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HomePosts Tagged "NITI Aayog"
Carbon Farming, India, Opinions, Sustainability

 By Dr V K Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog

Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) has an important and critical role to play in decarbonising the industrial and power sector. Since CCUS is at a nascent stage of deployment, government support and incentives are needed to promote the adoption and development of CCUS technologies at a commercial scale in India. The next decade is that of CCUS – where global capture of CO2 will increase manifold, investments will be at an all-time high and hundreds of such facilities will be built – the world shall look up to India in its carbon management plan. The time is right for India to progress towards a dedicated national CCUS Mission, taking inspiration from endeavours like the National Green Hydrogen Mission, National Solar Mission, etc. Let’s look at how India is looking at CCUS as an opportunity in meeting four of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and can join the league of major world economies in the CCUS world map.

India stands at a critical juncture in its clean energy journey. We are the world’s third-largest CO2 emitter, yet committed to ambitious decarbonisation goals of 45 per cent emission reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2070. While the expansion of renewable power is a notable success in India’s clean energy transition, the power sector accounts for only a third of total emissions, which are expected to decline as renewables replace fossil fuels.

The growing industrial economy emits close to another third of the aggregate emissions that are hard to lessen, due to the use of fossil fuels not only as a source of energy but within the process itself, and will continue to increase, unless new technologies and carbon abatement mechanisms are deployed. At the same time, while we phase down the use of fossil energy sources over time, India will be dependent on coal for a long time, to support the ever-increasing energy demand and meet the requirements for affordable and reliable baseload power.

To read more click: E-Magazine – AgroSpectrum Asia

 By Dr V K Saraswat, Member, NITI

AgroPolicy, India, Industry Reports / Analysis, Oilseeds

The report comprehensively explores the current state of the country’s edible oil sector and its future potential.

The report titled “Pathways and Strategies for Accelerating Growth in Edible Oils Towards the Goal of Atmanirbharta” was released by Suman Bery, Vice-Chairman, in the presence of Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), ICAR institutes, and industry players yesterday. The report was presented by Dr Neelam Patel, Senior Advisor (Agriculture), NITI Aayog.

The report highlights that over the past decades, per capita consumption of edible oil in the country has seen a dramatic rise, reaching 19.7 kg/year. This surge in demand has significantly outpaced domestic production, leading to a heavy reliance on imports to meet both domestic and industrial needs. In 2022-23, India imported 16.5 million tonnes (MT) of edible oils, with domestic production fulfilling only 40-45 per cent of the country’s requirements. This situation presents a substantial challenge to the country’s goal of achieving self-sufficiency in edible oils.

The report comprehensively explores the current state of the country’s edible oil sector and its future potential. It presents a detailed roadmap to address existing challenges, focusing on bridging the demand-supply gap and developing new approaches to attain self-sufficiency. Under a Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario, the national supply of edible oil is projected to increase to 16 MT by 2030 and 26.7 MT by 2047.

The report considers three distinct approaches for demand forecasting to gain a multifaceted understanding of future edible oil needs: (i) ‘Static/Household Approach’ utilizing population projections and baseline per capita consumption data, assuming a short-term static pattern in consumption behavior; (ii) ‘Normative Approach’ based on the recommended healthy intake levels established by the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN); and (iii) ‘Behavioristic Approach’ recognizing the potential for behavioral shifts in food consumption patterns due to evolving lifestyles and dietary habits driven by increasing income levels and price fluctuations under two scenarios: in Scenario I, where consumption is capped at 25.3 kg per capita (the average of developed countries), the demand-supply gap is projected to be 22.3 MT by 2030 and 15.20 MT by 2047. In Scenario II, which considers a higher consumption level of 40.3 kg per capita (comparable to the USA), the gap widens to 29.5 MT by 2030 and 40 MT by 2047. In the BAU situation, the country’s edible oil demand will reach Scenario-I by 2028 and Scenario-II by 2038 where under the high-income growth circumstance, assuming an estimated 8 per cent annual growth, The country’s edible oil demand is expected to Scenario-I as early as 2025, a three-year advancement compared to the BAU situation and Scenario-II by 2031, seven years earlier than anticipated in the BAU situation, showcasing even higher demand due to accelerated economic growth.

The report comprehensively explores the current state

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy, India, Live Stock

Discussions were based on critical aspects and way forward in sustainability practices, export competitiveness, infrastructure gaps, and livelihood challenges facing India’s inland fisheries industry.

NITI Aayog in partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, successfully organised a two-day National Workshop on “Harnessing Potential of Fisheries in Inland States” in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is a collaborative effort aimed at maximising the potential of fisheries in India’s inland states. The workshop, held on the 15th and 16th of February 2024, drew participation from key stakeholders including central and state government officials, researchers, industry representatives, practitioners and Fish Farmer Producer Organisation (FFPO).

The workshop in its various technical sessions focused on critical aspects such as sustainability practices, export competitiveness, infrastructure gaps, and livelihood challenges facing India’s inland fisheries industry. Minister Parshotam Rupala emphasised the need for active handholding and skill development of traditional fishermen to enhance their competitiveness. He also addressed the concept of connecting each Amrit Sarovar to create opportunities for generating livelihoods through inland fisheries. He suggested that the fish market should adopt a marketing approach similar to that of a “fish mall,” fostering a culture akin to shopping malls in metropolitan cities. He highlighted the government’s emphasis on fisheries, including initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Blue Revolution, FIDH, and other insurance related schemes.

A total of 13 states showcased their accomplishments, potential, challenges, and best practices during the workshop. The workshop concluded with a convergence on actionable recommendations and a future roadmap, emphasising the importance of inter-state and centre-state cooperation in realising the immense growth potential of India’s inland fisheries sector. The relationships forged and next steps identified during the event would lay a strong foundation for the sector’s significant growth opportunities in the future.

Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member of NITI Aayog, highlighted the achievements of Andhra Pradesh in the fisheries sector and stressed the importance of addressing regional disparities in production and productivity.

The second day of the workshop featured technical sessions on “Sustainability in Inland Fisheries: FFPOs/Cooperatives Led Development Models” and “Issues and Challenges in Inland Fisheries Industry in India.” These sessions facilitated discussions among policymakers, industry players, and fisheries startups, identifying actionable recommendations and future roadmaps for the sector’s growth.

Discussions were based on critical aspects and

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Digital Technologies, Environment, India, Nature

NITI Aayog utilised remote sensing and GIS to assess agroforestry suitability across all districts in India.

Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW) report and portal was launched by Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog at NITI Aayog. This multi-institutional effort led by NITI Aayog utilised remote sensing and GIS to assess agroforestry suitability across all districts in India. Using thematic datasets, an Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) was developed for national-level prioritization. The report provides state-wise and district-wise analysis, supporting government departments and industries for greening and restoration projects.

The “Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW)-Suitability Mapping” portal Bhuvan https://bhuvan-app1.nrsc.gov.in/asi_portal/ allows universal access to state and district-level data. Currently, agroforestry covers 8.65 per cent of India’s total geographical area, totalling about 28.42 million hectares. Current report underscores the potential benefits of converting underutilized areas, especially wastelands, for agroforestry. The GROW initiative aligns with national commitments, aiming to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

During the release, Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog shared that there is need for promotion of agroforestry esp. for 3 thing i.e reducing import of wood and wood products, carbon sequestration to combat climate change at global and national level and addressing sub-optimal use of arable land.  It was shared fallow land and culturable wastelands can be converted to productive use through agroforestry. He said that this project will reap long term benefits and promote use of space technology in agriculture.

During the panel discussion, Dr SK Chaudhari shared that the portal will be helpful in different programmes as the Government of India is working to promote agroforestry and sensitizing role of extension. Panellists joining the session to scale-up agroforestry in greening and restoration were Dr A Arunachalam, Director, ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute Jhansi, Dr. R Ravi Babu, GM, FSDD, NABARD, Dr Ravi Prabhu, Director Innovation, Investment and Impact CIFOR-ICRAF and Dr Rajiv Kumar, Group Head, RSA, NRSC, Hyderabad.

Due to the significance of goods and services provided by agroforestry, the Union Budget of Government of India (FY-2022-23) has underlined the promotion of agroforestry and private forestry as a priority. India, the seventh-largest country globally, faces issues like increased build-up areas, degraded land, and imbalanced resources. Approximately 16.96 per cent of the Total Geographical Area (TGA) is wasteland, requiring transformation for productive use. Geospatial technologies and GIS are employed to map and prioritize these wastelands for agroforestry interventions.

NITI Aayog utilised remote sensing and GIS

AgroPolicy, India

This initiative aims to develop an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate resilient agrifood systems.

NITI Aayog, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations jointly launched the ‘Investment Forum for Advancing Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems in India’ in New Delhi. It was launched during a two-day Multi-stakeholder Meeting held on January 18-19, 2024, at the India International Centre, New Delhi. This initiative aims to develop an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate resilient agrifood systems among the government, private sectors, and farmers’ organizations and financial institutions in India.

The two-day meet paved the way for discussions and deliberations among key stakeholders, and their perspectives on national priorities, investment opportunities, partnership, technical support and cooperation. The Forum facilitated discussions and deliberations on six key areas namely, (i) Climate resilient agriculture (experiences and pathways) (ii) Digital infrastructure and solutions (iii) Financing climate resilient agrifood systems (domestic and global) (iv) Climate resilient value chains(v) Production practices and inputs for climate resilience and (vi) Gender mainstreaming and social inclusion for climate resilience.

Delivering the keynote address at the inauguration, Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog emphasized the need for awareness on how agriculture contributes to climate change, citing a contribution of a little more than 13 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the country. He observed that agriculture could play a role in carbon sequestration through tree plantation on farmland.  Prof Chand also called for a new direction in economic analysis of agriculture production, considering impact on natural resources, climate change and future generations. He proposed incorporating metrics beyond financial prices to evaluate the economic impact of agricultural activities.

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, MoA&FW, Government of India highlighted the significance of a multi-stakeholder approach in addressing climate challenges in India. He also discussed the spatial and temporal distribution of climate patterns affecting farming activities and called upon the need for localized responses.

Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India emphasized that without an answer to financial crisis there can be no answer to the food crisis. She observed that with food demand predicted to grow by at least 50 per cent by 2050, we urgently need to scale up investments in climate resilience in agriculture to ensure future generations have the resources needed to grow enough food.

The FAO Representative in India, Takayuki Hagiwara, highlighted the importance of de-risking. This includes considering the flow of working capital, labor availability, sustainability and impact on the environment, the role of women in agrifood systems, and other factors.

This initiative aims to develop an investment

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Environment, India, IT, Sustainability

IESS 2047 is a user-friendly interactive tool that can help ministries/ departments to develop a variety of energy transition scenarios to achieve net-zero.

A Revamped India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047 (IESS 2047 V3.0) to assess the integrated impact of various green energy policies of Government of India was released by NITI Aayog. An open-source tool, IESS incorporates several policies related to alternative energy resources like Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage, Renewable Purchase Obligations, PM-KUSUM, offshore wind strategy, Electric Vehicle policy, Energy efficiency, etc. Assessing the demand and supply of energy in the country, the tool helps in analysing emissions, cost, land, and water requirements till 2047.

The release was attended by Suman Bery, VC, NITI Aayog, Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, G-20 Sherpa, and other experts from Academia, Industry and the Government.

With an aim of making this technology available to the people, this version of IESS is easily downloadable and facilitates users to generate their own pathways. It will help researchers and think tanks to develop user-specific scenarios and the option of customised applications on the basis of share of industry/services/agriculture, population, the pace of urbanisation, end-use energy demand etc.

IESS 2047 is a user-friendly interactive tool that can help ministries/ departments to develop a variety of energy transition scenarios to achieve net-zero. The tool is flexible enough to provide many permutations and combinations of net-zero pathways. It provides capabilities to compute the energy needs and estimates of the country and hence reduce India’s dependency on external agencies for the estimates.

Designed with the help of IIT Bombay, the revamped IESS 2047 will be updated on yearly basis. The baseline has been standardised in 2020 and calibrated up to 2022.

 BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog termed IESS as a national asset and an outstanding example of the research and development being undertaken at NITI Aayog. Emphasising upon the fine balance between justified growth aspirations and sustainability, he said that it is important to have such tools and data platforms for holistic planning and policy making at national and state level.

The web version of the tool offers user-friendly graphical representations of energy demand and supply scenarios for the country based on user choices. The results of some of the illustrative scenarios from IESS are shown below:

IESS 2047 is a user-friendly interactive tool

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Sustainability

The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted by state governments and organisations in various aspects of the millet value- chain

NITI Aayog released a report titled Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States/UTs of India. The report was released by Suman K. Bery, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman in the presence of Member (Health) Dr V.K. Paul, Member (Agriculture) Dr Ramesh Chand and CEO B. V. R. Subrahmanyam.

The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted by state governments and organisations in various aspects of the millet value- chain, especially production, processing and consumption. The report in three themes i.e. (a) State Missions and initiatives to promote millets; (b) Inclusion of millets in ICDS; (c) Research and development and use of technology for innovative practices. The report will serve as a guiding repository to revive and mainstream millets in our diets.

Speaking on the occasion, Suman K. Bery, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman said, “The release of the publication is very timely. Prime Minister has provided strategic leadership in raising the importance of millets. Slowly, there have been shifts in diets which is linked to environmental sustainability and health impacts and people are now beginning to appreciate the medicinal, nutritional and anti-inflammatory value of millets. As a way forward, we need to leverage the power of branding and marketing to popularise millet as a superfood and make it fashionable”.

Dr V.K. Paul, Member NITI Aayog said, “Millets are nutritionally wholesome crops. Having a document of this nature is vital as it will give confidence to people and those engaged in millets who look at data, evidence and practices to mainstream millets in our diets and systems”.

The report presents a set of good

AgroPolicy, India, Sustainability

This collaboration will provide numerous stakeholders with the necessary information, training and input

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) have come together to promote innovation in the agricultural sector among school students across India. The two government bodies have agreed to connect Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) and Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMAs) under the initiative. The collaboration is a result of the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who seeded this idea during a conversation and proposed to connect the ATLs with the KVKs across the country. The Prime Minister also suggested both government bodies look into the idea of linking soil testing labs to ATL schools.

KVKs function as a ‘Single Window Agricultural Knowledge Resource and Capacity Development Centre,’ and this collaboration will provide numerous stakeholders with the necessary information, training, and inputs. KVKs, in partnership with ATMA, will collaborate with nearby ATLs to support agricultural-related innovation.

During the first phase of the implementation, one KVK under each of the 11 Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes (ATARIs) will be involved, providing technology backstopping and facilitating knowledge-sharing and skill-building exercises. KVK experts will also undertake need-based visits to nearby ATLs, while KVKs will provide literature, seeds, planting materials, and other inputs as required. The pilot project will be extended after assessing the positive outcomes after two years.

Dr Chintan Vaishnav, Speaking during the event, Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, said, “In my mind, this step is going to be a giant leap towards boosting agriculture innovations in India. There are two aspects of this collaboration that are worth replicating across many sectors. First, the idea of linking the existing government platforms with a purpose. For example, public health centres and ATLs could be linked similarly for better healthcare and so on. Secondly, linking children, the most important change-makers of society to the real, most important challenges, and opportunities.” He said.

This collaboration will provide numerous stakeholders with

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, India, R&D

The report outlines broad level policy interventions needed across various sectors for its application

NITI Aayog has released a study report titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’. The report explores the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage as an emission reduction strategy to achieve deep decarbonization from the hard-to-abate sectors. The report outlines broad level policy interventions needed across various sectors for its application.

The report indicates that CCUS can provide a wide variety of opportunities to convert the captured CO2 to different value-added products like green urea, food and beverage form application, building materials (concrete and aggregates), chemicals (methanol and ethanol), polymers (including bio-plastics) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) with wide market opportunities in India, thus contributing substantially to a circular economy.

As, India has updated its NDC targets for achieving 50 per cent of its total installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy sources, 45 per cent reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and taking steps towards achieving Net Zero by 2070, the role of CCUS becomes important as reduction strategy to achieve decarbonization from the hard-to abate sectors.

“CCUS can enable the production of clean products while still utilizing our rich endowments of coal, reducing imports and thus leading to an Atmanirbhar Indian economy.” said Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog. Implementation of CCUS technology certainly be an important step to decarbonise the hard-to-abate sector.

CCUS projects will also lead to a significant employment generation. It estimates that about 750 mtpa of carbon capture by 2050 can create employment opportunities of about 8-10 million on full time equivalent (FTE) basis in a phased manner.

“India’s dependency on the fossil-based Energy Resources is likely to continue in future, hence CCUS policy in Indian Context is needed” said Dr. V.K Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog.

The report outlines broad level policy interventions

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy, India

The Governing Body meeting is held once in a year, NFDB has organized 8Nos of Governing Body meetings under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Minister. PRupala releases book on “Super Success Stories from Indian Fisheries” during the meeting. 

source: public domain (https://pib.gov.in/)

National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) conducted its 9th Governing Body meeting at Lecture Hall, NASC Complex, New Delhi.Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying chaired the Governing Body meeting. Dr L. Murugan, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Vice Chairman of the governing body and Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Minister of State, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, special invitee and other officials of the governing body, Member (Agriculture), Niti Ayog participated in the meeting. Minister from States who participated physically in the meeting were from Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Mizoram, Tripura & Sikkim. It was virtually attended by Ministers from States of Haryana and Puducherry. Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India , Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member (Agriculture), NITI Aayog, and Secretaries of other Departments and 14 nominated Non-official governing body members from different states were also present in the meeting.

Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan stated that there is immense potential for shrimp farming in the States of Rajasthan, UP, Haryana, Punjab. He added that aquaculture is developed in these states, they can compete with Andhra Pradesh in shrimp production. He said that extension services should be provided to farmers of these states. He added that Animal Welfare board facility can be utilized for establishment of training center. He further said that NFDB in collaboration with ICAR should make a plan for development of shrimp farming in the region.

Parshottam Rupala released a book on “Super Success Stories from Indian Fisheries” published by NFDB commemorating 75th Independence Day- Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations an outreach activity with a focus to disseminate the technologies, innovative ideas practiced by the small-scale farming sector and to expand the promotion of initiatives to larger population, successful fisheries and aquaculture practices across the country.

Dr Ramesh Chand, Member (Agriculture), NITI Aayog stated that fisheries sector is showing a record regular growth of around 8% during the past decade. He stated that Board should show the output and outcomes as per the objectives set to the Board. He stated that Andhra Pradesh is contributing about 52% of the inland fish production. He said that One District one Product has to be promoted and frontline technologies have to be applied in fisheries sector.

NFDB is headed by the Chief Executive. The Board is constituted with two levels of Committees, the Governing Body & Executive Committee for having a guidance on the administrative matters, activities of Board and any new amendments/rules that shall occur in the Board.

The Governing Body meeting is held once

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains

NITI Aayog and WFP have prepared a compendium of good practices for scaling up the production and consumption of millets in India and abroad.

NITI Aayog and the World Food Programme (WFP), India, launched the ‘Mapping and Exchange of Good Practices’ initiative for mainstreaming millets in Asia and Africa on 19 July 2022 in a hybrid event.

NITI Aayog and WFP have prepared a compendium of good practices for scaling up the production and consumption of millets in India and abroad.

The event was inaugurated by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery in the presence of Member Prof. Ramesh Chand and Adviser Dr Neelam Patel, WFP Representative and Country Director India Bishow Parajuli, National Rainfed Area Authority CEO Dr Ashok Dalwai, and Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Shubha Thakur.

Representatives from ICAR, Central and state government departments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, industry, Central and state agriculture universities, FPOs, NGOs, startups, academic and research institutions, and international organizations such as the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Food Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), etc., participated in the event.

NITI Aayog and WFP have prepared a

AgroPolicy, Sustainability

The forum hosted an exclusive CEOs session on global opportunities for India

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, recently launched the Asia Bio Ag Forum, a two-day conclave held by the Agriculture Today Group at National Agriculture Science Centre (NASC), New Delhi. The objective of the forum was to promote and boost the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and ensure food and nutritional security, as well as farmer prosperity, across Asia.

The forum hosted an exclusive CEOs session on global opportunities for India. On the Chair and Co-Chair was Dr William Dar, Agriculture Minister – Philippines; and Dr Manoj Nardeosingh, Secretary-General, AARDO. Other dignitaries that were present for the event included Dr Rattan Lal, Renowned Soil Health Scientist and World Food Prize Laureate; Dr Tarun Bajaj, Director, APEDA; Dr MJ Saxena, Managing Director, Ayurvet; Sanjay Sethi, Executive Director, Plant-Based Foods Industry Association; and Dr Neelam Patel, Senior Advisor Agriculture, NITI Aayog.

Tomar said, “The government’s intent hereon is to eliminate the practice of middlemen in the agriculture value chain so that the farmers get a fair price for their products and do not face discrimination in any manner. I assure you that we are also taking efforts to make agriculture and farmers connected with the latest technology.”

Sanjay Sethi, Executive Director, PBFIA, highlighted three trends shaping the plant-based food sector- a) sustainability, b) the tsunami of entrepreneurs and consumer focus on health c) the treatment of food and diet as a means of medicine.

Sethi added, “Plenty of young entrepreneurs are entering the plant-based food sector, and they need guidance concerning the preparation of safe foods as per the regulations laid by the regulatory authorities. Therefore, optimum training, handholding and mentoring support become essential. A joint task can provide valuable support to not just institutes like NIFTEM but to hundreds of other institutes breeding young scientists and entrepreneurs. The other potential opportunity can come from pea production and processing amidst the geo-political changes caused by Ukraine- Russia war. The demand for pea protein to formulate value-added products is witnessing a tremendous rise globally. Additionally, there is a need to bring a component of technology into the food production system. Wherein we can save soil, water bodies and reduce air pollution. Including mention of the carbon footprint of food choices as a labelling requirement”.

Dr William Dar, Agriculture Minister of Philippines, Mr Hugo Javier Gobbi, Ambassador of Argentina in India, and Dr Douglas Ry Wagner, Global CEO, AlgaeEnergy, Spain, stressed that cooperation between nations is key to the global adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.
The conclave successfully concluded with a brief presentation of BioAg Asia Awards 2022 and a vote of thanks.

The forum hosted an exclusive CEOs session

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Environment, Sustainability

A bilingual compendium of success stories of natural farming, consisting of 110 success stories from 13 states across India, was released during the event

NITI Aayog, as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, recently organised a national level workshop on ‘Innovative Agriculture’ in New Delhi.

Dr Neelam Patel, Senior Adviser, Agriculture and Allied Sectors (AAS) Vertical, NITI Aayog welcomed the participants and cited the need to understand the science, fundamentals, and processes behind the practice of natural farming. She hoped that the knowledge, research experience, and expertise of the international experts attending the workshop will aid in building the capacities of the Indian scientists, researchers, and policymakers for the promotion of natural farming in the country.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, during his address, said “Natural farming is the need of the hour and it is important to identify scientific ways so farmers can be assured direct benefits from natural farming and higher incomes.”

Addressing the workshop, Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog said “We can give a chance to such alternatives because there is no serious threat to food security since we are food surplus.” He also called for stepwise adoption of natural farming. 

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parushottam Rupala pointed out that the awareness about nutritious food, good health and immunity has increased during the pandemic. In this regard, he also highlighted the role of natural farming in providing nutritious food. He stressed the importance of cattle and livestock in ensuring better nutrition. 

Addressing the workshop, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar mentioned that the Government has been encouraging agricultural practices that work in harmony with nature, reduce the cost of production, and ensure good-quality produce and profits for farmers. He also emphasised the importance of science and technology in natural farming.

Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Gujarat, shared his experience regarding how shifting to natural farming has led to a significant reduction in the cost of cultivation, improvement in soil health, and enhancement in yield. He also added that adopting natural farming will help optimise the work of farmers and benefit the environment at large, especially when it comes to the use of water. ‘There is huge scope for bringing in innovations in the agriculture sector through natural farming’, he added.

Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog mentioned that the time is ripe to encourage natural farming and share the benefits with the people at large, especially our farmers. The shared experiences of states will help build a robust roadmap to adopt innovative agricultural practices in the country. He expressed his enthusiasm to come up with a successful road map toward natural farming in India post the workshop. 

A bilingual compendium of success stories of natural farming, consisting of 110 success stories from 13 states across India, was released during the event. 

The workshop had four technical sessions: (i) a panel discussion on natural farming in states, (ii) natural farming for soil health restoration and climate change mitigation, (iii) promotion of natural farming, (iv) innovations in natural farming.

During the first technical session, Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, joined the workshop virtually and highlighted the importance and traditional aspects of cow-based natural farming which helps sequester carbon and improve soil health. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh mentioned the state’s plan to promote natural farming on both the sides of the banks of the river Narmada and 5,200 villages. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh stressed the need to enhance research on natural farming and stated the need for support from the Centre for natural agriculture in the ratio of 90:10. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke about the current status, progress and challenges in natural farming in Uttarakhand. 

In the second technical session, academicians, scientists, researchers, and dignitaries discussed the need to promote regenerative agriculture, strategies to reverse and mitigate climate change with traditional farming systems, the importance of sustainable agroecological food systems in the 21st Century, the role played by natural farming in making agriculture climate-resilient, and the need for green economics for a New India. 

In the third technical session, the need to scale up natural farming, integration of National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) resources, and the role played by Cooperatives and FPOs in the promotion and scaling up of marketing networks and provision of credit support for natural farming was highlighted. Dr Rajeshwar Chandel (Executive Director, Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana, Himachal Pradesh) spoke about the Community based certification process in Natural Farming. Dr Baljit Saharan (Associate Prof. Haryana Agriculture University) said, “Improved soil biology and biodiversity play an important role in the promotion of natural farming.”

In the last technical session, innovations like pre-monsoon dry sowing, experiences in managing crop residue while practising natural farming, and mechanisation and automation for input preparations and applications in natural farming were shared.

More than 1250 participants from central ministries, state governments, industry, farmers, academic and research institutions, KVK’s and NGOs, delegates from national and international organizations in agriculture and allied sectors, and international delegates from France, Australia and Germany joined the workshop physically and virtually. 

A bilingual compendium of success stories of

Pulses, Types

The estimated production of pulses in 2021-22 as per the DA&FW is 26.96 million tonnes

The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha has informed that as per the report of Working Group constituted by NITI Aayog on Demand and Supply Projections Towards 2033 – Crops, Livestock and Agricultural Inputs (February 2018), the demand for pulses is projected to increase from 26.72 million tonnes in 2021-22 to 32.64 million tonnes in 2029-30. The estimated production of pulses in 2021-22 as per the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW) is 26.96 million tonnes.

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare implements the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, which aims at increasing production of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and nutri-cereals through area expansion and productivity enhancement in the identified districts of the country; improving soil fertility, farm level productivity besides, transfer of technology through demonstrations and trainings, incentives on critical inputs like quality seeds, water saving devices, farm equipment and machinery etc. 

To boost agricultural productivity, the Government is implementing various schemes for supply of farm inputs such as seeds, fertilisers, agricultural machinery and equipment, irrigation facilities, institutional credit, etc., at subsidised rates to the farmers.

The estimated production of pulses in 2021-22