Indian Agriculture PDF

INDIAN AGRICULTURE Agriculture – backbone of India  India has an agricultural economy where approx. 49% of the people depend on agriculture. Net sown area still accounts for about 47% of the total cultivable area of India. Accounts for about 35% of our national income. Share...

INDIAN AGRICULTURE Agriculture – backbone of India  India has an agricultural economy where approx. 49% of the people depend on agriculture. Net sown area still accounts for about 47% of the total cultivable area of India. Accounts for about 35% of our national income. Share in GDP → 18% Provides food for the people and fodder for the animals. Main source of raw materials to the agro-based industries viz. sugar, textile, edible oil, etc. Provides market for many agricultural finished products Source of Foreign exchange through exports of agriculture-based produce. Helps in better distribution of income and wealth. SALIENT FEATURES OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE Salient features of Indian agriculture  Subsistence type of farming  Dependent on unreliable monsoon (60 %)  India’s vast relief, varying climate and soil conditions produce a variety of crops  All tropical, subtropical and temperate crops are grown  Predominance of food crop → 2/3rd of total cropped area  Poor electricity, storage, water, credit & marketing  Less Mechanization of farming; Inadequate Agricultural research  1st rank in Milk, Mango, banana, coconut, cashew, papaya, peas, cassava and pomegranate  Largest producer and exporter of spices, Millets, Pulses, Dry Bean, Ginger  Overall, second largest producer of vegetable, fruits and fishes  Seasonal pattern. India has three main cropping seasons viz. Kharif, Rabi & Zaid MAJOR CHALLENGES FACED BY INDIAN AGRICULTURE  Old methods of cultivation due to illiteracy & unawareness  Adverse impact of Global Climatic Change  Over-dependence on monsoons  Floods and droughts, soil erosion and depletion of fresh ground water  Small and fragmented land holding due to practice of dividing and subdividing land for inheritance  Stagnation in Production of Major Crops  Faulty & unreliable irrigation facilities  Soil Exhaustion due to excessive pressure on land → High crop intensity  Lack of proper use of manure and Fertilizer  High cost of Farm Inputs  Reluctant to use modern scientific methods of cultivation Stagnation in Production of Major Crops  Poor quality of seeds – poor productivity  Defective marketing and low prices of produces  Poor electricity, storage, water, credit & marketing  Less Mechanization ; Inadequate Agricultural research  Impact of Globalisation  Unsound credit system and poverty of the farmers sometimes leads to farmers Suicide Farmer suicide  Solutions for Indian Agriculture  Better irrigation facilities viz.  Financial inclusion in rural drip & sprinkler irrigation areas to provide sound credit system  Consolidation of Land Holdings & land reforms  Providing proper electricity & storage system for agricultural  Deploy Soil Conservation produces techniques  Storage house near farms for  Mechanization, hybrid seeds, better food processing fertilizer, pesticides  Skilling farmers to prevent  Scientific farming & wastage of labour use educating the farmers about the same  Improving rural infrastructure  Spread Green revolution to all  Providing real time market states price for agri produces  What is Green Revolution? Green Revolution refers to the large increase in production of food grains resulting from the use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds. In the year 1965, the government of India launched the Green Revolution with the help of a geneticist, now known as the father of the Green revolution (India) Dr. M. S. Swaminathan. The movement of the green revolution was a great success and changed the country’s status from a food- deficient economy to one of the world’s leading agricultural nations. It started in 1967 and lasted till 1978. Effect of Green Revolution 1. Increase in production and productivity to achieve self- sufficiency in food :  The biggest beneficiary of the revolution was the wheat grain. The production increased to 55 million tonnes in the early stage of the plan itself.  It also increased per hectare yield. For example, wheat - from 850 kg per hectare to an incredible 2281 kg/hectare. 2. Capitalistic farming/ commercial farming :  Farmers income saw a significant rise which enabled them to shift from subsistence farming to commercial farming. 3. Rural employment :  The introduction of the revolution - rise in rural employment.  The tertiary industries such as transportation, irrigation, food processing, marketing etc created employment opportunities for the workforce. 4. Import of food grain :  The production in the country was sufficient to meet the demand of the rising population and to stock it for emergencies.  Rather than depending on the import of food grains from other countries India started exporting its agricultural produce. Issues regarding Green Revolution 1. Pollution and erosion of 8. Regional dispersal of the soil evolution created 2. Pollution of water regional inequalities. 3. Unemployment 9. Harmful for farmers: among Interpersonal uneducated inequalities between farmers large and small scale farmers. 4. Deadly disease 5. Consumption may be adverse 6. Inadequate irrigation cover due to shrinking farm size 7. Unbalanced use of inputs Disadvantages of Green revolution Structure of agriculture system in India  Schemes under Green Revolution (India) PM - Shri Narendra Modi approved the Umbrella Scheme Green Revolution – ‘Krishonnati Yojana’ in the agriculture sector for the period of three years from 2017 to 2020. The Umbrella scheme Green revolution- Krishonnati Yojana comprises 11 Schemes under it to increase the income of farmers by increasing productivity, production, and better returns on produce, strengthening production infrastructure, reducing the cost of production and marketing of agriculture and allied produce. The 11 schemes that are part of the Umbrella Schemes under the Green revolution are:  MIDH – Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture  NFSM – National Food Security Mission  NMSA – National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture  SMAE – Submission on Agriculture Extension  SMSP – Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material  SMAM – Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization  SMPPQ – Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plan Quarantine  ISACES – Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics, and Statistics  ISAC – Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation  ISAM – Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing  NeGP-A – National e-Governance Plan