Current Affairs - Agriculture

Madhya Pradesh has selected the Balaghat district selected as the pilot district for implementing the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the cooperative sector. A 500 MT godown was inaugurated in February 2024 under this initiative. The plan is implemented through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and cooperative societies by converging schemes such as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI), Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), and PMFME. Reforms include reducing the beneficiary margin from 20% to 10%, revising construction costs, and enhancing scientific storage capacity to reduce post-harvest losses and support farmers.

Madhya Pradesh has announced 2026 as the ‘Year of Agriculture’ as part of a long-term strategy to strengthen its agricultural sector and improve farmer livelihoods. The state has increased its agriculture budget to ₹27,000 crore, marking a substantial rise compared to allocations made two decades earlier. The initiative focuses on technology transfer, income enhancement, promotion of natural farming practices, innovation, and wider access to e-Mandi platforms for nearly 40 lakh farmers. Guided by the theme ‘prosperous farmers–prosperous state’, the policy also aims to boost agricultural productivity and exports, reinforcing agriculture as a key driver of economic growth.

NITI Aayog launched the “Reimagining Agriculture: A Roadmap for Frontier Technology Led Transformation” to accelerate India’s agricultural modernization through the integration of AI, digital twins, and precision farming. The initiative emphasises climate-resilient crops, sustainability, and increased farmer income by leveraging frontier technologies. It introduces a farmer segmentation model with three archetypes—Aspiring, Transitioning, and Advanced—to enable targeted interventions. By focusing on innovation and data-driven agricultural practices, the roadmap aims to enhance productivity, resource efficiency, and long-term resilience against climate challenges, marking a major policy push toward tech-enabled, inclusive agricultural growth in India.

The Union Cabinet approved the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, aiming to strengthen India’s self-reliance in this vital agricultural sector. With an outlay of ₹11,440 crore for 2025-26 to 2030-31, the mission targets a production of 350 lakh tonnes of pulses, reducing dependency on imports and ensuring stable incomes for 2 crore farmers. The initiative includes assured procurement of key pulses like Tur, Urad, and Masoor under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for the next four years. This program is a strategic effort to boost domestic production, enhance food security, and support the livelihoods of pulse farmers across India.

Niti Aayog has set a long-term vision to double India’s pulses production by 2047, raising output to 51.57 million tonnes. This plan is designed to secure the country’s nutritional and food requirements while ensuring surplus production in the decades ahead. The strategy involves achieving self-sufficiency in pulses by 2030 and then scaling up production further through technological innovations, climate-smart agriculture, and region-specific cultivation models. By focusing on seed quality, advanced farming tools, and resilience against climate stress, the roadmap highlights a holistic approach to strengthening India’s agricultural sector and empowering farmers for sustainable growth.