Indian agrifood demand to rise by 136% by 2050

The research, conducted by the Australian department of agriculture’s research centre, Abares, said the growth reflects rising income and population growth across the.

The report assesses future trends in Indian food consumption, production and trade in one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Abares’s executive director, Karen Schneider, said: “Increasing income levels in India have led to a diversification of diets, with rising per person consumption of dairy products, fruit and vegetables​.

“Combined with a population growth rate that is one of the highest in Asia, that means food demand will increase significantly​.”

Under current agricultural policies in India, the growth in consumption will strongest for fruit (246%), vegetables (183%) and dairy products (137%), which together account for 77% of the total projected rise in food consumption by 2050.

“While the demand for food has largely been met by domestically produced products to date, food imports have also risen. For many commodities imports will continue to rise over the coming decades​,” Schneider said.

“India's growth in agrifood imports toward 2050 is predominantly driven by vegetables, which are projected to reach US$47bn by 2050, in 2009 US dollars​.

“Fruit imports are projected to reach US$58bn by 2050, with dairy products at US$13bn and wheat US$15bn also expected to rise significantly.”