Jat said that marginal land holdings (less than 1 hectare) have surged from 51 per cent to 68 per cent while the average farm size has alarmingly shrunk from 2.25 hectares to 1.08 hectares.
Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR, has said that the country needs to increased investments in agricultural research. “As of now, we are spending merely 0.43 per cent of agricultural GDP on research. In case of extension, it is very meagre at 0.095 per cent as against the global average of 0.93 per cent ,” he said.
Addressing the 55th Convocation of Prof. Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) on Saturday, he said the country should increase R&D investment in agriculture to at least one per cent of the Agri GDP.
“To achieve Viksit Bharat 2047, we must ensure that agriculture and allied sectors grow at least at 6 per cent per annum. While the overall GDP grew at 5.9 per cent during 2014-23, agriculture sector lagged behind with growth rate of just 3.6 per cent,” he said.
Jat said that marginal land holdings (less than 1 hectare) have surged from 51 per cent to 68 per cent , while the average farm size has alarmingly shrunk from 2.25 hectares to 1.08 hectares. Projections indicate an even sharper decline, with average holdings potentially falling to just 0.6 hectares by 2047, which severely threatens the economic viability of small farms.
This shrinkage, combined with issues like depleting groundwater, deteriorating soil health, biodiversity loss, and climate change, poses significant challenges for sustainable agricultural livelihoods.
Strategic pillars for future research include a trans-disciplinary approach, leveraging emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and quantum computing, and developing a robust data ecosystem from over 60 years of agricultural research. Strengthen Sate Agri Varsities
He wanted the Governments to focus on strengthening of State Agricultural Universities (SAUs). A major constraint identified remains the lack of quality manpower and adequate numbers in frontier areas of agricultural science.
To address this challenge, SAUs should play a greater and more proactive role in attracting best talent and providing enabling environments for the holistic development and employment of students.
Formidable challenges
Despite these formidable challenges, he said the country registered progress in food production since Independence. “India now ranks first globally in rice (149.1 million tons in 2024-25) and horticulture production (367.72 million tons in 2024-25), and second in wheat production (117.3 mt).
“This progress, driven by technological advancements and investments in irrigation and infrastructure, underscores the immense potential for continued growth towards self-reliance by 2047,” he said.
During the Convocation, degrees were awarded to a total of 844 students, including 619 UG, 116 PG, and Doctoral degrees to 37 students.
Published on August 3, 2025