ET ME START by wishing readers of this column a very happy, peaceful, and prosperous new year.
What could I wish for Indian agriculture, a subject that has been my lifelong passion and commitment? My dream would be to see vibrant and sustainable agriculture which is climate-resilient, increases productivity, brings prosperity to peasants, and, above all, improves the real wages of farm workers who are literally at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
It is only by raising productivity that India can rein in food inflation, which has been playing spoilsport lately. Vegetable inflation, at 29% (and potato inflation of 67%) in November 2024, has humbled the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), not allowing it to reduce the repo rate. That is simply tragic.
The India Meteorological Department has made it clear that 2024 was the warmest year since 1901, and the temperatures were 0.9°C higher in 2024 than the long period average.
Earlier studies by scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research predicted that an increase in temperature by 1°C ran the risk of reducing wheat output by 5%. Wheat is likely to be the most impacted by heat spikes in February when grain formation is taking place.
Although the Prime Minister released 109 varieties of various crops (including wheat) that are supposed to be climate-resilient, the challenge of taking them from the scientists' labs to farmlands remains daunting. This is because the government's agri-extension network is the weakest link in the production system.
Agri-R&D as well as agri-extension need a major boost in the coming Budget if Indian agriculture is to be climate-resilient.
Denne historien er fra January 06, 2025-utgaven av Financial Express Bengaluru.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra January 06, 2025-utgaven av Financial Express Bengaluru.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Top IITs See a Drop in Campus Placements
● More students likely getting jobs independently
Top IITs see a drop in campus placements
• More students likely getting jobs independently
US set to lift curbs on Indian nuclear entities
EYEING DEEPER ENERGY TIES
ICC explores two-tier Test cricket system
ICC chief Jay Shah will meet Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird and his England counterpart Richard Thompson to discuss the finer points
Centre eyes private capital for $107-bn grid expansion
INDIA IS ASKING states to attract more private capital to accelerate the expansion of its power transmission network, part of a plan to revamp the country's grid and accommodate more clean power.
Dam over Brahmaputra not to impact water flows to India
CHINA ON MONDAY reiterated its plan to build the world's biggest dam over the Brahmaputra River in Tibet near the Indian border, saying the planned project has gone through rigorous scientific verification and will not have any negative impact on downstream countries -- India and Bangladesh.
D-Street catches flu
Headwinds for markets at the start of the year include higher US 10-year yields and a stronger dollar, the potential imposition of additional US tariffs on Asia-Pacific economies, and elevated economic policy uncertainty and geopolitical risk, Goldman Sachs strategists said in a note while trimming the MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan index's target to 620 from 630, as per a Bloomberg report.
D-Street catches flu
HEADWINDS FOR MARKETS at the start of the year include higher US 10-year yields and a stronger dollar, the potential imposition of additional US tariffs on Asia-Pacific economies, and elevated economic policy uncertainty and geopolitical risk, Goldman Sachs strategists said in a note while trimming the MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan index's target to 620 from 630, as per a Bloomberg report.
Q-comm boost to gig worker hiring in 2025
THE HIRING BOOM will be driven by the expansion of dark stores, fuelled by new entrants and increased investments from established players.
Banks, NBFCs See Hit to...
THESE SUBSIDIARIES THEN use the data to approach the customer and offer products and services such as insurance, mutual funds, demat accounts and other related financial solutions.
