Surinder Sud

Rising imports, shrinking acreage, and low profitability show why another mission may struggle unless pulses farming becomes economically viable for growers

The need now is to promote novel and state-of-the-art technologies, such as geospatial programming and artificial intelligence, to optimise farm productivity

However, sector analysts are far from satisfied with this showing and maintain there is ample room for improvement

An appropriate response, by way of favourable policies and programmes to boost the production and consumption of soybean, is imperative to prop up this sector

In India, vegan milk has managed to carve out a niche market though the country, being the world's largest producer of dairy milk, has copious milk supplies

Since India is also the world's second-largest producer, exporter of wheat, it merits to be counted among the world's major food grain powerhouses, and a key player in the international food market

Horticultural crops are characteristically more productive and remunerative than food crops

Studies have indicated that cultivation of flowers is more profitable than many traditional crops, especially in small and marginal farms, which constitute more than 90% of country's landholdings

FPOs cannot raise equity to any significant extent because of the limited paying capacity of their members, who are usually smallholders or landless people

The Indian turmeric industry, however, needs to brace itself up to capitalise on the emerging opportunities in the world bazaar in the face of escalating competition from several new players

The government's goal is to achieve a seaweed production level of one million tonnes by 2025 through higher harvesting from natural sources, and better captive cultivation

Dependence on import for meeting the domestic requirements of this mass-consumed kitchen staple has continued to remain untenably high

India's revised NBS-AP has done well to set 23 well-advised targets conforming to various global biodiversity-related conventions

Indian farmers have shown their ability and, more so, willingness to embrace new technology

Urgent measures are imperative to rejuvenate the cotton revolution through inducting new genetically engineered seeds and modern technology

Bamboo cultivation with modern agronomic practices is proving more rewarding than many other crops, including the highly lucrative ones like sugarcane and cotton

Creating a market for the byproducts of sericulture would hugely benefit silk farmers, as also other stakeholders in the silk sector

Rainwater conservation needs planning on a geographically wider scale, keeping in view the entire watersheds, which can span administrative blocks, districts, or states

Composite fish farming has, over the years, witnessed some major modifications. One of its notable new versions is vertical fish culture

Interestingly, while India's honey output has increased since 2005-06 by nearly 240 per cent, exports have bounced by over 260 per cent