BUDGET REACTION - AGRICULTURE by DR. K.C. Ravi

The Budget presented against a backdrop of a strong rebound of the economy has set the foundation for taking agriculture on a sustained higher growth trajectory during the ‘Amrit Kal’ towards India @100. The emphasis on digital infrastructure for infusion of agriculture technologies in a PPP mode will be the need of the hour in the next 25 years to combat the serious threat of climate change. Another significant announcement is the emphasis on use of Kisan Drones for crop assessments, land records, spraying of insecticides and micronutrients, which will be a game changer for the agriculture sector.

The implementation of Ken-Betwa link worth Rs 44,605 crore covering 9 lakh hectares addresses the critical need of augmenting irrigation capability. The measures announced for startups along with support for FPOs and machinery adoption are also welcome.  The higher allocation on agriculture would hopefully result in many PPP opportunities for deployment of scale neutral latest technologies. Given a serious challenge it poses to the environment, I am happy to see a specific mention of provision of technology and funds to farmers for reduction of crop burning. Implementation of the measures announced would be key.

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