It would be unrealistic to think that the problems of the agriculture sector can be addressed in a Union budget.

The MSPs need to be protected by procurement and suitable and prompt adjustments of tariffs, in order to really incentivise crop diversification.

This year’s wheat procurement is critical for the government to meet its obligation under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 as the stock in the central pool on April 1 was down to 75.02 lakh tonne (lt), only 42,000 tonnes above the buffer norm of 74.60 lt.

The book 'Who will bell the cow?' by Shruti Ganapatye is an audacious contribution to the recent history of violence over cow slaughter in various states of India.

Sukhpal Singh's latest book 'Regulating Agricultural Markets in India: A Smallholder Perspective' looks at the three farm laws that were repealed following criticism against proposed reforms to the system of agricultural markets, among other things.

It seems that adverse weather events have had a deep impact on India’s agricultural success. Much higher investment in research is needed to develop climate-resistant varieties of seeds, as a matter of priority.

The book 'Accidental Gamblers: Risk and Vulnerability in Vidarbha Cotton' published recently offers readers a deep dive into the rural economy of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. It is based on 12 years of study and primary research in villages.

If public distribution continues in its present form, where food grains are distributed (now free of charge) even in agriculturally surplus regions, the Centre will continue to depend on Punjab and Haryana for procurement. They will thus remain at the forefront of India’s food security. 

The weather events of 2022 and the possibility of similar experiences in 2023 pose a challenge to India’s food security.

Pulses are a staple of the Indian diet and will remain an important source of protein for a vast majority of Indians. Some suggestion on how the government can ensure demand is met.

The allocation to several schemes of Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is lower than the budget estimate of previous year.

Prudence demands that allocations under PMGKAY are not extended beyond December 2022 and food grains are released in the open market.

Science helped India feed itself. Now, there is a clear need for re-imagination for Indian agriculture to bring it in consonance with the ecological requirement of various regions.

In 'Broke to Breakthrough', Harish Damodaran traces how Hatsun Agro Products grew through innovative, low cost but highly impactful moves.

Now that the government has enacted three farm laws with the objective of free trade in agricultural commodities, it would be of interest to watch the developments in the next year.

While FCI losses are not that large, we don't have data on some states and can't ignore the lack of wheat silo infrastructure.

'Food loss' takes place from the farm up to the retail level. It is equally important to address losses to make farming remunerative.

What we need is for the Centre to enter into meaningful dialogue with the original green revolution states and work out a concrete road map for gradual diversification from paddy to more sustainable crops.

Despite the additional allocations of wheat and rice due to the COVID-19 crisis, their stocks remain much higher than the buffer norms. States and the Centre need to use data to guide farmers.