::: VISION 2025 :::

Food Security & Agriculture

Food security must not be confused with self-sufficiency in food. It depends much more on the capacity of the national economy to obtain its requirement of food from domestic and foreign sources and on the ability of people to purchase the food available.

With the right agricultural policies in place, the emerging scenario will be a highly diversified and efficient agricultural economy which will not only make optimal use of land and water resources but also ensure that profitable farming attracts enterprising and qualified persons to take up farming and provide an acceptable level of food security.

The economy must make the best use of its resources - physical and human and provide sufficient income earning opportunities to the people. Maximizing the utility of water as an economic resource is, therefore, critical to achieving food security.

We will see dramatic changes in agriculture in the next quarter century due to competition and globalization. While its importance in the national economy and composition of employment will decline relatively from the current 23(?) to …..with the growth of industries and services, it will be transformed into a highly productive commercial enterprise. This will be brought about by several factors:

The rural population is expected to decline from the current 13 to about 9 million by 2025. This will reduce pressure on the natural resource base. Agriculture will be carried out by a smaller group of more educated and commercially oriented farmers who will produce "more crop per drop" using improved irrigation technology such as drip, sprinkler and lift irrigation limiting the need for the extension of agriculture.

Productivity in agriculture will increase with the introduction of paddy varieties and cultivation methods that require less water, adoption of water saving farming systems with high value crops and other technological and bio-technological improvements.

Water will be treated as an economic resource rather than as a free good (as at present) and be priced realistically to optimize its use.

Globalization and the larger and richer domestic urban market with changing food habits will provide a profitable market for a variety of fresh and processed farm products.

Improved processing technology and cheaper storage and transport will improve access to domestic and foreign markets and increase the profitability of farming.

Value of small tanks and water bodies for social and environmental balance will be recognized and safeguarded.