LESS FOR RESEARCH, MORE FOR CASH CROPS

Agriculture research funds cut for FY27 even as the country faces growing climate risks and a productivity crisis

- Sayantan Bera & Vijay C Roy

The budget FY27 allocated funds to allied farm segments such as high-value crops, livestock, and fisheries to promote crop diversification and lift farm incomes.

Yet, these were paltry outlays. There was little for farmers battling a crash in crop prices and incomes, and funds for agri research were slashed amid growing climate risks and a productive crisis.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new ₹350-crore scheme to promote high-value plantation crops, including coconut, cocoa, cashew and tree nuts. The budget also proposed a ₹150 crore Bharat Vistaar scheme, which will use a multilingual artificial intelligence (AI) tool for crop advisories.

"To diversify farm outputs, increase productivity, enhance farmers' incomes, and create new employment opportunities, we will support high-value crops such as coconut, sandalwood, cocoa and cashew in our coastal areas," the minister said in her budget speech. She said a dedicated scheme for cashew and cocoa will make India self-reliant, boost export competitiveness and transform Indian products into premium global brands by 2030.