Impact of Agricultural Research

Agricultural research in India is largely in the public sector domain. Research in private sector is very meagre, and confined to research foundations and in-house R and D of few input industries, like the seed sector. Agricultural research investment is channelled through the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). ICAR is the apex organisation, which has been consistently allocating resources for agricultural research, education and frontline extension through a vast network of research institutes and state agricultural universities. As a result of continuous support of ICAR to agricultural research and extension, and sustained efforts of the scientific community, a large number of improved technologies have been developed, which have contributed significantly in achieving higher production growth. The contribution of agricultural research is immense but not well documented in the past. Whatever information is available is scattered and based on anecdotal evidences. In the absence of this, agricultural research investment is often questioned.

To document and synthesise the impact of past and ongoing research investment in agriculture, a workshop was organised jointly by the National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NCAP) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics on February 10-11, 2000. Fifty-one papers were contributed in multiple areas: genetic enhancement of crops, resource management, integrated pest management, animal sciences, agricultural implements, and so on. A cross-section of research managers, policy-makers, economists, agricultural scientists, and representatives of seed industry attended the workshop. The papers were invited to document the contribution of past agricultural research and development efforts in terms of several socio-economic indicators, including efficiency gains, employment generation and conservation of natural resources. This report is a synthesis of the workshop proceedings.