Subscribe

Back

Who we are

With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Elodie Becquey

Elodie Becquey is a Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, based in IFPRI’s West and Central Africa office in Senegal. She has over 15 years of research experience in diet, nutrition, and food security in Africa, including countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania.

Back

What we do

Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

Research topics

Projects and impact

Modeling tools

Project microsites

AI search assistant

What’s new

Where we work

Back

Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

IFPRI Regional Programs

IFPRI Country Programs

Research by country and region

Subscribe

experts

Development Strategies and Governance

Kriti Sharma

Research Analyst

Follow

Kriti

at:

ORCiD

Bio

Kriti Sharma is a Research Analyst in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit in IFPRI’s South Asia Office in New Delhi, India. Her research interests include growth, development, and agricultural economics. Currently, she is working on adoption and impact of emerging technologies in agriculture in addition to other related topics.
Kriti has previously worked as a researcher at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi. She holds a master’s degree in economics from Jamia Millia Islamia University and a BA in Economics (Hons) from the University of Delhi.

SSRN Author Profile

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Varietal turnover in potato and its effect on yield: Evidence from household surveys in India

2025Sharma, Kriti; Kumar, Anjani; Kumar, Nalini Ranjan
Details

Varietal turnover in potato and its effect on yield: Evidence from household surveys in India

ABSTRACT: Potato remains a crucial crop for achieving India’s food security goals and generating income for small-scale farmers. But India, the largest potato producer after China, lags behind its peers in yield. One of the major reasons for low potato yield in India is the slow varietal replacement rate. Empirical exploration of this issue is limited in the Indian context. This study utilizes a comprehensive field survey conducted in 2018-19 that captures information on 892 potato growing farmers from five major potato-producing states in India, namely, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Varietal replacement is captured through area-weighted average age, calculated as the average of the ages of the major potato varieties grown by the farmer, weighted by the variety’s share in the area under potato cultivation. We then examine the determinants of the area-weighted average age of potato varieties using a probit model, and its impact on potato yield, using a two-stage-least-squares instrumental variable regression model with state fixed effects. The probit model indicates that bigger household size is associated with lower varietal age or quicker varietal replacement rate. Furthermore, links to political parties and information about new seeds from friends, progressive farmers and input dealers are also key determinants of varietal age for potato crop in India. The outcome of instrumental variable regression establishes a negative association between varietal age and yield of potato, indicating that the adoption of new and improved potato varieties can help farmers achieve higher yield. The analysis also reveals the importance of access to weather forecasting information and linkages with agricultural organizations to attain higher yield. Inclusive platforms that foster collaboration of farmers with input dealers, progressive peers, and researchers are key for encouraging varietal replacement. Extension programs and targeted outreach in politically networked communities may also help bridge information gap. To align innovation with on-ground needs, it is important to involve farmers in the development process of varieties. These insights are instrumental for policymakers in enhancing farmers’ decision-making and boosting food security in India amidst the impending demographic challenges.

Year published

2025

Authors

Sharma, Kriti; Kumar, Anjani; Kumar, Nalini Ranjan

Citation

Sharma, Kriti; Kumar, Anjani; and Kumar, Nalini Ranjan. 2025. Varietal turnover in potato and its effect on yield: Evidence from household surveys in India. Journal of Developing Areas 59(4): 121-142. https://doi.org/10.1353/jda.2025.a970235

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Crop Yield; Farmers; Food Security; Potatoes

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1353/jda.2025.a970235 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Working Paper

Kisan credit card and smallholder farmers’ economic performance in eastern India: A panel data analysis

2025Sharma, Kriti; Kumar, Anjani; Agrawal, R.C.
Details

Kisan credit card and smallholder farmers’ economic performance in eastern India: A panel data analysis

Farmers in India continue to be deprived of adequate and timely institutional credit. The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, introduced in 1998, sought to address this issue by providing credit support under a single window with simplified procedure. Using a panel data of 2,586 farming households from five states in Eastern India, namely, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal in 2018 and 2023, we examine the determinants of access to KCC and its credit limit. We also analyze the impact of KCC on farmers’ input usage, dependence on moneylenders and farm income using propensity score weighted fixed effects model which controls for selection bias and unobservable time-invariant heterogeneities. We find that farmers’ participation in agricultural training, demonstrations and development programs encourage farmers to adopt KCC. Furthermore, KCC access increases farmers’ input usage and reduces their dependence on money lenders. This evidence comes from an economically challenged region whose economy significantly depends on agriculture. The findings of the study raise concerns over the limited penetration of the scheme among smaller-scale farmers and provide key insights into the underlying issues hindering the efficacious functioning of the scheme.

Year published

2025

Authors

Sharma, Kriti; Kumar, Anjani; Agrawal, R.C.

Citation

Sharma, Kriti; Kumar, Anjani; and Agrawal, R.C. 2025. Kisan credit card and smallholder farmers’ economic performance in eastern India: A panel data analysis. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2350. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175793

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agricultural Training; Credit; Smallholders; Input Output Analysis

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Repurposing fertilizer subsidies in India: An economywide modelling analysis

2025Devi, Asha; Praveen, K. V.; Sharma, Kriti; Pal, Barun Deb; Singh, Alka; Barman, Subrata; Reddy, K. R.; Hanji, Shreya; Rao, Ch. Srinivasa
Details

Repurposing fertilizer subsidies in India: An economywide modelling analysis

Between 1980 and 2023-pushed by green revolution technology and fertilizer subsidy policy-fertilizer consumption in India increased from 31.95 kg/ha to 136.05 kg/ha {FAI 2024). The fiscal burden of fertilizer subsidies in India has surged dramatically, increasing from INR 505 crores in 1980/1981 to INR 2,25,220 crores in 2022/2023 ( ibid). As of 2022/2023, the budgetary allocation for fertilizer subsidy was 1.02 percent of India’s gross value added (GVA). Fertilizer subsidies have led to greater price increases for phosphorus and potassium fertilizers than for urea, making urea the preferred choice among farmers. This consequent overreliance on urea has created significant imbalances in soil nutrient composition, and subsidized urea is also often diverted to other industries undermining its intended benefit for the agricultural sector.

Year published

2025

Authors

Devi, Asha; Praveen, K. V.; Sharma, Kriti; Pal, Barun Deb; Singh, Alka; Barman, Subrata; Reddy, K. R.; Hanji, Shreya; Rao, Ch. Srinivasa

Citation

Devi, Asha; Praveen, K. V.; Sharma, Kriti; Pal, Barun Deb; Singh, Alka; Barman, Subrata; et al. 2025. Repurposing fertilizer subsidies in India: An economywide modelling analysis. ICAR-IARI Policy Brief. New Delhi, India: Indian Council of Agricultural Research. https://www.iari.res.in/files/Divisions/Economics/Policy_brief_fertilizer_subsidy_04042025.pdf

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Economics; Fertilizers; Subsidies; Urea

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Foresight

Record type

Brief

Events

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

August 2 to 7, 2024

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists

The triennial International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE-2024), centred on the theme “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” is scheduled from August 2-7, 2024, in New Delhi, India. The conference offers a distinctive platform, providing a golden opportunity for the agricultural academic institutions and researchers to convene in person, exchange knowledge, and actively contribute to the […]