Efficient irrigation system essential for success of agriculture sector: Shekhawat

He said agriculture contributes around 14 to 16 per cent of India's GDP, but it still has a huge potential to play a key role in taking the country to a USD 5 trillion economy. Addressing a session on 'Role of water and Agrochemicals in envisioning a globally competitive, modern, sustainable & inclusive Indian Agriculture Industry' at the '9th Agrochemicals Conference' organised by the FICCI, Shekhawat said the government has started working with a profitability-centric approach in the agricultural sector with reforms to make it more successful.

With climate change and reduced water availability affecting major parts of India, an efficient irrigation system is essential for the success of the agriculture sector in India, Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhwat said on Tuesday. He said agriculture contributes around 14 to 16 per cent of India's GDP, but it still has a huge potential to play a key role in taking the country to a USD 5 trillion economy.

Addressing a session on 'Role of water and Agrochemicals in envisioning a globally competitive, modern, sustainable & inclusive Indian Agriculture Industry' at the '9th Agrochemicals Conference' organised by the FICCI, Shekhawat said the government has started working with a profitability-centric approach in the agricultural sector with reforms to make it more successful. "The Indian economy is directly related to agriculture and agriculture is directly related to water," a statement by FICCI quoting Shekhawat said. In India, the management of water is of utmost importance and the government has taken a "ground-breaking" initiative for ensuring long-term sustainability of groundwater resources in the country through the Atal Bhujal Yojana, he added.

Elaborating further, the minister said the scheme has been designed with the principal objective of strengthening the institutional framework for participatory groundwater management and bringing about behavioural changes at the community level for sustainable groundwater resource management. "Equitable distribution in water is vital and water management key to sustainable agriculture growth in India," Shekhawat said. It's time to shift the approach of water management from the supply side to the demand side, he said.

The minister also said, "We need to make farmers aware of the conservation of water and taking alternative crops for cultivation and move towards micro-irrigation. With climate change and reduced water availability affecting major parts of India, an efficient irrigation system is essential to the success of the agricultural sector." Further, highlighting the government initiatives, he said to save water and for better implementation of its crop diversification plans, the government has launched various schemes to encourage farmers to change their cultivated-crop preferences. Urging the industry for investment in the agricultural sector, he said it needs to support the government in its initiative to save water.

"We need to have a futuristic vision for agriculture," he said. The minister also spoke about efforts being made by the centre to solve specific issues of agriculture and water and said it is high time to invest in the post-harvest system and supply chain management.