabitants relies on the sector. The progress of different sectors and the general economy hinges on the efficiency of agriculture to a substantial extent by its back and forth linkages. It is just not solely a supply of livelihood and meals safety for a big inhabitants of India but in addition has a particular significance for low-income, poor and weak sections.
As per the National Sample Survey, the estimated common month-to-month earnings per agricultural family elevated from Rs. 6426 in 2012-13 to Rs. 10,218 in 2018-19. To improve the earnings of farmers, the federal government has taken initiatives throughout a number of focus areas. Income assist is offered to farmers by PM KISAN Scheme, crop insurance is assured by the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and irrigation services are ensured below Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. Access to institutional credit score is being offered by Kisan Credit Card and different channels. Under the e-NAM initiative, markets throughout the size and breadth of the nation at the moment are open to farmers, to allow them to get extra remunerative costs for his or her produce. The umbrella scheme Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) ensures Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers for numerous Kharif and Rabi crops whereas additionally preserving a strong procurement mechanism in place. The authorities has additionally introduced to transform greater than 3.25 lakh fertiliser outlets throughout the nation as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras. These can be centres the place farmers can purchase not solely fertilisers and seeds but in addition implement soil testing and avail helpful details about farming strategies. Further, with the introduction of One Nation, One Fertiliser below ‘Bharat’ model identify in the complete nation will facilitate a rise in availability and scale back the price of fertilisers.
To make Indian agriculture future-ready, initiatives like National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, the promotion of scientific warehousing and the adoption of drone applied sciences have been undertaken. The authorities has additionally taken a number of steps to extend funding within the agriculture sector equivalent to establishing an Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund, selling natural farming by Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, and making a Long-Term Irrigation Fund and Micro Irrigation Fund. Under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, entities equivalent to farmers, start-ups, authorities companies and native our bodies profit from establishing eligible infrastructure initiatives. Under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) Scheme, grants-in-aid are given to state governments on the idea of the initiatives authorized within the State Level Sanctioning Committee Meeting (SLSC).
Agriculture is on the epicentre of the nation’s journey in the direction of Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) with farmers at its core. The Central Government has been taking over important steps for upliftment, empowerment and stability of farmers in a holistic method. The time is just not far when the face of the agriculture sector can be remodeled attributable to persistent authorities initiatives and investments.
AG/HP/RC/PPD/SK
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