The upcoming Union Budget should continue the focus on increasing productivity and creating apt infrastructure for ensuring steady growth in the agriculture sector and increasing rural income. In the last few years, there have been reforms aimed at increasing rural income, but the progress has been gradual. In the last five years, on average the government has allocated 3% of total budgeted expenditure to the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying.
The yield of most crops in India is well below the global average. The upcoming budget should focus on increasing productivity in the sector through incentivizing technology adoption and focus on research and innovation in the sector. There is a need to provide further push to agri-allied sectors like livestocks, horticulture, fishery as this will help increase labour productivity and rural income. The government should focus on buildup of adequate infrastructure for food transportation and storage and build agri-industry linkage.
Presentation -Dibyabharati Nayak