Agriculture key focus area of development strategy in India: NITI member

Agriculture has been a key focus area of development strategy in India, and the country has achieved the highest growth rate of 5 per cent in the farm sector during the seven years from 2016-17 to 2022-23, Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand said on Saturday.

Addressing the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE), Chand said that according to the World Bank data, India achieved the highest growth rate in GDP agriculture in the world in the last 10 years.

"Agriculture has been a key focus area of development strategy in India, and the country has achieved historically the highest growth rate of 5 per cent during the seven-year period from 2016-17 to 2022-23," he noted.

The agriculture economist pointed out that the share of agriculture in the world GDP has risen from 3.2 per cent in 2006 to 4.3 per cent in recent years.

"Agricultural growth in the last 15 years has saved many countries from economic collapse. Due to the poor effort of industry in pulling the labour force out of agriculture, the onus of remunerative employment for the large workforce still remains on agriculture," he said.

According to him, the recent achievements and opportunities in agriculture are pointing to an even higher role for agriculture in the future development of India and the world.

Chand noted that all these challenges necessitate a fresh appreciation of the role of agriculture in economic and human development and a renewed focus on agriculture at all levels.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE), which is being held in India after 65 years.

The theme of the six-day triennial conference, organised by the International Association of Agricultural Economists, is Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems.

The conference will witness the participation of around 1,000 delegates from around 75 countries.

It aims to tackle the pressing need for sustainable agriculture in the face of global challenges, such as climate change, natural resource degradation, rising production costs and conflicts, a statement said.

The conference will highlight India's proactive approach to global agricultural challenges and showcase the nation's advancements in agricultural research and policy.