Weathering Inflation: India's Strategy for Climate-Resilient Crops

The Economic Survey 2024-25 highlights India's need to develop climate-resilient crops to boost pulse, oilseed, tomato, and onion yields. The survey emphasizes persistent food inflation driven by these items and suggests research, farmer training, and robust data systems for price monitoring and policy decisions.

India must focus on developing climate-resilient crop varieties to enhance yields of pulses, oilseeds, tomatoes, and onions, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Persistent food inflation, mainly driven by these items, poses ongoing challenges.

The survey reveals that with vegetables and pulses contributing 32.3% to the country's inflation in 2024-25, excluding these items would drop the average food inflation rate to 4.3%. Extreme weather events also affect vegetable production and cause price hikes, disrupting the supply chain.

To counter these issues, the survey suggests targeted research and farmer training on best agricultural practices. It also calls for robust data systems for price monitoring and policy-making. Despite these challenges, institutions like the RBI and IMF forecast alignment of consumer price inflation with targets by 2025-26.

(With inputs from agencies.)