70% Food Production Hike Must, Says FAIFA
The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) on Thursday said India must increase its food production by nearly 70 per cent by 2050 to meet the demands of a projected population of 1.6 billion. FAIFA emphasised that agriculture will play a critical role in ensuring food security amid rising population pressures.
A FAIFA white paper, released ahead of Kisan Divas, outlined a four-pillar strategy to strengthen Indian agriculture, focusing on productivity, sustainability, exports, and farmer-centric reforms.
The paper highlighted mounting pressure on India’s food system due to population growth, rising disposable incomes, and rapid urbanisation. These trends are reshaping dietary preferences towards more diverse and high-value foods, increasing demand-side pressures on agriculture. The challenges are further compounded by shrinking and fragmented landholdings due to urbanisation and inheritance patterns.
To build a modern and sustainable agriculture sector that ensures adequate food supplies for future generations, the white paper proposed a four-pillar roadmap.
The first pillar focuses on strengthening agricultural research, technology adoption, and sustainable farming practices. The Centre plans an investment of ₹10,000 crore between 2026 and 2030 to bring five million hectares under natural farming and permaculture-based practices.
The second pillar calls for export-oriented diversification, backed by infrastructure development and logistics. This includes expansion of cold-chain facilities, agri-export zones, and value addition in high-value crops, with a target of achieving $100 billion in agricultural exports through 50 agri-export zones.
The third pillar stresses maintaining India’s non-GMO agricultural integrity, with an allocation of ₹5,000 crore over five years to expand indigenous seed varieties by 50 per cent and develop 100 climate-resilient non-GMO crops.
The paper noted that agricultural financing could be transformed through enhanced institutional credit disbursement of ₹50 lakh crore by 2028, scaling up to ₹25 lakh crore, and supporting 50 million small and marginal farmers through AI-driven digital lending platforms.
Addressing the seminar, Union Minister of State Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma said the Centre’s policies are focused on strengthening food security and building a resilient, technology-driven agricultural ecosystem. He highlighted initiatives such as digital agriculture, indigenous seed development, sustainable farming practices, and enhanced agrifinancing.
The initiatives, he said, reflect the government’s commitment to making Indian agriculture future-ready, profitable, and globally competitive.
The minister added that the ideas presented by FAIFA are aligned with the government’s vision of Viksit Bharat, empowering farmers to play a central role in national growth and economic transformation.
Source: December 2025, Times of India
