India Urged to Double Agricultural R&D Spending by 2047

According to Mangi Lal Jat, the Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), India needs to significantly increase its investments in agricultural research and development to achieve its goal of a "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) by 2047.

As of now, India is spending merely 0.43% of its agricultural GDP on research, which Jat says is far below the global average. The situation is even more dire when it comes to agricultural extension services, with funding at just 0.095% compared to the global average of 0.93%.

Jat warned that the country's average farm size has alarmingly shrunk from 2.25 hectares to 1.08 hectares, and projections indicate it could further decline to just 0.6 hectares by 2047. This, combined with issues like depleting groundwater, deteriorating soil health, biodiversity loss, and climate change, poses significant challenges for sustainable agricultural livelihoods.

To address these formidable challenges, Jat called for a strategic shift in agricultural research, including a trans-disciplinary approach, leveraging emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing, and developing a robust data ecosystem. He also emphasized the need to strengthen state agricultural universities to attract top talent and provide enabling environments for students.

Despite these challenges, India has made significant progress in food production since independence, ranking first globally in rice and horticulture production, and second in wheat. Jat believes this progress underscores the immense potential for continued growth towards self-reliance by 2047, but only if the country significantly boosts its investments in agricultural R&D.