Indian agriculture needs to be brought closer to the government's policy and decision-making process as there are issues that need to be addressed to ensure good farming conditions in the country for better results, an expert says.
Bhagirath Choudhary, Founder and Director, South Asia Biotechnology Centre, Jodhpur, told Sputnik India that the overall development of Indian agriculture can only be ensured by focusing more on it and providing modern machinery and technology to farmers.
“If we have to make India a developed country, all concerned must make efforts to modernize the agriculture by making available required technology,” he said, adding that Indian farmers need more in terms of direct or indirect support as is being done by many countries across the globe.
Choudhary also noted that currently a very little Indian produce is going to the international markets. He, however, said that India has achieved several milestones in the field of agriculture, just like in other areas of life but there’s more to be done.
The agriculture expert also believes that India and Russia could do a lot more together in this field, and possibilities in this regards should be explored by the authorities of the two countries.
There's a lot of scope for India and Russia to cooperate in agriculture. India could provide Russia with good quality seeds developed indigenously, the expert said.
At the time of India's independence, around 70 per cent of the country's total workforce was employed in agriculture and the sector accounted for 54% of India's economic output.
However, the contribution of agriculture to India's annual economic output has declined significantly in recent decades.