India plays a significant role in the global agriculture sector, with agriculture serving as the primary source of income for about 58% of its population. Boasting the world’s largest herd of cattle (buffaloes) and extensive cultivation areas for wheat, rice, and cotton, India stands as the leading producer of milk, pulses, and spices worldwide. Additionally, it ranks second in the production of fruits and vegetables, tea, farmed fish, cotton, sugarcane, wheat, rice, and sugar. With the world’s second-largest agricultural land, India’s agriculture sector employs roughly half of the nation’s populace, highlighting the crucial role of farmers in ensuring food security.
What is Agriculture?
Agriculture involves the cultivation of natural resources to sustain human life and achieve economic prosperity. It melds traditional practices like crop cultivation and animal husbandry with contemporary production techniques and innovative technologies. Moreover, agriculture functions as a commercial enterprise, supplying essential commodities such as grains, livestock, dairy, fiber, and fuel raw materials to the global economy.
Why is Agriculture Important?
- Raw Material Provision:
Raw materials are indispensable to the global economy, serving as the foundation for manufacturing processes. Without access to these materials, production of goods becomes impossible. While steel, minerals, and coal represent non-agricultural examples of raw materials, agriculture also contributes significantly to the raw material supply chain, providing everything from lumber for construction to herbs for food flavoring. For instance, corn serves not only as a staple in food production but also as a primary component for ethanol.
- Strengthening the Supply Chain:
The import and export of agricultural products rely heavily on various shipping methods such as ocean freight, rail, and trucking. Any delays in shipping agricultural crops can have adverse effects on regions awaiting shipments, leading to limited product availability on store shelves and impacting livelihoods.
- Promoting Economic Development:
Agriculture plays a pivotal role in global trade as it is intertwined with other sectors of the economy, fostering job creation and economic growth. Nations with robust agricultural sectors often experience employment expansion across other industries. Moreover, countries demonstrating high agricultural productivity growth and possessing well-developed agricultural infrastructure tend to enjoy higher per capita incomes. This is attributed to the innovation and adoption of advanced technologies and farming practices by producers, which enhance agricultural productivity and profitability.
Features of Indian Agriculture
- Livelihood Source:
Agriculture stands as the primary source of income for India, employing nearly 61% of its total population and contributing to 25% of the national income.
- Monsoon Dependency:
India’s agriculture heavily relies on the monsoon; a good monsoon leads to increased crop yields, while a poor one results in crop failure. This dependence arises from inadequate irrigation facilities.
- Labor-Intensive Cultivation:
With the population growth, there’s an increased demand for land, leading to fragmented and uneconomical land holdings. Consequently, farms resort to labor-intensive cultivation as machinery and equipment are not feasible on such small holdings.
- Underemployment:
Due to inadequate irrigation facilities and unpredictable rainfall, farmers can find work only a few months each year, resulting in underutilized work capacity. Agriculture exhibits both underemployment and disguised unemployment.
- Small Holding Sizes:
Land holdings in India have become quite small due to extensive sub-division and fragmentation.
- Traditional Production Methods:
Traditional agricultural production methods and equipment persist in India due to poverty and illiteracy among the populace, leading to low output.
- Low Agricultural Production:
India’s agricultural output remains low, with wheat production averaging 27 quintals per hectare, contrasting with France’s 71.2 quintals and the United Kingdom’s 80 quintals per hectare.
- Dominance of Food Crops:
Food crops such as wheat, rice, and bajra occupy 75% of cultivated land, while commercial crops make up the remaining 25%. This pattern contributes to the backwardness of Indian agriculture.
Allied Sectors of Agriculture
- Livestock Sector:
The livestock sector holds significant importance in the Indian economy, contributing 4.35% to the GDP and 29.35% to the total Agriculture GDP. Approximately 20.5 million individuals rely on livestock for their livelihoods, with small farm households deriving 16% of their income from this sector, compared to the rural household average of 14%. Livestock supports two-thirds of rural communities and employs around 8.8% of the Indian population.
- Poultry Industry:
Poultry stands as one of India’s vital and rapidly expanding agricultural sectors, primarily meeting protein and nutritional needs. India ranks among the world’s top producers of eggs and broiler meat. Over the past two decades, the poultry industry has transformed from simple backyard farming to a significant sector with substantial employment. Commercial poultry farms contribute 75% to egg production, while household/backyard farms contribute the rest. India ranks fourth in broiler production and exported 320,240.46 MT of poultry products during the fiscal year 2021-22.
- Fisheries Sector:
India’s fisheries sector is experiencing rapid growth, providing nutrition, food security, income, and employment to over 28 million people. Designated as a ‘Sunrise Sector,’ it has maintained an impressive double-digit annual growth rate of 10.87% since 2014-15. With record fish production in the fiscal year 2019-20, the sector exhibits enormous potential for growth and plays a crucial role in stimulating subsidiary industries and alleviating poverty.
- Horticulture:
India has emerged as a global leader in horticulture, surpassing food grain production in terms of volume. With higher productivity and dominance in fruits, vegetables, spices, coconut, and cashew nuts, the horticulture sector contributes approximately 10% to the gross cropped area. This sector, driven by profitability and providing diverse and nutritious dietary options, has become a significant driver of economic development.
- Animal Husbandry:
Animal husbandry involves the selective breeding and raising of livestock for profit, promoting high-yielding animal breeds and boosting the production of milk, eggs, and meat. It provides employment to nearly 55% of the rural population and has seen a steady increase in its contribution to the agriculture and allied sector GDP.
- Dairy Industry:
The dairy sector in India, contributing 5% to the GDP, plays a vital role in providing employment to approximately 80 million dairy farmers. Spearheaded by Dr. Verghese Kurien, India leads global milk production, witnessing consistent growth over the years, with a compound annual growth rate of about 6.2% from 2014-15 to 2020-21.
Conclusion
Addressing numerous structural and institutional challenges is essential to expedite agricultural growth. This is crucial for enhancing the well-being of the masses, curbing the widening inequality, and attaining sustainable economic growth at an elevated pace. To achieve these goals, a comprehensive agricultural reform agenda must be crafted, focusing on enhancing production incentives, streamlining subsidies, encouraging investments, and extending protective measures to benefit the impoverished segments of society.
FAQs
Q1: What are the allied sectors in agriculture?
A: Allied sectors in agriculture encompass activities like horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy farming, poultry farming, and fisheries, among others.
Q2: How does horticulture contribute to agriculture?
A: Horticulture involves the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants. It contributes to agriculture by providing nutritious food, enhancing farm income, and beautifying landscapes.
Q3: What role does animal husbandry play in agriculture?
A: Animal husbandry involves the care, breeding, and management of livestock. It contributes to agriculture by providing meat, milk, eggs, wool, and other products, while also serving as a source of organic manure and contributing to sustainable farming practices.
Q4: How does dairy farming impact agricultural economy?
A: Dairy farming is a significant contributor to the agricultural economy, providing milk, cheese, butter, and other dairy products. It generates employment, enhances rural income, and supports food security and nutrition.
Q5: What are the benefits of integrating fisheries with agriculture?
A: Integrating fisheries with agriculture diversifies income sources for farmers, enhances food security through protein-rich fish, utilizes water resources efficiently, and promotes sustainable aquaculture practices.
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