India’s new plan to shield farmers from global chaos

In an era of crisis where a conflict in one hemisphere can lead to shortages in another, India is building a new kind of defence. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has launched a special task force to safeguard the nation’s agricultural resilience against the rising geopolitical uncertainties. For decades global trade has been the backbone of Indian agriculture as it exported what it grew and imported the chemicals required to grow it. Disruptions in the maritime corridors have turned the simple task of buying fertilizers into a difficult task.

Led by M.L. Jat the Director General of ICAR, the task force is moving beyond traditional research. Their mission is to intensify ‘Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav’ campaign to enhance farmer outreach and create input security so even if the shipping lane is closed or gas pipeline is cut the Indian farmers should not have to face the problem. Currently this will give priority to 100 districts using existing organizational structures. Additionally this panel plans to scale up technological solutions, including direct seeding of rice.