Indian Agriculture @75: Development issues and challenges

Title : Indian Agriculture @75: Development issues and challenges

Abstract:

Agriculture is an important sector of Indian economy, accounting for about 20% in Gross Value Added (GVA) and registering a growth of around 4 %.  Growth in allied sectors including horticulture, livestock, dairying and fisheries have been the major drivers of overall growth in the sector. The sector is also the largest employer of workforce contributing employment to about 50 % of the total workforce in the country. Agriculture and allied sectors provide food and nutrition security to the nation. In the 75th year of its Independence of the country, it is important to assess the achievements and identify development challenges the sector confront. This will enable to build a future growth strategy for Indian agriculture and its allied sectors. 

Marginal and small farm sizes constitute more than 85% of the operational holdings in India.  It is time to develop impactful programmes to support and empower them with knowledge for sustainable and climate resilient production.  The Government of India has brought significant reforms in the agriculture sector which will go a long way in building efficient value chains and ensuring better returns for farmers. With independent India turning 75, Indian agriculture also needs to be transformed and reoriented to be smart and sustainable. Towards this, there is an immense need to promote interventions that help in achieving the sustainable development goals target.

As we embark on a new era of agriculture with enormous pressure to produce more food from less land with shrinking water and other natural resources, there is an urgent need to strengthen the existing agricultural value chain.  Country needs to evolve smart and sustainable agriculture that aims to bring all key stakeholder and policy makers on a common platform to ideate on implementable strategy. The paper also highlights priorities and develops segment wise visions with a clear set of recommendations.

Auidence Take Away Notes:

• Understand Indian Agriculture from historical perspective.
• Learn agriculture growth during 75 years of Independence.
• Learn the contribution of Agriculture in Indian economy.
• Learn problems and challenges of Indian agriculture

Biography:

Professor Emeritus (Dr). V.P.S. Arora, AERA (Agricultural Economics Research Association) Fellow, is a distinguished academician renowned for his extensive contributions to agricultural economics, agribusiness management, and project management. An alumnus of G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, he dedicated over three decades to the institution as a faculty member and academic administrator, playing a pivotal role in its academic growth. Dr. Arora made history as the founding Dean of the College of Agribusiness Management—the first of its kind under the ICAR-SAU system—marking a significant milestone in agricultural education. Over a career spanning 49 years, he has enriched both national and international academic institutions. His leadership as Vice Chancellor at Kumaun University and Shri Venkateshwara University in Uttar Pradesh was instrumental in fostering academic innovation and enhancing university governance. On the international stage, Dr. Arora has been a key figure in agriculture, project management, and consulting. He has lent his expertise to prestigious international organizations such as APO, IRRI, OECD, FAO, and ADB. As a dedicated mentor, he has supervised 24 PhD scholars and contributed significantly to research through numerous projects and publications. His leadership in various professional societies further cements his legacy in the fields of agricultural economics, agricultural marketing, project management, and agribusiness management. Dr. Arora’s remarkable achievements have been recognized with numerous awards and honours, including Dr. Rajendra Prasad Award, Lifetime Achievement Awards (2009 and 2020), the Uttarakhand Ratan Award (2011), the Higher Education Leadership Award (2016), and Outstanding Alumnus Awards from both Pantnagar University (2020) and the College of Agriculture (2019), in addition to several Best Paper Awards. He has also served as Conference President of the Indian Society of Agricultural Marketing (2010) and the Agricultural Economics Research Association (2013).