Public spend on Indian agriculture has shrunk in a decade
India’s public expenditure on agriculture as a fraction of total expense fell to 9.5 per in 2019-20 from 11 per cent in 2010-11 amid a a sharp fall in the Union government’s expenditure on agriculture as a share of gross value added (GVA) by the sector, claimed a?study by Foundation of Agrarian Studies (FAS).?
The share of agricultural in India’s total?GVA fell in this period to 17.8 per cent from 18.2 per cent, the study found. Public expenditure on agriculture thus has declined faster than agriculture’s relative importance in the economy.
The burden of public expenditure on agriculture has been transferred from the Centre to the states even as a?several sections have raised?concerns over an erosion in India’s federal structure.?
The aim of the study was to analyse trends, patterns and composition of public spending in agriculture and rural development in India during the last decade. It assessed public budget for agriculture in India against five broad parameters:
The report, released May 20, was based on data on government (both central and states) expenditure on the agriculture sector, including crop production, livestock, fisheries, forestry, irrigation and rural development.?