The Economic Survey 2025-26 highlights that Indian agriculture remains a central pillar for achieving Viksit Bharat, recording an unprecedented average annual growth rate of 4.4% over the past five years. This decadal growth rate of 4.45% (FY16-FY25) is the highest in comparison to previous decades, driven largely by the robust performance of higher-value allied sectors like Livestock (7.1% growth) and Fisheries (8.8% growth). In the second quarter of FY 2025-26, the sector continued its resilient trajectory with a growth rate of 3.5%.
Production Milestones and Horticulture Surge
India achieved record-breaking foodgrain production of 357.73 million tonnes in FY 2024-25, led by rice, wheat, and millets (’Shree Anna’).
Horticulture: Accounting for ~33% of agricultural GVA, horticulture has emerged as a major growth engine, with production increasing to 367.72 million tonnes in 2024-25.
Global Leadership: India is now the world’s largest producer of dry onions (~25% global share) and the second-largest producer of vegetables, fruits, and potatoes.
Infrastructure and Input Modernization
Systematic interventions in input quality and rural infrastructure are transforming the landscape:
Seeds and Soil: Over 25.55 crore Soil Health Cards have been issued, and 6.85 lakh Seed Villages created to ensure access to high-quality, climate-resilient seeds.
Irrigation: Gross irrigated area as a share of cropped area increased to 55.8% in 2022-23.
Rural Connectivity: Under PMGSY, over 99.6% of eligible habitations are now connected with all-weather roads.
Digital Transformation: Drone surveys under the SVAMITVA scheme have been completed in 3.28 lakh villages, with 2.76 crore property cards issued.
Financial Empowerment and Social Security
Enhanced credit flow and direct income support are providing a safety net for small and marginal farmers:
Income Support: Under PM-KISAN, over ₹4.09 lakh crore has been released to more than 11 crore farmers.
Agricultural Credit: Ground Level Credit (GLC) disbursement reached ₹28.69 lakh crore in FY25, surpassing the national target.
Livelihoods: More than 10 crore rural women are now connected through 90 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs), with the number of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ crossing 2.5 crore.
National Missions Driving Income and Self-Sufficiency
Food and Nutrition Security: The National Food Security Mission, renamed the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) in FY25, focuses on productivity enhancement across cereals, pulses, oilseeds, commercial crops, and nutri-cereals (Shree Anna).
Edible Oils and Pulses Atmanirbharta: The National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds and Oil Palm targets ~70 million tonnes of oilseed output by 2030–31. Domestic edible oil availability rose to 121.75 lakh tonnes (2023–24), cutting import dependence from 63.2% (2015–16) to 56.25%.
Aspirational Agriculture Districts:PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY) will cover 100 aspirational agricultural districts from FY26, focusing on diversification, irrigation, post-harvest storage, and credit access.
What is the significance of “Allied Sectors” in the recent decadal growth of Indian agriculture? Allied sectors, including livestock, fisheries, and aquaculture, have outpaced the traditional crop sector (3.5% growth) to become the primary drivers of agricultural GVA. Livestock recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.77% at current prices, while fisheries production increased by over 140% between 2014 and 2025. These sectors are critical for “inclusive growth” as they provide high-frequency income and year-round employment opportunities for rural households, diversifying their revenue streams beyond seasonal harvesting.
Policy Relevance
The Survey documents a transition from “subsistence” to a “high-value, resilient” agricultural economy.
National Security: Record production and self-reliance in foodgrains bolster national food security amidst global supply chain uncertainties.
Targeting the “Shadow Economy”: Digitization of 99.8% of rural land records and the issuance of property cards under SVAMITVA bring informal rural assets into the formal financial system.
Gender-Led Development: The economic empowerment of 2.5 crore “Lakhpati Didis” signals a shift toward making women the central agents of rural economic transformation.
Climate Resilience: The launch of the National Mission on High-Yielding Seeds in 2025-26 aims to future-proof Indian agriculture against climate-induced weather shocks.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the Ministry of Agriculture leverage the data from 25.55 crore Soil Health Cards to create “Hyper-Local Fertilizer Maps” that reduce input costs while improving environmental sustainability?
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