Indian agriculture is facing challenging times yet again.

In a recent special edition on “Indian Agriculture Today” in the Economic and Political Weekly (20 February 2016), Abhijit Sen points to the slowdown in the growth of Indian agriculture after 2011-12. As per revised National Accounts Statistics, the rate of growth of gross value added in agriculture and allied sectors in India in 2014–15 was minus 0.2 per cent. The author notes that this is the first time since 2002–03 that value added by the agricultural sector in the country has recorded negative growth. In the article, Professor Sen also lists the priorities for India’s agricultural policy in the coming years. They include enhancing efficiencies in agricultural production and in natural resource use, and devising safety nets for farmers to cope with the varied risks emerging –from the operation of unequal markets to climate change.

Some Reflections on Agrarian Prospects by Abhijit Sen

In the same issue of Economic and Political Weekly (February 20, 2016), S. Mahendra Dev argues that water management should be given high priority in agricultural policy, with the objectives of preventing drought, minimizing the risks due to drought, and building a climate-resilient agriculture.

Water Management and Resilience in Agriculture by S. Mahendra Dev

There are two other articles in this special edition; the links are:

Fermenting New Wine for New Bottles: Farmer Producer Companies by Tushaar Shah

Some Policy Priorities: Making Indian Agriculture More Resilient by Madhur Gautam