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Informist, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – Ankur Aggarwal, chairman, CropLife India, said the following on the Union Budget for 2026-27 (Apr-Mar), presented in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday:

 

CropLife India welcomes the launch of ‘Bharat Vistaar', a multilingual, AI-powered digital platform aimed at strengthening last-mile delivery of agricultural knowledge and the Budget's emphasis on high-value crops as an important avenue for income diversification.

 

However, digital advisory delivers results only when it is backed by effective on-ground extension systems that ensure guidance reaches farmers in time and is applied correctly in local conditions. Farmers today operate in a far more complex risk environment. Climate variability is increasing uncertainty, pest pressures are changing, and resistance is affecting the performance of older solutions.

 

Farmers moving into high-value crops must meet stricter quality and food safety standards. Addressing these realities requires sustained investment in crop science, faster access to newer and low-dose technologies, and policies that help farmers manage costs, protect yields, and comply with good agricultural practices and international standards such as maximum residue limits.  End

 

Compiled by Afra Abubacker

Filed by Vandana Hingorani

 

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