| |June 202119he contribution of the agricultural sector to the Indian economy is 15.4% in contrast with the world average of 6.4% - a number that amplifies the potential of India's agricultural sector. However, adherence to a traditional approach and unscientific methods of farming still loom large over the agricultural space. With the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan ushering much needed reforms in this sector, it becomes imperative to introspect and overhaul agriculture while acknowledging the efficiency that these upgrades would bring into the system.IMPROVING THE LOW PRODUCTIVITY OF INDIAN AGRICULTUREA stark difference in yields can be gauged from the fact that India's yield rates for rice and wheat are significantly lower than its BRICs counterparts. If we adopt the Chinese model of production for our two major crops, we will double our yields while reducing the land coverage to almost half.Government's ambition to wake India's agriculture sector from slumber led to the adoption of micro-irrigation and Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) practices. In 2015 through the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), it saw the potential of implementing micro irrigation over almost 70 mn ha by 2025. According to the Economic Survey, the 2020 yield has increased to 20-30% and water-saving up to 50% due to the implementation of micro-irrigation practices. Additionally, focus on implementing INM to maintain the soil fertility will help provide an optimum level of nutrients to the plants, improve BLUEPRINT TO REVIVE THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR TO ACCELERATE THE GROWTHBy Randhir Chauhan, MD, Netafim India and Senior Vice President, Netafim Ltd.TRandhir Chauhan, MDTHOUGHT CENTRAL
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