This document discusses strategies for boosting agricultural productivity in India. It notes that agriculture is the largest employer in rural India but growth has stagnated in recent years. Some key challenges facing Indian agriculture are small landholdings, dependence on monsoons, lack of infrastructure and access to markets. The document recommends improving technology training for farmers, expanding irrigation and storage capacity, protecting farmers from losses, and connecting canals to support sustainable growth in the agricultural sector.
2. SOME SALIENT FACTS ABOUT
AGRICULTURAL SCENARIO
Agriculture is the largest provider of livelihood in rural India
It contributes 25 percent to India’s GDP
It is still dependent primarily on the monsoons
India ranks second highest worldwide in farm output
India is the largest producer of tea, mangoes, sugarcane, banana,
turmeric, milk, coconut, pulses, ginger, cashe nuts, & black pepper.
India is the second highest producer of wheat, rice, sugar,
vegetables, fruits and groundnut and cotton
India accounts for 10 percent of the world’s fruit production
The growth in agricultural production has been stagnant for the
past several years.
3. Sector 2001 2003 2011
Agricult
ure
24.7 22.2 17.2
Industry 26.4 26.8 26.4
Service 48.8 51.0 56.4
Year Agricultural and allied
products’ share in
total exports
2003-04 12.4
2004-05 10.5
2005-06 10.2
Contribution to GDP
over the years
Agricultural exports
share
4. FACTORS AFFECTING AGRICULTURE
Small and fragmented landholdings
Dependence on the monsoon
Lack of international competitiveness of its
produce
Inadequate availability of electricity, fertilizers,
irrigation and pesticides
Poor access of the farmers to good roads, market
infrastructure, refrigerated transportation of
goods
Conversion of agricultural land for residential
and other land use purposes.
5. THE FARMER’S PLIGHT
The farmer is trapped in a vicious cycle of
Low risk taking ability→ Low investment→ Low
productivity→ Weak market orientation→ Low
value addition→ Low margin→ Low risk taking
ability
This situation makes the farmer and the Indian
agriculture business globally uncompetitive
despite abundant natural resources.
6. TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE
Considered `backward’ by the proponents of modern
agriculture
Dr John Voelcker, studied Indian agriculture practices and
found them scientific
It uses the irrigation system through wells.
Farmer’s used to fallow their farm to restore it’s fertility.
The ploughing and tilling retains the moisture of soil
Mixing of soil with clay is done to grow other crops
Weeding done by hand
Traditional farms are small and farmers depend upon their
own labor
Environment friendly
7. MODERN FARMING
Reduces soil fertility
Artificial fertilizers used
Deep ploughing by tractors results in soil erosion and loss
of porosity
Extensive use of pesticides
Less biodiversity as farms are monoculture, growing the
same crop and crop variety
Exotic and hybrid varieties are grown and indigenous plant
existence is threatened
The food is contaminated with the chemicals used to
produce it
8. GOVERNMENT POLICY
a) India is developing country and
farmers have not enough to
envestment
b) In india an average farm is
about to 2.3 hectares
c) India uses poor technology
d) Indian farmers suicide due to
hunger and poverity
e) indian farmers struggle a lot due
to lack of facility and irrigation
f) India mostly depends on rain
water for irrigation
g) Indian economy is not so good
and its depend on others
a) USA is an developed country and
farmers are wealthy and rich.
b) In USA an average farm is about
250 hectares
c) USA uses an advanced
technology
d) In USA it is not so.
e) USA farmers have a continuos
system of irrigation.
f) USA has an advance system of
irrigation.
g) USA economy is very good.
In INDIA In other countries
9. STEPS FOR SOWING PROSPERITY IN INDIA
Economy should be large & stable.
Technical Taining of farmers at regular interval
Electrifying & transport facility should be
adequate & easily available
Storage capacity of grains should be increased
Factory should be setup at bare lands instead of
fertile lands.
Muavza should be given to farmers for accidental
loss
Award for farmers should be initiated
Canals should be interconnected .
Organic farmic should be used.
10. AND IN CONCLUSION
Change is happening in rural India but it has
still a long way to go
Agriculture has benefited from improved farming
techniques but the growth is not equitable
Land use is changing in rural areas as farmers
are getting good value for their holdings.The
effort should be to stop the migration to urban
areas
The Govt, the planners have to step up efforts to
make a positive and equitable difference in the
lives of the farmers’ and make agriculture occupy
a pride of place in the nation’s economy.