How the Changing Dynamics of Agriculture in India is Paving the Way for a New Futuristic Model

By Times of India|13 April 2022

The dichotomy of Indian agriculture is unique, writes Prasanna Manogaran at the Times of India. India ranks second in terms of global food production and, at the same time, is home to the world’s largest undernourished population. Agriculture provides livelihood to more than 50% of the population, yet contributes less than 20% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Even after seven decades since independence, Indian farmers continue to battle low productivity and profitability. Considering the complexity of Indian agriculture, a single policy or technology cannot reform the agricultural sector.

However, consistent digital transformation efforts along with government incentives and intervention can strengthen the agricultural model in India. In the past few years, the agriculture landscape in India has witnessed a spike in innovative inventions, use of technology and improved farming models. An influx of investments, AgriTech startups and innovation are bent on changing the dynamics of Indian agriculture and paving the way for a futuristic model.

The state of small and marginal farmers in India has been dismal, struggling with inadequate farmlands, low incomes and mounting debts. As per the stats – 100 million farmers out of 140 million own less than an acre of land, while many others own less than 2 acres. These farmers depend on mono-crop culture, wavering weather, informal lenders and fluctuating output prices. And farmers who seek to venture into aquaculture or animal husbandry don’t have appropriate investments, marketing channels and knowledge.

But with the advent of AgriTech startups and digital tools, many Indian farmers are supplementing their income with farm diversification. These startups are empowering farmers to integrate livestock rearing and aquaculture into their existing operations with micro-farm installation requiring minimum space and labor. Non-crop diversification is helping farmers increase and earn round-the-year income, improve productivity and profitability and adopt sustainable farming systems.