Bio-input demand may rise, but skill gap threatens India's green farming push: Agriculture Commissioner

India’s plans to expand biological farm inputs like bio-stimulants to bio-pesticides may hit a roadblock due to a shortage of trained manpower, said Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh.

Speaking at an event organised by industry body Biological Agri Solutions Association of India (BASAI) on Wednesday, Singh said chemical plant workers can’t be directly shifted to bio-manufacturing, as expertise in fermentation and biological distillation is different. Singh called this a structural gap that must be addressed to achieve bio-solutions targets.

He added that organic farming previously struggled due to input shortages and farmers switching back to chemicals during pest pressure. But he also flagged a huge opportunity. If India’s nearly 14 crore farmers use bio-inputs at 2-2.5 tonnes per hectare, annual demand could hit 20-30 crore tonnes, much more than the current production and procurement.


India's biological agri-inputs market is growing at a double-digit rate and is expected to exceed $1.5 billion by the end of the decade, driven by rising farmer awareness, supportive policies and demand for residue-free produce, according to the industry body. Simultaneously, millions of hectares have come under natural and organic farming, underscoring a broader shift towards sustainable agriculture.

“Integrated approaches are the most sustainable method of farming, which will ensure chemicals are reduced, and we also meet the production needs of the nation. He mentioned if every farmer starts adopting biofertilizer, there will be a need for more than 100 crore MT of biofertilizer. The wider adoption of biological agri-inputs will be instrumental in reducing excessive dependence on chemical inputs, improving soil health and supporting environmentally sustainable farming practices,” added Singh.

Dr Gagnesh Sharma, Director, NCONF highlighted that they are instrumental in educating and providing technical support to FPO & industry as well. He mentioned that there is an utmost need to provide quality biofertilizer to the farmers, and if quality products are applied, farmers can definitely reduce chemical fertilizer by 25-50%. He mentioned that currently there is a production estimate of approx. 2.5 lakh MT of granular biofertilizer products and 1.6l KL of liquid biofertilizer products, and it will shortly crop 10 lakh MT consumption.

Dr Subash Chand, Secretary, CIB&RC, said quality and farmer awareness will decide the success of the biological sector. He flagged that some companies only buy microbial strains without investing in R&D, leading to products that fail to meet farmer expectations. He urged firms to focus on research and technology so farmers get high-quality inputs and better yields.

Vipin Saini, CEO, BASAI, said that the future of Indian agriculture depends on improving both nutrient use efficiency and water use efficiency through biological solutions. He noted that microbial biofertilizers and organic inputs can conserve water, improve soil health, and support sustainable practices like Direct Seeded Rice.