Promoting Sustainable Seed Technologies for Enhancing Indian Agriculture
Introduction:
- Agriculture and allied sectors are crucial to India’s economy, and the government is prioritizing technology-enabled sustainable farming for a greener future.
- While food grain production has increased, there’s a gap in meeting the demand for various crops, leading to issues of malnutrition and food security.
- The Indian seed industry has evolved significantly, and its potential to combat climate change and boost productivity is being recognized.
- However, challenges like depleting resources, population growth, and climate change impact agriculture, especially smallholder farmers.
Challenges in Indian Agriculture:
- India’s food security achievements are notable, but challenges persist in meeting demand for essential crops.
- The affordability of coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and vegetables contributes to undernutrition, particularly among children.
Bridging the gap between potential and achievable productivity, reducing production costs, and promoting nutrition-rich crops are critical goals.
Importance of Seed Industry:
- The Indian seed industry’s foundation was laid in the 1960s, with subsequent policies and regulations boosting its growth.
- Technological advancements, like the Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers Rights Act and Bt cotton hybrids, have transformed the industry, making India a significant player in the global seed market.
Climate change threats can be addressed through innovative seed varieties and technologies.
Role of Millets in Sustainable Agriculture:
- Millets, nutrient-rich and resilient crops, offer a path to sustainable agriculture. India’s leadership in millet production positions it as a potential global seed hub.
- Advances in seed technology can enhance millet production and quality, even in challenging conditions.
- The combination of genetic advancements and applied technologies is crucial for high productivity and stress resistance.
Seed Technology and Agricultural Profitability:
- Inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides significantly affect agricultural profitability.
- Quality seeds can yield substantial advantages in yield.
- The trend towards using quality-assured seeds of improved varieties is growing, partly due to public-private partnerships that promote open-pollinated and hybrid varieties.
Collaboration for Seed Development:
- Public and private sectors’ collaborative efforts are essential for developing environmentally friendly, high-performing seeds at affordable costs.
- Technologies like genetic manipulation, priming, film coating, and incorporation of AI-responsive sensors are critical in this pursuit.
- Such technologies improve seed performance, germination, pest resistance, and overall plant health.
Regulatory Framework and Adoption:
- Supportive regulatory guidelines play a crucial role in the adoption of seed technologies. India’s proposed “Clean Green Mission” aligns with its G20 commitment to green development.
- Bio-stimulants, film-coated seeds, and other seed enhancement technologies require comprehensive guidelines for registration and use.
- Existing regulations, such as the Fertilizer (Inorganic, Organic, or Mixed) (Control) Amendment Order, 2021, need to encompass these advancements.
Conclusion:
- Promoting sustainable seed technologies is a crucial step in addressing challenges in Indian agriculture. These technologies offer benefits like reduced pesticide use, enhanced yield, and resilience against climate stressors.
- Collaboration between the public and private sectors, along with a robust regulatory framework, will drive the adoption of these technologies and pave the way for a more sustainable and productive agricultural future.
Source: Indian Express
INDIA'S IMPORT RESTRICTIONS AND THE INDUSTRIAL POLICY DEBATE
Introduction: Setting the Stage for a Fierce Debate
- India’s decision to implement import restrictions on personal computers, laptops, and various goods has ignited a heated debate about the direction of the country’s industrial policy.
- Critics see these restrictions as reminiscent of the past era of bureaucratic control and corruption, while advocates argue they are a necessary step to build a manufacturing base and foster economic transformation.
Critics’ Concerns: Echoes of a Burdensome Past
- Critics perceive India’s import restrictions as a regression to the days of the “licence permit raj,” marked by bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption.
- They recall an era of scarcity, substandard products, and the subversion of regulations.
- The government’s announcement and subsequent revisions to the scheme raise concerns about hasty decision-making by bureaucrats.
Advocates’ Viewpoint: An Overdue Necessity
- Proponents of the policy contend that India’s failure to establish a robust manufacturing sector necessitates a strategic industrial policy.
- While liberalization brought about successes, it failed to create a substantial manufacturing base.
- They argue that deregulation alone cannot lead to industrialization, and well-crafted import restrictions can be a vital tool for structural transformation.
- Considering the global landscape and security concerns, industrial policy is imperative.
Balancing Industrial Policy Mistakes
- The industrial policy debate needs to avoid two pitfalls. On one hand, critics oversimplify by arguing that the state shouldn’t favor specific industries, focusing instead on broad competitiveness factors.
- However, industrial policy can foster positive externalities, solve coordination issues, and signal credibility.
On the other hand, historical analogies can misguide, and the right comparison isn’t necessarily the India of the past.
Changed Conditions and Evolving Capacities
- The context has changed significantly since past industrial policy attempts. Constraints like energy, logistics, and human capital have evolved. The current import restrictions are distinct from previous ones, aiming not to eliminate imports but to reshape their structure.
- This differentiation could prevent the mistakes of the past.
Prospects of Success and the Yardstick of Value
- India’s success in certain sectors, like mobile phones, bolsters the argument for strategic industrial policy.
- Critics measure success by value added in exports, with economists skeptical about the benefits of Production-Linked Incentives (PLI).
- However, even assembly without high value added manufacturing offers advantages in terms of jobs and learning capabilities.
Challenges for Advocates of Import Restrictions and PLI
- Supporters of import restrictions face key questions. Bureaucratic arbitrariness remains a political economy challenge, especially when favoring specific companies.
- Additionally, the exit from subsidies and protections is a concern. Successful Chinese and East Asian industrial policies emphasize export orientation, but India’s export-focused approach is complicated by the global shift towards protectionism.
Balancing Exports and Protectionism
- India’s ability to advocate for open trade while pursuing protectionist policies is precarious.
- A risk exists that sectoral successes might undermine broader export-oriented conditions.
- To ensure meaningful progress, industrial policy must push for exports and avoid becoming another import substitution effort.
The Showmanship and Real Analysis
- Government showmanship can distort the discourse on industrial policy.
- While highlighting achievements, the Micron deal, for instance, the actual relocation of chip manufacturing to more expensive locations with less subsidy raises questions.
- The debate requires careful analysis of India’s circumstances and capabilities.
Conclusion: A Holistic Approach to Industrial Policy
- The industrial policy debate surrounding India’s import restrictions necessitates a nuanced perspective.
- Escaping the pitfalls of oversimplification and misleading historical parallels, policymakers must consider changed conditions, evolving capacities, and the challenges of fostering export-oriented growth.
- A balanced approach will require a clear-eyed analysis of India’s unique circumstances and the imperative to build an industrial base that benefits more than just the privileged few.
Source: Indian Express
