India must move from production-centric farming to value chain approach for higher farm incomes: Secretary DARE
New Delhi, August 4
India needs to transition from a production-centric agriculture model to an agri-food value chain approach to raise farmers' incomes, promote agricultural diversification and generate rural employment, M L Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, said on Tuesday.
"We have to transition from production-centric focus to the value chain focus. That's why we say transitioning from agriculture production to the agri-food system value chain. The value chain is very, very important not only from the perspective of increasing income of the farmers but also agricultural diversification," Jat said.
He told this while responding to a question asked by ANI on the sidelines of the Women in Agri & Food - Leadership Forum: Leading the Future: Driving Innovation and Strengthening Ecosystem, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
"Women can play a very important role in the agri-food system value chain and that will also create a lot of employment opportunities in rural India," he added
Jat said agriculture is moving beyond a production-centric approach towards entrepreneurship, value addition and integrated value chains, adding that this transition is essential for improving farm incomes and achieving the country's long-term development goals.
Addressing the forum, Jat said the government has renewed its focus on empowering women in agriculture through initiatives such as Lakhpati Didi, Drone Didi, Krishi Sakhi and Pashu Sakhi. He noted that more than 100 million women are engaged through around 9 million Self-Help Groups (SHGs), creating one of the world's largest grassroots networks of women.
Referring to what he described as the UN International Year of Women Farmers, Jat said the global focus presents an opportunity to accelerate women's leadership in agriculture.
"The International Year of Women Farmers provides us an opportunity to turn recognition into action, participation into leadership and potential into prosperity," he said.
Jat also highlighted the role of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in strengthening women-led agriculture. India has more than 10,000 FPOs, of which around 1,700 are led by women, he said, adding that while women are participating in these organisations, their representation in leadership positions needs to increase.
"We wish that at least half of these FPOs are led by women. Participation is important, but women should also lead," he said.
Jat said women's representation in agricultural education and research has increased significantly over the past decade.
"Today, women account for around 50 per cent of enrolment in agricultural higher education, compared with less than 20 per cent about ten years ago. In some agricultural universities, girls account for 65-70 per cent of enrolment. Similarly, the share of women scientists in the Agricultural Research Service has increased from 7.9 per cent in 2006-07 to 42 per cent today," he said.
While acknowledging the progress made, Jat said sustained efforts are required to translate participation into leadership and economic empowerment.
"It should not be lip service. We need a strong framework to identify opportunities and provide women the support needed to lead the transformation of agriculture.
Governments, the private sector, NGOs, foundations and research institutions must work together with a shared vision and collective action to empower women in the agri-food system," he said.
He added that the transformation of India's agri-food system cannot be achieved without science, innovation and inclusion, with women expected to play a defining role in the country's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see emphasis on women in agriculture. My sister is a Krishi Sakhi in UP and the difference she's making in our village is amazing. But the real challenge is getting women to lead FPOs - it's still male-dominated at the leadership level. Need more training and mentorship programs.
The figures are impressive but we need to see ground-level implementation. Women comprise 50% of agri students now, but how many are actually getting leadership roles in agri-businesses or policy making? Let's not just count numbers but create real opportunities. 🤔
Interesting perspective. In Canada, we've seen how value chains transformed our agri-sector, especially in dairy and grains. India's potential is huge given its diverse agro-climatic zones. Hope the government follows through with concrete policies and not just speeches at conferences.
Value chain approach is long overdue! My family has a small mango farm in Ratnagiri. We sell raw mangoes for Rs 20/kg but the processed pulp sells for Rs 200/kg. If we had infrastructure for processing, we'd earn 5x more. Government should focus on rural food processing units and cold chains.
The point about women SHGs is promising - 9 million SHGs with 100 million women! These networks can be the backbone of agri-value chains. But we need better access to credit and markets. Hope the Lakhpati Didi scheme really scales up, not just remain a pilot.
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