Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said that India must now move beyond focusing only on food security and instead aim for farmer prosperity. He stressed that farmers should not be seen merely as food producers, but as entrepreneurs who play a key role in the economy.
Speaking at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore on the topic "Fostering Agri-Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Viksit Bharat," Dhankhar highlighted the need for a new national agriculture agenda.
He pointed out that although 46 per cent of India's population is engaged in agriculture, the sector contributes only 16 per cent to the country's GDP. Institutions like TNAU must work to increase agriculture’s share in the economy and carry forward the legacy of the late Dr MS Swaminathan, a TNAU alumnus and renowned agricultural scientist.
Dhankhar praised India's progress in agriculture, noting that the country is now a net exporter of agricultural products, with agri-food items making up over 11 per cent of total exports.
Focus must shift to prosperity
"You must script a new chapter," Dhankhar told the students. He said while food security was once a major concern due to food scarcity, the time has come to focus on making farmers prosperous. Institutions like TNAU must lead this change, he added.
He emphasised that the gap between agricultural research labs and farms must be bridged. “Lab and land should work together. Our 730 Krishi Vigyan Kendras must become vibrant centres that educate and guide farmers,” he said.
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Changing curriculum and research focus
Dhankhar suggested that agricultural education should evolve to encourage farmers to become entrepreneurs. "Innovation and research must be judged by how they impact farmers directly," he said. He added that research should be practical and supported not just by government funding, but also by private industry, trade, and business.
He highlighted the need for more agri-entrepreneurship. Although India has about 6,000 agri-startups, for a population of 1.4 billion, this number is not sufficient, he pointed out.
Citing the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, Dhankhar explained that such direct benefit transfers are not freebies but justice to farmers.
He noted that if the massive fertilizer subsidies provided by the government were instead directly given to farmers, each farmer could receive about ₹35,000 a year. He urged institutions like TNAU to study this possibility.
"We need farmer-traders and farmer-entrepreneurs," he said.
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Role of corporates in agriculture
Dhankhar urged corporates to invest more in agricultural research and development and to share their profits with farmers.
"Value addition must happen at the farm itself, benefitting local communities," he said.
He stressed that agriculture must play a central role if India wants to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047. For that, farmer incomes would need to grow eight times, which he said was achievable.
Reflecting on India’s progress, Dhankhar recalled how the country once had to import wheat from the United States due to shortages. Today, India is self-sufficient in food production.
He called the agricultural sector an area of "enormous untapped potential" that needs to be developed, starting from universities like TNAU.
Towards the end of his speech, Dhankhar spoke about India’s rich civilisational history. He said India has always been a peace-loving nation where inclusivity and freedom of thought have thrived for over a thousand years. "In today’s world, the level of freedom and inclusivity in India is among the highest," he added.
The event was also attended by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and TNAU officials.
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