Expressing that agricultural growth will play a major role in making India a developed country by 2047, the Economic Survey has suggested the government to focus on deepening the ongoing reforms, promoting climate-resilient technologies, empowering FPOs, strengthening cooperatives, improving markets, and logistics, and enhancing risk management.
But, the overall recommendations in the farm sector do not offer anything innovative or any suggestions to practically plug the challenges when some of those repeated advisories are not getting fructified in terms of policy measures.
Some of the efforts of the government acknowledged by the Survey include increasing agricultural production, particularly in dairy, poultry, fisheries, and horticulture, which collectively contribute significantly to the country’s GDP. The strengthening of cooperatives and the rise of farmer-producer organisations (FPOs), have further expanded access to credit, innovative technology, and efficient value chains, it noted.
But at the same time, it has been pointed out that the agriculture sector faces substantial challenges that threaten its sustainability and productivity. “Climate change poses a significant challenge, with erratic weather patterns, rising temperatures, and extreme events affecting crop yields,” it said adding water scarcity is a pressing and critical challenge in regions that are predominantly dependent on monsoon rainfall.
“Addressing these challenges necessitates region specific interventions tailored to local agro-climatic conditions and natural resource availability. Promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices, such as drip irrigation and sprinkler systems, as well as diversifying to high-yield, an appropriate crop mix of climate resilient/drought resistant crops, is critical for sustainability,” it said.
Expanding high-growth sectors, such as horticulture, agroforestry, dairy, poultry, and fisheries, can further support inclusive economic development and job creation, particularly for rural communities.
With sustained investment and innovation, agriculture can become more resilient, competitive, and income enhancing. Strengthening private sector participation in areas such as food processing, cold chain logistics, and the development of high-value agricultural products will be crucial to increasing competitiveness in both domestic and export markets.
“Key priorities for the agriculture sector include strengthening access to assured water supply by strengthening irrigation systems that include reviving and rejuvenating water bodies and drip irrigation; enhancing agricultural research and development through coordinated public and private efforts to improve climate resilience, productivity, and farm incomes; undertaking reforms in the fertiliser sector to promote sustainability, restore soil carbon, and correct imbalanced nutrient; and promoting crop diversification that responds to water availability, improves soil fertility and agricultural productivity,” the Survey said.
Published on January 29, 2026
