Kisan Sabha – Page 28 – हर कदम हर डगर, आपका हमसफर

Need farm sector income at more than 24% of GDP to realise ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’ dream: Gadkari

Synopsis

“Our agriculture and allied sector income is 12 per cent of the GDP, manufacturing sector income is 22 to 24 per cent, and service sector is 52 to 54 per cent. I have come here to say that till the time this 12 per cent (of agriculture and allied sectors) does not go beyond 24 per cent, there are difficulties in making ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’,” he said.

India will find it difficult to realise the ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant) vision till the share of the agriculture and allied sectors in the GDP crosses 24 per cent, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday, pitching for the introduction of technologies in farming and rural and tribal areas. The minister was speaking at the 22nd convocation of Sri Balaji University here.

“Our agriculture and allied sector income is 12 per cent of the GDP, manufacturing sector income is 22 to 24 per cent, and service sector is 52 to 54 per cent. I have come here to say that till the time this 12 per cent (of agriculture and allied sectors) does not go beyond 24 per cent, there are difficulties in making ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’,” he said.

Gadkari stressed the need for the introduction of technology in rural and tribal regions saying it will alleviate poverty and hunger and elevate the areas from an economic perspective and create job opportunities.

“Till the time, we do not augment water, transportation and communication facilities in certain areas, industries won’t come,” he said. Industries come with capital investment, which has the potential to create jobs, said Gadkari.

Addressing the management students, the minister shared an anecdote about the Pune-Mumbai Expressway during his tenure as Maharashtra’s PWD minister in the mid-1990s, when the BJP-Shiv Sena government was in power.

Gadkari said he did not accept the Reliance Group’s bid, which was the lowest, and instead got the carriageway made through a government entity for Rs 1,600 crore.

“Tenders were invited and the lowest tender was from Dhirubhai Ambani-led Reliance Group, which was Rs 3600 crore, and as per rules, the work should have been given to the lowest bidder,” he recalled.

Gadkari said his conscience told him that the work could be done for Rs 1800 crore and Rs 3600 crore was high.

“(Shiv Sena supremo) Balasaheb Thackeray, Pramod Mahajan (BJP leader) and everyone told me that if it was the lowest bid as per rules, then why I was opposing it? I told them that this can be done for half the price. As I did not sign, the tender got rejected,” he added.

The minister said Dhirubhai was disappointed and asked how he planned to build the road. “It is not the government’s work,” he said quoting the late business tycoon.

“I told him if I was unable to construct the road, I would shave off my moustache and also asked him jokingly what he would do if I was able to build the road,” said Gadkari.

The minister said he then formed the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). “In two years, the road was completed for Rs 1,600 crore,” he said.

Centre procures paddy, wheat worth over Rs 2.5 lakh crore in 2021-22 against Rs 98k crore in 2013-14

Synopsis

“The central procurement of wheat and paddy has increased substantially between the 2013-14 and 2021-22 marketing seasons. The procurement has become broad-based and we are purchasing grains from more states now. MSP has increased significantly,” said Subodh Singh, additional secretary in the food ministry.

Procurement of wheat and paddy in quantity and value terms has risen significantly in the last eight years, on account of a hike in the minimum support price (MSP) and purchases made from more states, a senior food ministry official said on Tuesday. The number of farmers covered under the MSP operations has also increased because of the higher quantity of wheat and paddy procurement by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the nodal agency for the procurement and distribution of foodgrains.

“The central procurement of wheat and paddy has increased substantially between the 2013-14 and 2021-22 marketing seasons. The procurement has become broad-based and we are purchasing grains from more states now. MSP has increased significantly,” said Subodh Singh, additional secretary in the food ministry.

The procurement is taking place in Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura, he said, adding that the FCI has started buying paddy from Rajasthan.

Production of wheat and paddy has also risen since 2013-14.

In the case of wheat, the procurement increased to 433.44 lakh tonnes in 2021-22 from 250.72 lakh tonnes in 2013-14. The value of wheat procured has increased to Rs 85,604 crore from Rs 33,847 crore.

Singh highlighted that 49.2 lakh farmers growing wheat were benefitted in 2021-22 against 20.47 lakh farmers in 2016-17. The data on the number of farmers who benefitted prior to 2016-17 is not available.

The MSP of wheat has been increased by 57 per cent to Rs 2,125 per quintal from Rs 1,350 per quintal in 2013-14.

The procurement of paddy has increased to 857 lakh tonnes in the 2021-22 marketing year (October-September) from 475.30 lakh tonnes in 2013-14. The MSP value paid to paddy farmers stood at nearly Rs 1.7 lakh crore during the 2021-22 marketing year from around Rs 64,000 crore.

More than 125 lakh paddy farmers were covered under the MSP operations in 2021-22 against 73 lakhs in 2015-16.

Besides wheat and paddy, Singh said the Centre has asked states to procure coarse cereals and also distribute grains and assured it will bear the cost.

Nine states are currently buying coarse cereals — Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu, he said, adding that maize, bajra, jowar and ragi are being bought at the MSP.

Procurement of coarse cereals is expected to rise to around 9.5 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 from around 6.5 lakh tonnes in the previous year, Singh said, adding that the Karnataka government will buy around 5 lakh tonnes of ragi.

The additional secretary said the ministry is also working on a concept note to explore the possibility of fixing the benchmark price of minor millets.

Talking about Rajasthan, Singh said the procurement of wheat in the state stood at 23.4 lakh tonnes in 2021-22 from 12.69 lakh tonnes in 2013-14.

The paddy procurement in Rajasthan has started after more than a decade.

Singh said the ministry and the FCI have requested the Rajasthan government to shift to DCP (decentralised) mode for procurement of foodgrains.

Under the DCP system, the state government/ its agencies procure, store and distribute (against the Government of India’s allocation for TPDS and OWS etc) within the state. The excess stocks procured by the state /its agencies are handed over to FCI in Central Pool.

The expenditure incurred by the state government on procurement, storage and distribution of DCP stocks are reimbursed by the central government on the laid down principles.

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund mobilises over Rs 30,000 crore for creation of post-harvest management infrastructure

Synopsis

“Within two-and-a-half years of the implementation of the AIF, the scheme has mobilised more than Rs 30,000 crore for projects in the agriculture infrastructure sector with a sanctioned amount of Rs 15,000 crore under AIF,” it added.’

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), which was launched in July 2020, has mobilised over Rs 30,000 crore for taking up projects related to creation of post-harvest management facilities. The AIF is a financing facility for creation of post-harvest management infrastructure and community farm assets. Under this scheme, Rs 1 lakh crore is to be disbursed by financial year 2025-26 and the interest subvention and credit guarantee assistance will be given till the year 2032-33, an official statement said.

“Within two-and-a-half years of the implementation of the AIF, the scheme has mobilised more than Rs 30,000 crore for projects in the agriculture infrastructure sector with a sanctioned amount of Rs 15,000 crore under AIF,” it added.

The AIF is providing financial support to the farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, farmer groups like Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Joint Liability Groups, among others to create post-harvest management infrastructure and build community farming asset throughout the country.

In order to create awareness about the AIF amongst various stakeholders, the Union Ministry of Agriculture has been organising multiple conclaves and workshops.

Climate change: Punjab’s cotton, maize yield to dip by 11-13% by 2050, says report

Synopsis

The study published in the Mausam journal of the India Meteorological Department earlier this month used rainfall and temperature data collected between 1986 and 2020 to project the impact of climate change on five major crops — rice, maize, cotton, wheat, and potato — in the agrarian state.

New Delhi: Climate change is predicted to reduce maize and cotton yield in Punjab by 13 per cent and 11 per cent by 2050, according to a new study conducted by agriculture economists and scientists at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). Punjab accounts for around 12 per cent of the total cereals produced in the country.

The study published in the Mausam journal of the India Meteorological Department earlier this month used rainfall and temperature data collected between 1986 and 2020 to project the impact of climate change on five major crops — rice, maize, cotton, wheat, and potato — in the agrarian state.

The researchers collected climate data from five weather observatories of Punjab Agricultural University, ie Ludhiana, Patiala, Faridkot, Bathinda, and SBS Nagar.

The researchers — agricultural economist Sunny Kumar, scientist Baljinder Gaur Sidana and PhD scholar Smily Thakur — said that long-term changes in limatic variables show that the rise in temperature is driving most of the hanges, rather than the change in rainfall pattern.

One of the most intriguing findings is that changes in minimum temperature ave resulted in changes in mean temperature throughout all growing easons. It means that the minimum temperature has shown a rising trend,” he report said.

A rise in minimum temperature is harmful to the yield of rice, maize, and otton. On the contrary, excess minimum temperature is beneficial for potato and wheat yield, it noted.

The climate impacts on crops will vary widely in kharif and rabi seasons. Among the kharif crops, maize yield is the most responsive to temperature and rainfall than rice and cotton. By the year 2050, maize yield would reduce y 13 per cent followed by cotton (about 11 per cent) and rice (about 1 per cent),” he report read.

The negative impact would accumulate by 2080. The yield loss will increase from 13 to 24 per cent for maize, from 11 per cent to 24 per cent for cotton, and from 1 per cent to 2 percent for rice, respectively.

“The yield response of wheat and potato would be pretty much the same for the year 2050. By the year 2080, with a significant change in climate, the yield of wheat and potato will be higher by around 1 per cent each,” it said.

“Our results indicate that productivity decreases with an increase in average temperature in most of the crops. The adverse impact of climate change on agricultural production indicates a food security threat to the farming community,” the researchers said.

The findings provide credence to the claim that the future climate scenario is not very welcoming. The results indicated that the climate-smart packages must be incorporated into the agricultural development agenda at the policy level ,they said.

The study suggested focusing on linking farmers with financial institutions to boost their capacity to adapt to climate-smart technologies and practices.

Rajasthan govt to rent out drones to farmers to help spray fertilisers, insecticides

Synopsis

Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Horticulture, Dinesh Kumar said the use of artificial intelligence and drones for agricultural work is increasing all over the world and in the state also, the government is promoting the use of technology to enable farmers increase their income and yield.

Low income group farmers in Rajasthan will be provided drones on rent that will help them monitor crops and spray chemicals in a wide agricultural area with less cost and time. Around 1,500 drones will be made available at custom hiring centres by the state government in two years.

Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Horticulture, Dinesh Kumar said the use of artificial intelligence and drones for agricultural work is increasing all over the world and in the state also, the government is promoting the use of technology to enable farmers increase their income and yield.

“Progressive farmers of the state have already started using drones in agriculture. In the coming time there will be a huge increase in the demand and utility of drones in agriculture,” he said.

“Looking at this, the government has decided to provide drones on rent to such farmers who have limited income and cannot afford advanced and expensive drones,” Sharma said.

In conventional agricultural practices, pesticides are sprayed either manually or with the help of tractor-mounted sprayers where high quantities of pesticides and water are used and where a sizeable portion of spray goes waste in the environment.

Drone-based spray requires less quantity of water, as well as pesticides, due to better application and bio-efficiency.

Another official said 70 to 80 percent water can be saved by spraying with drones as compared to conventional spraying.

“Deficiency of nutrients in the standing crop can be determined and replenished easily through drones,” Agriculture Commissioner Kana Ram said.

He said irrigation monitoring, crop health monitoring, pest analysis, crop damage assessment, locust control, chemical spraying are such works which can be done in a better way using drones.

Last Wednesday, a live demonstration of state-level drone technology was organised at Joshiwas village, Jobner by the Agriculture department to illustrate the successful use of drones, which was witnessed by Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria.

Flexibility of drones helps spray fertilisers and insecticides in an easy manner as compared to conventional spraying.

Agriculture expert Shivpal Singh Rajawat said updating current agriculture practices is important and necessary to increase productivity and crop yield.

“Crops are monitored through visual observations traditionally and spraying is also done in traditional manner. Using drones can perform these tasks effectively, in less time. Looking at the precision, I am considering using drones for my agriculture farm,” said Hemraj Sharma, a farmer in Jaipur district.

Wheat acreage up slightly at 341.13 lakh hectare so far this rabi season

Synopsis

According to the latest data, the area under coverage for wheat has risen to 341.13 lakh ha till January 20 of the current rabi season of the 2022-23 crop year (July-June) against 339.87 lakh ha during the same period last year.

Wheat acreage has increased marginally to 341.13 lakh hectare (ha) so far in the ongoing rabi season of the 2022-23 crop year (July-June), according to the agriculture ministry data. Sowing of wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop, had begun from October onwards. Maize, jowar, gram and mustard are other major rabi crops. Harvesting of these crops will begin in March/April next year.

According to the latest data, the area under coverage for wheat has risen to 341.13 lakh ha till January 20 of the current rabi season of the 2022-23 crop year (July-June) against 339.87 lakh ha during the same period last year.

The higher area has been reported mainly from Rajasthan (2.52 lakh ha), Bihar (1.49 lakh ha), Maharashtra (0.92 lakh ha), Chhattisgarh (0.54 lakh ha), Gujarat (0.48 lakh ha) and Uttar Pradesh (0.22 lakh ha).

The lesser area under coverage for wheat is mainly reported from Madhya Pradesh (4.15 lakh ha), Jharkhand (0.34 lakh ha), Punjab (0.18 lakh ha), Himachal Pradesh (0.10 lakh ha) and Haryana (0.10 lakh ha).

As per the sowing data, Paddy acreage has also increased to 31.54 lakh ha compared to 23.64 lakh ha in the year-ago period.

Similarly, pulses acreage has risen marginally to 164.12 lakh ha against 163.7 lakh ha. Coarse and Nutri-cereals acreage has increased marginally to 51.46 lakh ha from 49.36 lakh ha.

In the case of oilseeds, the total area sown to various types of oilseeds has increased to 108.11 lakh ha so far this rabi season against 100.44 lakh ha in the year-ago period. Of which, the rapeseed-mustard seed area has increased to 97.1 lakh ha from 90.18 lakh ha, the data showed.

The total area sown to all kinds of rabi crops is higher at 696.35 lakh ha till January 20 of the current rabi season from 676.97 lakh ha a year ago.

National Export Co-operative Society to export farm, non-farming products in three months

Taking advantages of new push to the cooperation sector by the Centre, India’s five leading cooperatives-Amul, Nafed, Iffco, Kribhco and national coorpartive Development corporation society with an authorised share capitial of Rs 2000 crore to tap export potential of marketable surplus products, ranging from dairy, sugar, spices, handcrafts to minor forest produce. of the sector.

Many of these products have a huge demand in many countries but in the absence of an umbrella cooperative society , the export potential of such products remains hugely untapped. Sugar is the biggest example. Though cooperatives contribute to one third of the country’s total sugar production , direct exports by cooperative sugar mills is less than 1% of total sugar exports.

“Few cooperatives are currently involved in directly exporting different goods (primarily sugar, dairy products and handcrafts),but their share in india’s overall export(worth around $400 billion) is minuscule, idea of an umbrella body for export of goods being products in the cooperative sector is to increase its share so that its profits benefits members including farmers,” said an official of the ministry of cooperation.

The national cooperative export society , headquartered in New Delhi, will carry out its activities through procurement , storage, processing, marketing, branding, labeling, packaging, certification, research and development . It” ll be involved in trading of all types of goods and services produced by cooperatives and related entities.

“Higher exports through this society will increase production of goods and services by the cooperatives at various levels. it’ll thus lead to more employment in the sector. Processing of goods & enhancing the services to match international standards will also generate additional employment ,” said the official while explaining the rationale behind the move.

Five cooperative societies including Gujrat cooperative milk marketing federation limited, which marketing milk products under the Amul brand, will contribute Rs100 crore each and become promoter members for establishing the national level multi-state cooperative society will raise funds through share capital , admission and other fees, loans , cash , credits , commercial papers, overdraft of banks , grant-in-aid and subsidies from central and state governments , donations/contributions from members and other organizations within india and abroad.

Setting up the national -level society for export will be in sync with the government’s recent decision to set up three such multi-state umbrella bodies in the country with the other two being approved for organic products and seeds. Amul, nafed and NCDC will also be promoters of the national level cooperatives society for organic products.

“Push to the cooperatives sector through these measures means directly and indirectly befitting india’s 8.54 lakh registered cooperatives having nearly 30 crore members especially from the marginalised and lower income in the rural said,” the officials.

He said, “Setting up a national-level cooperative exclusively for organic products will not only help India gain better access to the global market but also help the country’s lakh of farmers who produce fertilizers- and pesticides-free farm crop.

There are around 34 lakh organic farmers in 190 countries with land coverage of 797 lakh hectares (1.6% of total agricultural land of the world) of which Australia has the largest land coverage of 357 lakh hectares. India ranks fourth with 27 lakh hectares of land under organic farming. Market size of certified organic product in India is worth Rs 27,000 crore including export of Rs 7,000 crore.

Small farmers must get irrigation, fertilisers, secure market at lower cost to transform food systems: R K Singh

Synopsis

Speaking at a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 here, Singh said India is helping farmers reduce their carbon footprint with solar water pumps and green ammonia. He said India is providing millions of solar water pumps to farmers, and will soon produce enough green ammonia to stop imports of ammonia-based fertilisers, which form a big chunk of its import bills.

Developed countries should walk the talk on transforming food systems by helping small farmers in developing countries with cheaper access to irrigation, fertilisers and markets, Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh said on Wednesday.

In a strong rebuttal to the criticism about India continuing to buy oil from Russia, the Minister for New and Renewable Energy also asserted that the Indian import of Russian oil was only a fraction of what was being purchased by Europe and before lecturing others the West must stop their Russian oil dealings entirely.

Speaking at a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 here, Singh said India is helping farmers reduce their carbon footprint with solar water pumps and green ammonia.

He said India is providing millions of solar water pumps to farmers, and will soon produce enough green ammonia to stop imports of ammonia-based fertilisers, which form a big chunk of its import bills.

Asked why India is continuing to import cheap Russian gas despite international opprobrium, Singh said India imports less gas from Russia in a month than Europe does in a day.

“India had a conflict with its northern neighbour; did the West do anything about it? Stop importing from it?” he asked.

Speaking in the same session about his experience as a Goodwill Ambassador for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), actor Idris Elba said IFAD’s interventions show the systems that work and are replicable but more public-private partnerships (PPPs) are needed.

“Countries need a food systems ministry, not just an agriculture ministry. One that relies on people-centric policies, incentivises the private sector for early adoption of new systems, has multifaceted goals,” he said.

Vietnam has already operationalized such PPPs, said Tran Hong Ha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam.

“Farmers in developing countries are usually not wealthy and need partnership among all stakeholders – producers, consumers and others along the value chain – in order to contribute knowledge and share profits.”

He added there is inevitably a friction too, and governments can play a balancing role to ensure that each sector can develop fully.

Proclaiming PepsiCo to be “mainly an agricultural company”, Ramon Laguarta, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, USA, said his company is striving to make agriculture regenerative, sustainable and positive for the planet.

As the owner of the largest private fleet of vehicles in the US, PepsiCo is making its vehicles low-emission, he said. “We have beautiful brands that have the power to educate consumers on sustainability,” he said.

Calling for an international agreement whereby every country would become accountable for transforming its food system, he said it is imperative to put the farmer at the centre, and make sure the farmer makes good money while using fewer resources and producing fewer carbon emissions.

Emphasizing the need to “make farming sexy”, Laguarta said there will be no next generation of farmers unless farmers love their profession, earn a living and continue to invest in farming.

“We must help with technology, training, funding,” he said. “It’s happening; it is the future of our company.”

Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Minister of International Development of Norway, said it was absurd that “the very people who go hungry are food producers”, adding that “now, with increasing cost of inputs, it will get worse.”

Speaking of the US Department of Agriculture’s Global Fertilizer Challenge, she made a case for precision agriculture that maps soils to enable optimum fertilizer and water use.

Agreeing with Indian minister Singh that derisking should be a key element of financial support to farmers in developing countries, Tvinnereim said Norway has been able to use its taxpayers’ money to crowd in private money.

“We have the technologies, we know what to do, but we need investment to create a virtuous cycle of investment,” she said.

Adverse weather hits Indian cane crop and curtails sugar output

Synopsis

“Excessive rainfall and cloudy weather in September and October curtailed sugar cane’s vegetative growth. Cane yields are lower than the last year,” Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd, told Reuters.

India is likely to produce 34.3 million tonnes of sugar in 2022/23, down 4% from the previous forecast, after sugar cane yields in key producing states were hit by adverse weather, a senior industry official told Reuters on Tuesday.

Lower sugar output could limit exports from the world’s second-biggest exporter, lifting global prices and allowing rivals Brazil and Thailand to increase their shipments.

“Excessive rainfall and cloudy weather in September and October curtailed sugar cane’s vegetative growth. Cane yields are lower than the last year,” Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd, told Reuters.

India, the world’s biggest sugar producer, had produced a record 35.9 million tonnes of sugar in the previous season, which ended on Sept. 30.

Maharashtra, which accounts for more than a third of the country’s sugar output, is expected to produce 12.5 million tonnes of sugar in the marketing year that began on Oct. 1, down from an earlier forecast of about 13.8 million tonnes, Naiknavare said.

“There might be further reduction in the production estimate, but there is no possibility of upward revision,” Naiknavare said.

The revised estimate of 34.3 million tonnes is “very optimistic” and production could drop below 33 million tonnes, said one Mumbai-based dealer at a global trading house.

Reuters was first to report in December about the likely drop in production.

New Delhi has allowed mills to export 6.15 million tonnes of sugar in the first tranche of this year’s exports. The Indian Sugar Mills Association expects India to earmark up to 4 million tonnes of sugar for overseas shipment in the second tranche.

The government is unlikely to allow additional exports because it will first try to fulfil local demand, the dealer said.

India among countries evolving food systems for bigger gains for farmer-allied SMEs, says WEF study

Synopsis

The WEF listed India, Ghana and Vietnam as among the countries that have been able to evolve their food systems by unlocking the potential of SMEs, particularly those that are farmer-allied and operating in local food chains.

India figures among the few countries that have been able to evolve their food systems for a broader set of outcomes by unlocking the potential of small and medium-sized enterprises, a new WEF report said on Monday. The World Economic Forum report, released here on the first day or its Annual Meeting 2023, said the countries that tackle food crisis can boost jobs, health and nature and also meet net zero goals better.

It listed India, Ghana and Vietnam as among the countries that have been able to evolve their food systems by unlocking the potential of SMEs, particularly those that are farmer-allied and operating in local food chains.

Food systems, when transformed, can help solve some of the world’s toughest problems, from climate change to resilient livelihoods, the report said.

“Transforming food systems provide healthy and nutritious diets and dignified jobs for farmers and producers. This report shows how economic development with environment protection supports communities in climate adaption and mitigation efforts,” Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director of the WEF’s Centre for Nature and Climate, said.

The report, prepared in collaboration with Bain & Company, presented repeatable models from seven ‘early mover’ countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe whose performance has been comparatively strong and whose examples and lessons are widely relevant.

“Depending on the country context, different pathways could be adopted to transform our agri-food systems for improved food security and nutrition and assuring sustainability,” Maximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said.

“When food fails, everything fails,” Geraldine Matchett, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Royal DSM, and Co-Chair of the CEO Alliance on Food, Nature and Health, said.

In India, the report said, a multi-decade programme grounded in support for smallholder farmers and dairy enterprises has helped transform dairy into India’s largest agricultural commodity, accounting for roughly one-third of rural incomes and 10 per cent of total caloric intake in 2019.

“This transformation began with public programmes supporting the formation of village-level cooperatives, extension services and credit. In time it evolved to cultivate a domestic industry that has a number of successful, tech-enabled, vertically integrated enterprises with farmer-allied sourcing models,” it added.

Sector transformations in Vietnam and Ghana have followed much the same path, WEF said.

Dairy is the single largest agricultural commodity in India, accounting for 5 per cent of GDP and an important foundation of nutrition.

India is now the world’s largest milk producer and 70 per cent of its milk is produced by its 80 million smallholder farmers with herds of fewer than 10 animals.

As the country continues to urbanise, city dwellers are spending more on dairy and consuming more processed dairy products that carry higher margins.

Between 2002 and 2021, the sector’s value addition doubled, registering nearly USD 15 billion in 2020.