The agriculture and allied activities sector have been a significant contributor to India’s growth and development. India is projected to witness GDP growth rate between 6.0 to 6.8 percent during 2023-24. The agriculture sector has been growing at an average annual rate of 4.6 percent over the last six years. India has also emerged as a net exporter of agricultural products, with 6 percent growth in exports in 2022-23 over the previous year. The agricultural sector contributed to 19.9 percent of the country’s GDP and employs a significant portion of the country’s labour force, accounting for 45.5 percent during 2020-21. Despite the agricultural

sector’s importance and its positive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers in India often find themselves at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Farmers face various challenges in production, including inconsistent policy frameworks, unsustainable cropping patterns and limited access to technology and irrigation facilities, inadequate market linkages and vulnerability to exploitation by intermediaries. Addressing these issues and improving the economic condition of farmers for sustainable livelihood and growth is essential.