The Amrit Kaal of agriculture will arrive only when farmers are placed at the center of policies. While Indian agriculture has achieved significant success in increasing production, this has not translated into higher incomes for farmers. India's economy is the fastest-growing in the world, attracting global attention and highlighting its potential. This optimism has encouraged the government to aspire to make India a developed nation during the Amrit Kaal. However, this vision can only be realised within the hundred years of independence if it is built upon the prosperity of farmers and the agricultural sector. To achieve this, government policies must prioritise increasing farmers' incomes. Although the government has recently announced a shift in policy focus from production to income enhancement, this change has yet to be implemented effectively at the grassroots level.

  After the Lok Sabha elections, a new government will be formed. The foremost priority should be to prepare and implement a roadmap for the betterment of agriculture and farmers during the Amrit Kaal. This view was shared by experts involved in policy formulation related to agriculture and farmers, who are actively working in the agricultural sector across government, corporate, and institutional levels.

  To address the challenges facing Indian agriculture, Rural Voice in collaboration with Bharat Krishak Samaj, organised a conference “Agriculture in the Amrit Kaal” at the India International Centre in New Delhi in which experts provided valuable insights and outlined a potential agenda.

  The Green Revolution enabled the country to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains and even reach a position to export. Through the White Revolution, India became the world's largest milk producer. Additionally, the production of fruits and vegetables in the country has surpassed that of food grains. However, making farming a profitable venture for farmers remains the biggest challenge. With shrinking land holdings, it is becoming increasingly difficult for most farmers to sustain their livelihoods through agriculture.

  At the same time, we must think beyond traditional methods to address challenges such as climate change, declining groundwater levels, decreasing productivity, and inadequate funding for agricultural research.

  Issues and promises related to farmers have become central in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Many political parties have pledged to provide a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers. Other promises include waiving farmers' loans and increasing the free ration from 5 kg to 10 kg for the poor. However, the fundamental issue remains: how can farmers receive fair prices for their produce? The government's policy of keeping food prices low for consumers often deprives farmers of adequate compensation, presenting a significant challenge. Let us consider our experts' opinions on how agriculture can thrive during the Amrit Kaal and what steps can be taken to achieve this.

  S. Sivakumar, the head of agriculture and IT business at ITC, identifies four major challenges in the agriculture sector. First, despite many remarkable successes in Indian agriculture over the last 75 years, farmers' income levels remain very low. Per capita agricultural income is less than a quarter of the per capita income of people in the rest of the country.

  According to the IMF, India will contribute 18 percent to global GDP growth over the next five years. However, are we advancing while ensuring that farmers are part of this growth? This is a significant question. During the Amrit Kaal, it is crucial to make agriculture more profitable for farmers. We must avoid a scenario where agriculture prospers, but farmers remain poor.

  The second challenge is that to make Indian farmers prosperous, we need to enhance their global competitiveness. Especially in products with strong export potential, exports can play a vital role in increasing farmers' incomes. There is a need to boost the export of high-value products in particular, which requires greater innovation. Sivakumar believes there has been a contradiction between policies aimed at increasing farmers' incomes, ensuring the country's food security, keeping prices low for consumers, and promoting exports. Farmers need better prices for their produce, but consumer prices are kept low because, for the government and political economy, minimizing the burden on consumers is often prioritized.