AGRICULTURE – Quick Revise Notes

E-Technology in Aid of Farmers

• Drivers of digitisation: smartphone & internet spread, govt push (Digital Agriculture Mission $2021$–$2025$, Digital Public Infrastructure, Agri-Stack), private MNC & start-up interest (>$>$ $550$ agri-start-ups).
• Key tools/platforms: Agri-Stack (Farmer ID, geo-tagged plots, crop registry), Krishi-DSS (integrated geo-spatial data), e-NAM (national e-market; $1.7$ crore farmers, $2.5$ lakh traders), FARMS-APP, PM-KISAN app.
• Benefits: higher productivity via precision agri (AI, drones), market reach, sustainability (input optimisation, weather advisories), targeted subsidies/insurance.
• Bottlenecks: low digital literacy, language & content gaps, poor rural infra (electricity, net, storage), high gadget cost, data-privacy & cyber-fraud concerns.

Food Processing Industries (FPI)

• Current share: contributes $\approx 7.5\%$ of manufacturing GVA; AAGR $\approx 5.3\%$ (last $8$ yrs).
• Processing levels low: fruits/veg $2\%$, marine $8\%$, milk $35\%$.
• Upside: huge raw-material base, rising domestic demand, job potential (organised FPI employs $\approx 12\%$ of mfg labour), export scope, wastage reduction (annual harvest loss $\approx ₹90{,}000$ cr).
• Main gaps: unorganised MSMEs, capital-intensive entry, weak R&D/branding, poor cold-chain/labs/skills.
• Flagship schemes: PM-SAMPADA, Mega Food Park (grant $50\%$ cost up to ₹$50$ cr), PLI-FPI (outlay ₹$10{,}900$ cr), PM-FME (₹$10{,}000$ cr, ODOP), Operation Greens, NABARD $₹2{,}000$ cr fund, $100\%$ FDI route.

Livestock Sector

• Share: $30\%$ of Agri-GVA, $5\%$ of total GVA (FY$23$); output value ₹$17.2$ lakh cr.
• India: largest milk producer, $5^{th}$ meat producer; exports animal products ₹$37{,}000$ cr (buffalo meat dominates).
• Advantages: income diversification for $70\%$ rural homes, women empowerment, manure/biogas synergy.
• Pain-points: low per-animal yield (avg cattle milk $1.8$ t vs global $2.7$ t), feed deficit, diseases (FMD, LSD), unregulated slaughter, antibiotic misuse.
• Recent push: Sustainable Livestock Health & Production (₹$1,702$ cr), National Livestock Mission, AHIDF (₹$15{,}000$ cr + credit guarantee), MAITRI AI technicians.

Dairy Sector & Cooperatives

• Output: $239$ mt; secondary income for $80$ million rural homes; women $70\%$ of workforce.
• Constraints: feed/fodder shortage, fragmented cold-chain, credit, diseases, adulteration.
• Solutions: breed & feed improvement, AI/embryo tech, village-level chilling, R&D, export standards.
• Cooperative model: Operation Flood ( $1970$–$96$ ) ⟶ Anand three-tier (village society-district union-state federation); current target under “White Revolution $2.0$” – raise cooperative procurement from $660$ to $1{,}000$ LLPD by $2029$.

Small Ruminants (Sheep & Goat)

• Population $\approx 200$ million ( $40\%$ of livestock).
• Merits: low input, drought hardy, quick reproduction, main source of mutton & wool for marginal farmers.
• Hurdles: neglect in breeding, feed, vet care; weak markets & policy focus.

Fisheries & Aquaculture

• India: $3^{rd}$ overall, $2^{nd}$ in aquaculture; total catch $18.4$ mt (inland >70\%).
• Sector GVA $1.2\%$ of GDP; supports $30$ million people; exports ₹$64,000$ cr.
• Issues: infra gaps ➝ post-harvest losses, IUU fishing, habitat degradation, skill deficit.
• Interventions: PM-Matsya Sampada (PMMSY), PM-MKSSY for MSME formalisation + NFDP digital registry $16.3$ lakh fishers, FIDF concessional fund, organic fish cluster (Sikkim).

Farm Subsidies & Loan Waiver

• Subsidy outgo FY$23$: Food ₹$2.8$ lakh cr, Fertiliser ₹$2.1$ lakh cr, Petroleum ₹$0.3$ lakh cr.
• WTO concern: Amber-box limits on trade-distorting support.
• Loan waivers: short-term relief but harm fisc, bank health, credit culture; SBI study – only $\approx 50\%$ beneficiaries actually benefited $2014$–$21$.

Minimum Support Price (MSP)

• Covers $23$ crops ( $22$ MSP + FRP sugarcane); benchmark $\ge 1.5$ × A$2$+FL cost.
• Functions: price floor, production incentive, buffer procurement.
• Shortfalls: skewed to wheat-rice & few states, storage cost, small farmer exclusion, fiscal drain, WTO amber box.
• PM-AASHA ( $2018$ ) – PSS, PDPS, PPSS for oilseeds/pulses but low funding.

Food Security & NFSA $2013$

• Legal coverage: $75\%$ rural, $50\%$ urban – each entitled to $5$ kg grain/month at ₹$(3,2,1)$/kg; AAY $35$ kg hh.
• Lifecycle entitlements: maternity ₹$6,000$, ICDS meals $0$–$6$ yrs, Mid-Day Meal till class $VIII$.
• Implementation: ONORC portability, full DBT in Chandigarh, Puducherry.
• Challenges: fiscal burden (>₹$2$ lakh cr/yr), leakage, beneficiary identification, storage infra, Aadhaar mismatches.

Buffer Stocks, FCI & PDS

• FCI operations: annual procurement $\approx 100$ mt, storage $83$ mt, distribution $60$ mt, OMSS sales $10$ mt.
• Reforms: depot silos, AI grain analysers, GPS tracking, ANNA-DARPAN SCM, equity infusion ₹$10,700$ cr, asset monetisation ₹$6,000$ cr.
• PDS evolution: generic → RPDS $1992$ → TPDS $1997$ → NFSA $2013$; current free grain under PM-GKAY extended $2024$–$28$.
• PDS issues: diversion/leakage, wrong targeting, high subsidy, limited diet diversity, WTO scrutiny.
• Fixes: IM-PDS, ONORC, doorstep delivery, Shanta Kumar proposals (coverage to $40\%$, DBT, private storage).