High-value sectors like horticulture, livestock, and fisheries are outpacing traditional crops; agriculture must align with market and environmental realities, says NITI Aayog Member

India’s agricultural policy needs to evolve from a production-centric model to one that addresses consumption trends, employment generation, environmental sustainability, and nutritional security, said Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, during a public lecture held in the capital on Wednesday.

Delivering the keynote address at a session titled ‘Reimagining Indian Agriculture in the 21st Century,’ Chand urged policymakers, researchers, and agri-stakeholders to rethink the objectives of agricultural planning in light of changing economic and environmental imperatives.

“Agriculture must go beyond merely producing crops. There is immense potential to unlock value at the farm itself—value that traditionally belonged to manufacturing and services,” he said.

From Production To Value And Jobs
Chand highlighted India’s growing bioeconomy – including emerging fields such as biomedicine, bio-insecticides, and bio-pesticides – as areas ripe for investment and policy attention. He stressed that agricultural value creation need not end at yield enhancement, but can span sectors like agro-processing, rural services, and farmgate innovations.

Referring to recent data, he pointed to a widening structural dualism in Indian agriculture: while field crops like cereals and pulses, mostly covered under the MSP regime, posted only 1.6 per cent annual growth between 2014 and 2023, horticulture grew at 3.9 per cent, livestock at 5.8 per cent, and fisheries at 9.1 per cent.

“This divergence shows that farmers engaged in high-value agriculture are dominating the market, while traditional crops are losing economic relevance,” Chand noted, advocating for policy realignment to encourage diversification, especially among smallholders still dependent on low-margin field crops.

Women In Agriculture And Resource Sustainability
He also drew attention to the increasing and transformational participation of women in agriculture—a trend he believes holds tremendous promise for inclusive growth. At the same time, he reiterated that natural resource management must remain central to India’s agricultural planning, cautioning against environmental degradation in pursuit of higher output.