Srinagar, Aug. 20 -- India has made rapid strides in the agriculture sector over the past decade. As per the Economic Survey- 25-26, the growth rate in the past 5 years has been over 4%. There has been bumper production of food grains, horticulture and oilseeds, which is an outcome of adoption of technologies by farmers, supported by concerted government policies such as expansion in irrigated area, better water use efficiency, along with timely and adequate availability of fertilizers. The share of horticulture crops is also rising substantially and witnessing an even higher growth.

However, there are rising concerns related to excessive use of chemical fertilisers resulting in declining soil health and plateauing of productivity of maj...