AgriMatters

DETAILS : 

• Author : Sanjeev Chopra
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 January 2009
  
• Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Harccover ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8121107091
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8121107099
  
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 500 g

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AgriMatters: Connecting the Dots, authored by the distinguished former bureaucrat and public policy expert Sanjeev Chopra and published by HarperCollins India, is an incisive, highly authoritative critique of India's agricultural landscape. The book serves as a vital analytical bridge connecting the historical evolution of agrarian policies with the contemporary structural challenges and geopolitical economic realities that define the sector.

The primary objective of the volume is to move the public and political discourse away from emotional rhetoric and short-term populist fixes (such as blanket loan waivers) toward systemic, long-term structural reforms. Drawing from his decades of administrative oversight in rural development and corporate-government interfaces, Chopra systematically deconstructs the agricultural ecosystem into interconnected policy nodes:

• The Post-Green Revolution Dilemma: Evaluates how the intensive agricultural strategies of the 1960s—which successfully achieved national food security—have inadvertently led to contemporary ecological crises, including severe groundwater depletion, soil degradation, and an unsustainable monoculture focus on paddy and wheat.
• Market Friction and Supply Chain Logistics: Critically analyzes the bottlenecks within the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC), advocating for digital transformation via the Electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), robust cold-chain infrastructure, and the direct empowerment of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
• Technology and Agritech Integration: Explores how precision farming, drone technology, AI-driven crop diagnostic tools, and climate-resilient seed varieties can elevate smallholder productivity.
• The Diversification Imperative: Outlines an actionable policy framework for shifting focus toward high-value agriculture, including horticulture, animal husbandry, pisciculture, and agro-processing, to effectively double farmers' incomes.

Rather than presenting a dry, academic data dump, AgriMatters is written with the sharp, narrative clarity of a seasoned administrator. Chopra seamlessly weaves together field anecdotes, historical legislative analysis, and global case studies, transforming the book into an indispensable blueprint for policymakers, agritech entrepreneurs, civil services aspirants, and anyone seeking to understand the economic heartbeat of rural India.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sanjeev Chopra is a retired officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 1985 batch, West Bengal cadre, whose distinguished career spans over three decades. He is highly celebrated for his tenure as the Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, where he oversaw the foundational training of India's civil service elite. Throughout his administrative career, he held key portfolios, including Secretary of Agriculture in West Bengal and Joint Secretary of Agriculture for the Government of India.

Chopra’s authorial style is characterized by deep analytical rigor, institutional memory, and a lucid, engaging prose style. He is a prolific columnist, historian, and literature enthusiast who serves as the Festival Director of Valley of Words, an international literature and arts festival. His unique vantage point—having designed grassroots agricultural schemes and negotiated high-level multilateral trade policies—lends an unparalleled credibility to his writings on public policy and rural economics.