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Role of Agricultural Scientists in Indian Economy

N. J. Ardeshna, B. Swaminathan and R. L. Shiyani
Department of Agricultural Economics, Junagadh Agricultural University,
Junagadh 362 001, Gujarat (India)
Introduction
Agriculture plays the most crucial role in balancing the socioeconomic profile of India
and occupies the centre stage in the countrys economic welfare. Indian agriculture is a diverse
and most extensive sector. Since Independence, the country has witnessed significant increase in
food-grain production (green revolution), oilseeds (yellow revolution), milk (white revolution),
fish (blue revolution), and fruits and vegetables (golden revolution). Gone are the days where the
nation had to beg without a bowl, through PL-480, and had to depend upon the excess wheat
that the United States was dumping in the open seas. Today, the country has marched on from
food security to food sufficiency and has materialized food sovereignty. All these have become
possible owing to the application of cutting edge of science coupled with the positive policy
support, and commitment of agricultural research intelligentsia and Indian farmers alike. The
role of successive central and state governments in the form of various schemes and plans
regarding investment, technology transfer and other aspects have vitalized agricultural growth
and rural development. The Green Revolution technologies and the liberalization policies have
contributed immensely to the Indian economy by providing food self-sufficiency and improved
rural welfare. The role of agricultural scientists has been proved imperative in this regard.
Importance of Agricultural Research
Agricultural research encompasses physical, chemical, biological, environmental and
socio-economic aspects. The importance of agricultural research is that it doesnt stops with the
lab itself but it has to be taken to the field. Then alone, the research gets complete. Agricultural
research is extremely inter-disciplinary and the concept as well approaches of one domain is to
be interlinked with the other domain (for instance, pest management cannot be understood
without the knowledge of physiology of a crop which goes in hand-in-hand with the cultivation
practices and soil fertility which in turn gets determined by the social or economic characteristics
of a farmer). Field trials in agricultural research are as important as field visits and field
documentations (Anandaraja et al., 2015). As of 2011-12, the government of India has spent

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at least $300 million on agricultural research and a further $60 million on public extension
programmes (Cole and Fernando, 2012).
The role of agricultural research is becoming ever important with the present day
agriculture has to face up with a multitude of challenges ranging from climate change,
environmental degradation, land diversification, price volatility and farm sustainability. The
impact of research is immense as over 58 per cent of the rural households depend on agriculture
as their principal means of livelihood. Over the years, agricultural research has contributed in
such a way that now agriculture, along with fisheries and forestry, is one of the largest
contributors to the nations gross domestic product (GDP) apart from meeting out the needs of
nations food and nutrition security (Borthakur et al., 2012 and Arjun et al., 2013).
Though agriculture alone (other than forestry and fisheries) accounts for only about 13.7
per cent of GDP in India as of 2014-15, it still remains relevant in the socio-economic fabric of
the country. As per estimates by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the share of agriculture and
allied sectors (including agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishery) was 16.1 per cent of the
Gross Value Added (GVA) during 201415. With a food grain production of 251 million tonnes
(MT) in 2014-15, the country is now ranked globally third in terms of farm and agriculture
outputs. It also happens to be the largest producer of pulses at 19.0 MT. India, being the secondlargest producer of sugar, accounts for 14 per cent of the global output. It is the sixth-largest
exporter of sugar, accounting for 2.76 per cent of the global exports. Agricultural export
constitutes 10 per cent of the countrys exports and is the fourth-largest exported principal
commodity. The country has also become the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices
and spice products. As of 2014-15, the spices market is valued at US$ 2.40 billion per annum,
and spice exports are expected to reach US$ 3 billion by 2020. Besides, with an annual output of
138 million tonnes, India is the largest producer of milk, and it also has the largest bovine
population (Anonymous, 2014).
History of Agricultural Research
Agricultural research in India has an interesting history regarding its growth and
development. It started during the British colonial era and today the agricultural research system
in India includes some 27,500 scientists actively engaged in agricultural research, which makes it
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probably the largest research and institutionally most complex system in the world. They are
distributed in the ICAR system, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), general universities and
other organizations.
The main events in the history of agricultural research in India can be grouped into the
following seven categories (ICAR, 2007):
1. Establishment of agriculture departments and agriculture colleges,
2. Establishment of the imperial council of agricultural research,
3. Initiation of commodity committees,
4. Project for intensification of regional research on cotton, oilseeds and millets,
5. Initiation of all India coordinated crop improvement projects (AICRPs),
6. Reorganization of ICAR, and
7. The development of agricultural universities.
Present Research Dispensation
Today, India has one of the largest agricultural research systems in the world and it is
known under the umbrella term of National Agricultural Research System (NARS). Historically,
the Indian agricultural research system is the zenith of a process which started in the 19 th century
and which catapulted in the establishment of the Imperial (now Indian) Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) on the recommendation of a Royal Commission on Agriculture in 1929. Since
then there was a stupendous evolution of agricultural research in India. In the present research
system (NARS), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the apex organization
which at the national level mainly aids, promotes and coordinates research and education
activities throughout the country. The research and education responsibilities at the state level
rest with the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs). In addition to these main streams of
research, some general universities and other agencies like scientific organizations related to
agriculture, government departments, voluntary organizations, private institutions etc. participate
in the nations research efforts (Figure 1).
Besides there are quite a many international research organizations belonging to the
Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) including ICRISAT, IFPRI
as well as to the Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture

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(AIRCA) like AVRDC which work in tandem with NARS and contribute to the steadfast growth
of agricultural research in India.
The greater emphasis given to the agricultural research in India could be established by
the fact that the system guided by the ICAR now (as of 2014-15) has,

5 Deemed Universities
60 ICAR Institutions
6 National Bureaux
15 Project Directorates
16 National Research Centres
138 Substations of ICAR Institutes
8 Zonal Project Directorates
57 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)
2 Central Agricultural University and
4 Central Universities having faculty of agriculture
633 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)
61 AICRPs (All India Coordinated Research Projects)
10 Other Projects
17 Network Projects

Figure 1. National Agricultural Research System and its Components

Research Contribution
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Agricultural research has propelled the development of Indian economy from strength to
strength. The inventions, improvements and need-based modifications of agricultural inputs
including seeds, plant protection, plant nutrition and farm machineries, soil and water
conservation measures and in the domain of financing and marketing institutions has aided rural
growth and guided its development. The ideal contribution materialized from agricultural
research and extension has been given in Figure 2. The rise in crop yields and incomes over the
decades has clearly demonstrated the role of agricultural scientists in nation building.

Figure 2. Ideal Contribution of Agricultural Research

One measure of innovation in the seed industry is the number of cultivars notified or
recognized by the Department of Agriculture as new cultivars during various periods. It could be
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seen from Table 1 and 2 that the rate of innovation in seed industry was steady from the 1980s to
the 1990s and then has rapidly increased in the 2000s. The governmental policy in opening up
agricultural research for the private has also proved beneficial as many varieties of crops such as
cotton, maize, pearl millet, and sorghum have primarily come from the private sector.
Table 1. Trends in notified varieties of major field crops
Crops

No. of Notified varieties and Hybrids by decade

1980-89
1989-99
2000-10
198
188
303
84
66
112
43
64
113
38
45
51
55
49
55
72
78
95
490
490
729

Rice
Wheat
Maize
Pearl millet
Sorghum
Cotton
Total
Source: Pray and Nagarajan (2012)

Table 2. Major crop varieties released by public & private-sector institutions

Crops
Rice
Wheat
Maize
Pearl millet
Sorghum
Cotton
Total

Private Hybrids (2005-10)

79
40
136
97
75
255
603

Notified Public Varieties (2005-10)

240
95
87
48
46
70
346

Source: Pray and Nagarajan (2012)

Similarly, as it could be seen from Table 3, pesticides registrations have increased rapidly
since 1980s. Twice as many pesticides were registered in the first decade of the 21 st century as
were registered in the 1980s. These registrations, all by private companies, are primarily new
formulations of active ingredients, but some new active ingredients and formulations for new
crops, especially horticulture crops, have been developed. Over the decades, several agricultural
technologies have been developed by the ICAR-SAUs system. A list of some such potential
technologies has been provided in Appendix I. These technologies cover a wide range of areas
from improved crop production to resource conservation and value addition.
Table 3. New pesticide registrations over the decades, 19682010
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Year
1968
1970-79
1980-89
1990-99
2000-10

Number of Pesticides registration

130
105
104
174
228

Source: Pray and Nagarajan (2012)

In addition, the MOUs/agreements of NARS institutions with foreign countries have

provided fruitful collaborations and have resulted in better agricultural facilities in areas such as
research and development, capacity building, germplasm exchange, post-harvest management,
value addition/food processing, plant protection, animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries. The
agreements have enhanced bilateral trade as well. Apart from the present day benefits realized,
these collaborations have also the potential of spawning positive future implications.
Agricultural Research Bottlenecks
Investment in agricultural research is one of the most important and effective strategies
for economic growth and poverty reduction in rural areas where the majority of the worlds poor
live. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in agriculture has been shown to be at least twice as
effective in reducing poverty as growth originating in other sectors (Fan et al., 1999 and Kumar,
2009). The success stories of Indian agriculture since the days of green revolution are towering
examples. Despite this success, India currently faces many critical challenges with the slack in
public investment in the agriculture sector particularly in irrigation, power, rural roads, market
and mechanization. Also, subsidies on fertilizers have decreased which has lead to increases in
the cost of production. Further problematic issues include: First, to reduce poverty and
malnutrition, which are most prevalent in rural areas, India needs not only to improve the
availability of food but also to generate income and employment opportunities for the poor to
provide them with access to food. Second, because accelerated economic growth and rapid
urbanization are driving demand for high-value commodities, particularly livestock and
horticultural products, future agricultural growth needs to be much more diversified. Third,
sustainable management and use of natural resources is a growing challenge, with groundwater
depletion, agrochemical pollution, and land degradation by water-logging, salinity, soil erosion,
and deterioration of soil fertility.

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The socio-economic research and analysis has also clearly demonstrated that the poor and
partial adoption on farmers fields continues to be the major problem in agricultural growth and
development. Thereby, it has now been realized, that there is an urgent need to refine these
technologies to make them area-specific. Another important need is their transfer to the farmers
and the capacity development of farmers for their adoption. The next important requirement is
development of appropriate infrastructure for managing problems like yield gap, post-harvest
losses, depleting natural resources, changing climate, IPR issues, global competitiveness, etc. It
requires huge investment in this sector. There is also the need of reliable databases on different
aspects of agriculture at the level of agro-ecological region. To generate such information, a large
number of frontline demonstrations are to be conducted, which would require large amount of
resources (man and material).
Vision Forward for Agricultural Research
Since independence, there has been substantial growth and contribution to the Indian
economy by NARS. Synchronized conduct and coordination of agricultural research, has lead to
various agricultural revolutions across the country, making India not only self-sufficient in food
but also with surplus. But in the near future, there are quite a many emerging complex
challenges. Thereby, NARS has set a vision to attain Rainbow Revolution covering the entire
spectrum of activities in agriculture which will make India a developed nation free of poverty,
hunger, malnutrition, and environmental safety issues. Continued steps have been taken to
improve soil fertility on a sustainable basis through the soil health card scheme and to support
the organic farming scheme Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana; to improve access to irrigation
through Pradhanmantri Gram Sinchai Yojana; to enhance water efficiency through Per Drop
More Crop; and to support rural employment programmes emphasizing on creating physical
assets (like MGNREGA). Efforts are also on the anvil to improve exports with creative
marketing strategies, innovative packaging, quality and strong distribution networks.
Conclusion
Over the recent past, agricultural research in India has facilitated nations growth and
development. It has immensely contributed to the rise in rural household income and
consumption, reduced transaction costs and time, improved port gate management, improved
food-grains distribution, improved fiscal incentives, expansion in the food processing sector and
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increase in agricultural exports. In addition, agriculture sector is slowly, steadily and cautiously
getting transformed in to agro industry in India, which now encompasses sub segments such as
canned, dairy, processed, frozen food, fisheries, meat, poultry, and food grains. The agriculture
sector in India can be expected to generate better momentum in the next few years provided there
are increased investments in agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, warehousing
and cold storage. The role of agricultural scientists has had been immense in making the nation
to attain food security. Now the focus is much less the same but only the priorities have been
changed. Food security has to meet up with the pangs of malnutrition, rural development has to
get translated to rural prosperity, farming has to get sustainable and agriculture, as a whole, needs
to become a viable proposition. With the threats and possibilities of globalization, climate
change, food safety concerns and the rising rural-urban divide looming large, the role of
agricultural scientists remains as vital and potential as ever.
References
Anandaraja, N., Swaminathan B. and Sivabalan, K. C. (2015). Use of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) to Achieve Information Literacy in Agriculture.
International Journal of Agricultural Extension, 03 (02): 111-122.
Anonymous. (2014). The Economic Survey 201415, Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Department of Commerce and Industry
201415.
Arjun, K. M. (2013). Indian Agriculture-Status, Importance and Role in Indian Economy,
International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science Technology, 4(4): 343-346.
Borthakur, A. and Singh, P. (2012). Agricultural Research in India: An Exploratory Study.
International Journal of Social Science & Interdisciplinary Research, 1(9): 59-74.
Cole, S. A., and Nilesh, A. F. (2012). The value of advice: evidence from mobile phone-based
agricultural extension. Working Paper: 13-047, Harvard Business School of Finance.
Fan, S., Haselt, P. and Thorat, S. (1999). Linkages between Government Spending, Growth and
Poverty in Rural India, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC.
ICAR. (2007). State-specific Technological Interventions for Higher Agricultural Growth, Indian
Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi.

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Kumar,S. and Mittal, R. (2009) Role of Agricultural R&D Policy in Managing Agrarian Crisis in
India, Agricultural Economics Research Review, 22(1): 121-128.
Pray, C.E. and Nagarjan L. (2012). Innovation and Research by Private Agribusiness in India,
Discussion Paper 0118l, International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi.

Appendix I
Some potential agricultural technologies in Indian context
Sl. No.
Name of technologies
Crop improvement
1
Hybrid rice
2
Quality protein maize
Improved crop management
3
Integrated water
management
4
5

Integrated nutrient
management

Diversified farming
(comrpising crops,
horticulture, livestock &
fisheries)
Resource conservation
6
Zero-tillage

Expected benefits
Provides additional yields of 1.0-1.5 t/ha, and is becoming
popular in low tomedium yield areas of eastern India.
Contains 40.7 per cent higher tryptophan.
Results in increased rice yield of 13 per cent in summer and
15 per cent in kharif and water use efficiency of 28.7 per
cent and 52.8 per cent, respectively over flooding method.
Balanced use of fertilizers (120 kg N, 60 kg P2O5, 20 kg
K2O, 20 kg S and 5 kg Zn/ha) has increased wheat yield by
15-24 per cent.
Provides higher profitability (3-4 times) over monoculture,
and opportunity for increasing employment, income and
nutritional security.

Saves water by 11.3 per cent, and increases wheat yield

marginally over the conventional sowing technique.
7
Micro-irrigation
Improves overall profitability of irrigation system and
fertigation improves banana quality and yield.
8
Pressurized
irrigation Pressurized irrigation (sprinkler and drip) increases yield by
system
40-50 per cent, and saves water by 30-70 per cent,
depending on the crop. Sprinkler irrigation is suitable for all
crops (except rice and jute), while drip is more effective in
horticultural crops, cotton and sugarcane.
Improved livestock methods
9
Artificial insemination AI improves conceptions in cattle and buffaloes by 20-25
(AI)
per cent.
10
Supplementation
of It improves the productivity of livestock by 10-15 per cent.
deficient minerals
11
Use of urea ammoniation Its proper use improves the nutritive value of roughages and
technology
thus, production by 5-8 per cent.
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12

Livestock
healthcare Feed blocks sustain the production, and can be transported
management
to places of acute feed shortage.

Contd.
Sl. No. Name of technologies
Improved machinery
13
Rotovator
14

Raised bed former

15

Ridge seeder

16

Sugarcane cutter planter

17

Potato planter

Post-harvest processing
18
Modern rice mills

19

Modern ginneries

Biomass energy plant

20
Biogas plants
waste)

Expected benefits
Saves time (30-35 per cent), water (30 per cent), and cost of
operation (20-25 per cent), as compared to tillage by
cultivator and harrow.
Useful for wheat, soybean, maize or cotton; saves on cost of
operation (20-30 per cent), seeds (25 per cent), fertilizer (25
per cent) and irrigation water (20-30 per cent).
Most suitable for dryland farming and for planting ragi,
gram and pearlmillet. Its use gives an additional yield of 15
per cent, against conventional method.
Suitable for cutting and planting sugarcane setts and
application of granular fertilizer in single operation. Its use
reduces labour requirement by 78 per cent and time of
operation by 50 per cent.
Useful for potato planting and also for inter-culture and
earthing up operation.
Gives out-turn of rice 70-72 per cent, against 65-68 per cent
from the traditional huller. Its use provides additional 2.0
million tonnes rice bran and gives 0.25 million tonnes high
quality rice bran oil (RBO).
Modernizing cotton ginning using variable speed double
roller (VSDR) saves 30 per cent energy and increases lint
efficiency, including competitiveness in lint production.

(solid It requires 75-100 per cent less water, produces up to 30 per

cent more gas, needs one-fourth space for slurry storage/
drying and costs 10 per cent more than of the common
design.

Source: ICAR (2007)

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