Anugu Amarender Reddy

Agricultural biologicals-including biopesticides, biofertilizers, biostimulants, microbial consortia and emerging biological technologies-are increasingly important to debates on sustainable intensification, climate resilience, soil health and reduced dependence on hazardous chemical inputs. Yet their regulation remains fragmented and is often poorly aligned with the biological characteristics and heterogeneous risk profiles of these products. This paper examines the policy rationale for a dedicated, risk-proportionate regulatory framework for agricultural biologicals in India. Drawing on an analysis of India's existing regulatory architecture, a proposed Agricultural Biologicals (Regulation, Quality Assurance and Farmer Protection) Bill, 2026, and recent international regulatory developments, particularly European Union reforms intended to accelerate access to biological control products, the paper develops a lifecycle governance framework. The framework differentiates regulatory requirements according to biological and ecological risk; combines proportionate pre-market assessment with biology-specific quality standards; introduces digital and time-bound registration; strengthens traceability and claims governance; provides limited safeguards for farmer-and Farmer Producer Organisation-produced inputs; and shifts part of regulatory effort from extensive pre-market documentation towards post-market surveillance, adverse-event reporting and rapid recall. The paper argues that the policy challenge is not whether agricultural biologicals should be regulated, but how regulation can simultaneously protect farmers, consumers and ecosystems while avoiding unnecessary barriers to innovation. The proposed framework provides a policy model potentially relevant to other developing countries seeking to govern rapidly evolving agricultural technologies under conditions of institutional fragmentation and limited regulatory capacity.

Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO's) are only way to reap scale economies and enhanced competitiveness of Indian farmers in the face of global competition. FPOs include both the Producer Companies and the Cooperatives registered under various central and state cooperative society laws). The paper analysed the key drivers of FPOs in terms of their outreach, operations and financials and derive common performance indicators that make model FPOs. To meet the above objectives, a detailed primary field survey was conducted in year 2019 with a sample of 24 FPOs from four states i.e, Maharashtra, AP, West Bengal and Gujarat, at the rate of six FPOs from each state. The study grouped all the FPOs in these states in to most efficient, moderately efficient and stagnant based on their operations for analytical purposes. The findings shows that the strong institution building with well-placed internal committees will go a long way in transforming FPOs and make them model FPO. Continuous capacity building of all the stakeholders involved, is the only option for realizing this goal. Further, identifying market opportunities and mobilising the farmers for achieving collective goals of increased turnover is important for making them a model FPO.

This paper examines the evolution of India's Soil Health Card Scheme from a phase of isomorphic mimicry to a more functionality-oriented and impact-driven mode of implementation after 2019. Drawing on a pan-India evaluation conducted by the authors covering more than 3,600 farmers in 2017, the study identifies a major divergence between officially reported achievements and actual field-level outcomes during the programme's initial phase (2015-2019). The survey showed how implementation reflected isomorphic mimicry, wherein local agencies reproduced the appearance of compliance with centrally mandated targets without generating meaningful outcomes. Although administrative records indicated near-universal distribution of Soil Health Cards (SHCs) to over 120 million farmers, field evidence revealed that only a limited proportion of farmers had actually received, understood, or used the cards for nutrient management decisions. The paper argues that the programme's early design imposed ambitious universal targets on state and district administrations without adequately accounting for institutional, technical, and human resource capacities. Shortages of trained personnel for soil sampling, inadequate laboratory infrastructure, logistical constraints, weak extension systems, and limited verification mechanisms created incentives for compliance-oriented reporting rather than substantive implementation. Consequently, local bureaucracies prioritised numerical achievement over actual farmer use and behavioural change. Based on findings from the 2017-18 evaluation, the authors proposed a capability-oriented implementation framework emphasising achievable targets, phased expansion, stronger monitoring systems, digital technologies, and broader institutional participation. The study shows that the post-2019 restructuring increasingly reflected these principles through more realistic targets, integration of remote sensing and digital soil mapping with field verification, greater private-sector participation, improved extension support, and digital monitoring mechanisms linking fertilizer point-of-sale systems with SHC recommendations. The paper demonstrates how aligning policy ambition with implementation capability can help large public programmes transition from symbolic compliance to functional effectiveness, contributing to broader debates on state capacity and implementation reform in the Global South.

India leads globally in imports of vegetable oils, a trend set to continue with a growing population and declining domestic production. Of all the vegetable oils imported by India, palm oil occupies the top one positions. This study aimed to determine factors affecting India's palm oil imports from its primary trading partners. This study investigates the determinants of India’s palm oil imports from its major trading partners within an augmented gravity model framework, estimated using the poisson pseudo maximum likelihood (PPML) technique, employing panel data for 35 trading partner countries over the period 2001–23, based on the 6-digit harmonised system (HS) code 151190 and analysed using STATA. The analysis focuses on assessing the influence of economic size, trade costs and institutional factors on bilateral import flows, thereby offering deeper insights into the structural drivers of India’s palm oil trade dynamics. The results of the Friedman, Pesaran’s and Frees tests indicated there is a cross-sectional dependence (p < 0.01 or 0.05) within the panel data for palm oil. The empirical findings reveal that the gross domestic product (GDP) of partner countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, along with World Trade Organization (WTO) membership, exert a positive and significant influence on palm oil imports. In contrast, variables such as per capita income, distance, continent and common language demonstrated a negative and significant effect. Understanding these intricate dynamics is crucial for policymakers and stakeholders to address, emphasising the need for prioritising increased domestic production to reduce reliance on edible oil imports and promote sustainability.

Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) has emerged as a key strategy to address rising global food demand and persistent food insecurity while enhancing resilience to climate change. This study examines farmers’ perceptions of climate change and the socio-economic and institutional factors influencing the adoption of CSA adoption in Haryana, India, with a focus on Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs) as a community-based approach for scaling climate-resilient strategies. Using a purposive multistage sampling design, primary data were collected from 240 farmers across two agro-climatically distinct districts—Kurukshetra and Sirsa—including both CSVs and non-CSV areas. The findings reveal pronounced regional heterogeneity in both perceptions and adoption patterns. While awareness of climate change did not differ significantly between CSV and non-CSV farmers in Kurukshetra, significant differences were observed in Sirsa, particularly in perceptions of recent temperature and rainfall variability. Multivariate analysis identifies institutional membership, crop diversification, and livestock population as key determinants of CSA adoption. Overall, adoption levels were significantly higher among CSV farmers, with target farmers exhibiting 9.7–17.3% higher adoption rates and control farmers 4.0–8.0% higher rates than non-CSV farmers, indicating substantial spillover effects. The widespread uptake of resource-efficient technologies, coupled with greater access to climate information, enhances farmers’ capacity to anticipate and respond to climate risks. These adoption outcomes have important implications for food security. Higher adoption—particularly in Kurukshetra—is associated with improved yield stability, water-use efficiency, and income resilience, while lower adoption in Sirsa may constrain these gains. The results highlight the role of behavioural and institutional factors in shaping adoption decisions and underscore the effectiveness of CSV-based approaches in fostering climate-resilient farming systems. The study emphasises the need for context-specific, farmer-centred policies that integrate technological, behavioural, and institutional interventions to advance food security in vulnerable regions.

Background: The Farmer FIRST Programme (FFP) introduced scientific rice cultivation technologies to improve productivity among tribal farmers in Chhattisgarh state, India. Methods: A survey of 200 farmers (100 beneficiaries and 100 non-beneficiaries) was conducted using structured interviews and an adoption checklist. A Difference-in-Difference (DiD) model estimated FFP’s impact on yield, supported by Welch’s t-test, chi-square tests, and the Friedman test to assess income gains, adoption constraints, and perceived benefits. Results: Beneficiary yields increased by 9.55 quintals/ha versus 5.02 quintals/ha for controls, yielding a net gain of 4.52 quintals/ha (p < 0.01). DiD regression confirmed significant productivity gains (R² = 0.68). Income increased by ₹30,928.25 for beneficiaries (p < 0.01). Key constraints included limited access to quality seed and delayed information, while farmers ranked knowledge enhancement and yield improvement highest. Implications: FFP significantly improved rice productivity and income. Addressing seed supply and strengthening extension services will be vital for sustaining adoption of improved practices.

Biopesticides are emerging as a crucial component of sustainable pest management in India; however, their adoption remains limited, despite policy support and growing consumer demand for residue-free produce. This study offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Indian biopesticide sector, examining its market structure, regulatory frameworks, technological advancements, and regional consumption patterns. Using the nationally representative NSS data and econometric analysis, we identify socioeconomic and institutional determinants of farmers’ expenditure on both chemical pesticides and biopesticides across key rice-growing states. The results show that factors such as agricultural training, household size, membership in farmer organizations, access to crop insurance, and expenditure on key inputs significantly influence the adoption of biopesticides, whereas formal education has a limited effect. The analysis also reveals significant regional disparities, with a small number of states accounting for nearly half of the nation’s biopesticide consumption. We discuss how India’s pragmatic regulatory approach, cost-effective domestic manufacturing, and targeted public initiatives provide a scalable model for promoting sustainable crop protection in other developing regions. Policy recommendations focus on streamlining registration, strengthening extension services, supporting private sector participation, and enhancing research on locally adapted, high-efficacy products. By integrating market, regulatory, and behavioural perspectives, this study advances the evidence base for scaling biopesticide use, offering insights relevant to agricultural sustainability and food safety in both India and the wider Global South.

Purpose: India's MSP-procurement-PDS system, although framed as farmer support, functions largely as a consumer subsidy. With rice and wheat sold cheaply through the PDS and global prices close to the MSP, procurement mainly ensures price assurance. Expanding assured procurement to all MSP crops raises serious concerns regarding fiscal sustainability, administrative feasibility, and market distortions. This study evaluated the fiscal implications of alternative MSP reform pathways. Methodology: Using 2024-2025 production, MSP, and wholesale price data, five scenarios were modelled: full procurement of all 23 MSP crops (upper bound); current-style procurement of 40% of paddy and wheat and 20% of others (baseline); baseline plus PDP at 10% of MSP for 20% of other crop output (partial PDP); baseline plus PDP at 20% of MSP for 40% of other output (enhanced PDP); and continued cereal procurement with universal PDP for other crops. Results: Partial procurement results in payouts of approximately ₹3.7 lakh crore (USD 40.3 billion) (1.12% of GDP) while concealing large storage and inventory risks. Hybrid models provide comparable income support with lower logistical burden. Universal PDP moderately increases outlays but expands coverage and avoids procurement inefficiencies. Even a broadened PDP system would cost approximately ₹1.14 lakh crore (USD 12.4 billion). Conclusions: Effective farmer price assurance does not require expanded procurement efforts. A gradual transition toward hybrid and PDP-based support can protect incomes, reduce inefficiencies, and clearly separate consumer subsidies from farmer income policy, offering a practical reform pathway for India and similar economies. Limitations: This study uses a static, single-year framework and does not capture dynamic distributional factors. Contributions: This study provides a fiscal comparison of MSP implementation pathways, introduces a hybrid procurement-PDP framework, and offers new evidence on extending income support to neglected crops and regions while minimizing fiscal expenditure.

This paper critically evaluates the policy and institutional dynamics underlying India’s agricultural policy and technological evolution, with a focus on liberalization of agricultural markets and promote private investment in infrastructure such as cold chains and warehouses. The paper examined the demands for a legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) and also structural constraints in existing market arrangements. Drawing on various government reports and scholarly literature, the analysis shows that politically influenced Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) have historically limited private investment and hindered market modernization. Negligible procurement of pulses and oilseeds at MSP constrained crop diversification, while assured procurement of paddy and wheat ensured price stability but contributed to monocropping systems, dietary imbalance and persistent undernutrition among women and children. Farmers cultivating non-cereal crops continue to face price volatility, low profitability, and increasing import dependence. The paper proposes a restructured MSP framework built on income insurance, combining limited cereal procurement, Price Deficiency Payments, and strengthened APMCs and Farmer Producer Organisations.

Plant pathogens represent a growingthreat to agriculture, forestry and biodiversity in India. With increasing globalization, climate change and cross-border trade, the frequency and impact of pathogen invasions have intensified and posing significant challenges to crop productivity and ecosystem health. Ask ChatGPT