Climate adaptation

India must invest in agricultural research

Among the nine priorities highlighted in the Union Budget last week was the need to transform agriculture research with a focus on raising productivity and developing climate-resilient crop varieties. To support the initiative, compared to last year's Revised Estimates, the Budget allocated an 8 per cent increase in funding for agriculture and allied activities to ₹1.52 trillion. Within this, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare received an increased allocation of 4.5 per cent, compared to last year's Revised Estimates. However, despite these increases, which are lower than expected nominal economic growth, funding for autonomous research bodies under the ministry was cut by 2 per cent. This reflects a contradiction between the stated priority and the actions taken to achieve the objective of enhancing agricultural research.