Impact of Agricultural Research : an Overview

Agricultural research in India is largely in the public sector domain. Research in the private sector is limited, and mostly confined to research foundations and in-house R&D in a few input industries such as the seed sector. Research investment in Indian agriculture is channeled through ICAR, the apex organization, which allocates resources for agricultural research, education, and frontline extension through a vast network of research institutes and SAUs. As a result of ICAR’s continuous support to agricultural research and extension, and sustained efforts of the scientific community, a large number of improved technologies have been developed, contributing significantly in achieving growth in production. Though the contribution of agricultural research has been immense, it has not been well documented in the past. The information available is scattered and based on anecdotal evidence. As a result, investment in agricultural research is often questioned..