Chennai: Low productivity, resource degradation, high production costs and climate risks remain major hurdles for Indian agriculture, said Dr Himanshu Pathak, secretary of the department of agricultural research and education and director-general of the Indian council of agricultural research. He emphasised the need to integrate advanced technologies with comprehensive reforms in agricultural education to achieve agricultural targets for 2047 during his address at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation on Monday.
“Our goal is to increase food grain production from 332 tonnes to 520 tonnes and rice yield from 4.3 tonnes per hectare to 6 tonnes per hectare,” said Himanshu. For this, we need sustainable and climate-resilient practices, such as carbon-neutral pest management and improved post-harvest technologies, to reduce waste and improve efficiency, he said. “We also need to focus on automation, artificial intelligence and sensor-based systems, which are critical to making farms smarter and more efficient. Innovation at pre-production, production and post-production stages will also transform agriculture into a resilient and productive sector,” he added.
On the education front, Himanshu noted significant progress since 2017. The on-time graduation rate for undergraduate programmes rose from 77% to 96% in 2023, the faculty research H-index (metric used to evaluate the productivity and impact of a researcher’s published work) increased from 21 to 31, and placement rates grew from 41% to 66%. Industry-sponsored projects surged from 32 to 399, while the representation of female students nearly doubled from 26% to 49%. “Preparing the next generation of farmers, researchers, and industry leaders is crucial. We must ensure they are equipped to navigate the challenges of modern agriculture,” he said.
He further called on state govts to form region-specific policies that support profitable and sustainable food systems. “We should establish platforms to support agri-businesses, startups and innovators, which will drive technology commercialisation and entrepreneurship,” he said. Additionally, developing advanced agricultural information systems, such as simulation tools, decision-support systems for crop planning, optimised input usage, and AI-driven early warning systems, is essential for enhancing productivity and resilience, he added.
