India must shift to market-driven farming: ICAR's Jat

M L Jat, Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE), said on Tuesday that self-reliant farmers are crucial to India’s development. Speaking at the Rural Voice Agriculture Conclave and Awards 2025 in Delhi, Jat called for innovation, specialised farming zones, skill development, stronger market linkages, and a shift from subsidies to incentives to advance technology- and market-led agriculture.

Subsidies, Jat noted, restrict crop choices, while incentives and rising incomes enable diversification and better market integration. India must move toward market-driven farming, he said, adding that crop- and region-specific zones supported by factories and research institutes would help farmers secure better prices and reduce reliance on MSP.


Speaking earlier at the same event, NITI Aayog Member and agricultural economist Ramesh Chand urged farmers to shift towards crops outside the minimum support price (MSP) regime and to adopt a holistic food-system approach in agricultural planning. He said such a shift is essential to making farmers self-reliant in Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Chand said, “The government certainly has a role in the development of the agricultural sector, but can farmers take steps on their own for which they currently rely on the government? Only then will farmers truly become self-reliant.”

R S Paroda, Chairman, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), stressed the need for smallholder-focused policies and research, urging farmers to explore alternatives for self-reliance.

Paroda said the extension system is weak and coordination among seven agriculture-related ministries is poor. Paroda called for a single national agriculture policy and a formal mechanism to hear farmers without protests. Noting that agriculture is a state subject, he sought stronger Centre–state coordination through an agriculture council on the lines of the GST Council, and urged replacing subsidies with incentives and boosting public–private partnerships.