Reorienting Indian agriculture: challenges and opportunities

337 Pages·2018·3.979 MB·English

by  Paroda, Rajendra Singh

Reorienting Indian Agriculture

Reorienting Indian Agriculture
Challenges and Opportunities
R.S. Paroda
Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), Indian Agricultural
Research Institute, New Delhi, India
CABI is a trading name of CAB International
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© R.S. Paroda 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Paroda, R. S. (Rajendra Singh), 1942- author.
Title: Reorienting Indian agriculture : challenges and opportunities / R.S.
Paroda.
Description: Boston, MA : CABI, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references
and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018019444| ISBN 9781786395177 (hb : alk. paper) | ISBN
9781786395184 (epdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Agriculture--India.
Classification: LCC S471.I4 P27 2018 | DDC 630.954--dc23 LC record
available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018019444
ISBN: 978 1 78639 517 7 (hardback)
978 1 78639 519 1 (ePDF)
978 1 78639 518 4 (ePub)
Commissioning editor: David Hemming
Editorial assistant: Emma McCann
Production editor: Tim Kapp
Typeset by SPi, Pondicherry, India
Printed and bound in the UK by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow G46 7UQ
Contents
Foreword vii
Preface ix
Abbreviations and Acronyms xi
PART I AGRICULTURAL SCENARIO
1. The Indian Agricultural Scenario 1
2. Agriculture for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals 12
PART II REVOLUTIONS IN AGRICULTURE
3. Fifty Years of the Green Revolution and Beyond 25
4. Intensive Efforts for Food and Nutrition Security 36
5. The White Revolution and Livestock Production 40
6. Aquaculture Development and the Blue Revolution 50
PART III REORIENTING AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR INNOVATION
7. Increasing Productivity Growth Rate in Agriculture 64
8. Reorienting Agricultural Research for Development for Sustainable Agriculture 73
9. Strategies for Scaling Innovations for Impact on Smallholder Farmers 79
PART IV IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY AND PRODUCTION
10. Enhancing Productivity of Foodgrains 88
11. Horticulture for Food and Nutrition Security 103
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vi Contents
12. Strategies for Enhancing Oilseed Production 115
13. Accelerating Forage Crop Production 133
PART V HARNESSING AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
14. Agricultural Biotechnology for Food and Nutritional Security 146
PART VI MANAGING PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES
15. The International Treaty – Current Concerns 152
16. Agrobiodiversity: Dynamic Change Management 157
17. Managing Agrobiodiversity through Use: Changing Paradigms 165
PART VII THE ROLE AND GROWTH OF THE SEED SECTOR
18. The Growth of the Indian Seed Sector: Challenges and Opportunities 174
19. Revitalizing the Indian Seed Sector 188
PART VIII INTEGRATED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
20. Managing and Improving Soil Health 195
21. Increasing Water-use Efficiency 203
22. Agroforestry in India: The Way Forward 212
PART IX IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
23. The Impact of Global Climate Change on Agricultural Growth 219
24. Towards Climate-smart Agriculture 231
PART X INNOVATION IN EXTENSION
25. Linking Research with Extension for Accelerated Agricultural Growth 236
26. Empowering Farmers through Innovative Extension Systems 246
PART XI THE ROLE OF WOMEN AND YOUTH
27. Women’s Empowerment for Agricultural Development 255
28. Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture 262
PART XII POLICY REFORMS FOR ACCELERATED GROWTH
29. Revitalizing the Indian Agricultural Education System 267
30. A Strategy for Doubling Farmers’ Income 274
31. Future Challenges and Opportunities in Agriculture 287
32. Change We Must – But Change is Difficult 292
Index 297
Foreword
The agriculture sector is and will remain central to India’s economic development in the foreseeable
future. Being the largest private enterprise (sustaining around 138 million farm families), it contrib-
utes around 17.4% of GDP and engages around 55% of the workforce. Hence, advancement in agri-
culture and the allied sectors is a ‘necessary condition’ for inclusive economic growth at the national
level. The role of the agricultural sector in alleviating poverty and ensuring household food and
nutritional security is very well established. Indian agricultural systems are predominantly mixed
crop-livestock farming systems; the livestock segment supplements farm income (30–40%) by pro-
viding employment, draught animals, milk, manure etc. Over the years, agriculture has become
increasingly knowledge-intensive and market-driven. Accordingly, far more innovative research,
more enabling policies, and more effective delivery of services, supplies and markets are essential
prerequisites for accelerating agricultural growth. Since science and technology are the key drivers
of change, agricultural growth has to be knowledge- technology- and resource-driven.
Indian agriculture is on a path of high growth and structural transformation that needs to be
sustained. Higher investment and improved markets and flow of technology are necessary to sustain
this growth. Since all these developments would need more capital, both from the public and the
private sectors, access to financial institutions and enhanced allocation of public funds becomes a
dire necessity. There is a need for more focus on rural infrastructure, health and education, since
developments in these areas would enhance rural connectivity, inclusiveness and better human cap-
ital, which will ensure sustainable agricultural growth.
This publication, comprising 32 chapters, covers most of the above-stated aspects: agricultural
scenarios, revolutions in agriculture, reorienting agricultural research for innovation, improving
production and productivity, harnessing biotechnology, managing plant genetic resources, integrat-
ed natural resource management, impact of climate change, innovations in extension, the role of
women and youth, policy reforms etc. A world-renowned agricultural scientist with vast experience
and remarkable achievements at national, regional and global levels, Dr R.S. Paroda’s efforts in
attempting this book are indeed commendable. I am sure that the wealth of knowledge covered in
this book will provide much-needed guidance for all those concerned with agricultural research and
innovation for development (ARI4D) aimed at achieving sustainable development goals.
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viii Foreword
I also commend CABI in bringing out this important publication. I am sure that it will be
immensely useful to all policy planners, researchers, extension workers, educationalists, students
and farmers concerned with overall growth and development in agriculture in developing c ountries
the world over.
M.S. Swaminathan
Founder Chairman, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and
Ex-Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)
Preface
The seeds for writing this book were sown almost a decade ago when a reform process was initiated
by GFAR and CGIAR to organize jointly the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Develop-
ment (GCARD). At that time, as Chairman of the Technical Programme Committee, I was actively
involved in the organization of the first two global conferences, GCARD I and GCARD II, held in
Montpellier, France (2010), and Punta del Este, Uruguay (2012), respectively. The focus of these
conferences was on future priorities and much-needed efforts to reorient the ARI4D agenda to
address the emerging concerns of smallholder farmers, especially for improving their livelihood op-
portunities. For the first time, the process was made highly consultative, involving different stake-
holders, which led to a new ‘GCARD Road Map’ for sustainable agriculture.
In fact, reorienting agricultural research has always been close to my heart since I firmly believe
that a bright future lies ahead through a paradigm shift from traditional to secondary and speciality
agriculture with focus on improved productivity as well as on efficient management of natural
resources, so critical for attaining resilience in agriculture. This would require ‘out of the box’ think-
ing since ‘business as usual’ will no longer help in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Special credit goes to my wife, Dr Shashi Paroda, who encouraged me, whilst I was writing the
book, to consolidate my thoughts on the subject for the larger benefit of researchers, policy makers,
farmers, students and various stakeholders. I must confess that when I started this project I never
imagined that it would be such a stupendous task, one that would test the patience of my family.
I deeply appreciate their full cooperation in allowing me to complete the task.
I am indeed thankful to my colleagues – Dr A.K. Srivastava, Dr P. Joshi, Dr H.P. Singh, Dr J.K. Jena,
Dr J.L. Karihaloo, Dr Malavika Dadlani, Dr K.S. Varaprasad, Dr W.S. Lakra, Dr Suresh Pal, Dr Umesh
Srivastava, Dr Sudhir Kochhar, Dr Anil K. Bawa, Dr M.L. Jat, Dr Y.S. Saharawat, Dr P.K. Ghosh, Dr P.S.
Birthal, Dr Shiv Kumar Dhyani, Dr Shiv Yadav, Dr Anuradha Agarwal and Dr Amit Kar – for their val-
uable help and suggestions in developing some chapters relevant to their expertise. I also express my
sincere thanks to TAAS colleagues, Dr Bhag Mal, Dr N.N. Singh and Dr Narendra Gupta, for their con-
stant efforts in compiling necessary information, offering advice on the flow of the contents and with
necessary editing. I also appreciate the efforts of Ms Shashi Verma in editing the manuscript, and the
dedication and hard work of Ms Simmi Dogra in typesetting and preparing different tables and figures.
Finally, thanks are due to the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) for
agreeing to publish the book for the benefit of stakeholders concerned with the improvement of the
livelihood of millions of smallholder farmers in Asia. The book contains 32 chapters that, I believe, will
be of equal benefit to researchers and students engaged in agricultural research for development.
R.S. Paroda, June 2018
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