Pier 3

l'flCULTURE IN
AND
, the words of Pr f M
sust ned. t must beg,~ . "th.P.h. Todaro, 'If the process of economic growth is to begin and to be
c . u; 1 t e rural a " E y aspect of
om c ,e m India is inf] reas in general and agriculture in particu 1ar. ver
•n,,_,,....ft"\e ot India and it fc uelnce~ by agnculture Agnculture contributes 15.3 per cent of th e natio~al
0 1ers 1vehhood t . I d. ·ndustnes
pe d upon agncultu f O near1Y 49 per cent of its total population. n ian 1
epends to a rn-:eat r:te or raw materials as well as for the sale of finished products. Success of our plans
~· er ex ent up th
e agncult l on e progress of agncultural sector In the words of Gunnar Myrd a I ' "It is ·
ura sector that the battle for long-term econom,c dev~lopment of India will be won or lost.,,
• ' 1 • Meaning of Agriculture
The word agriculture is derived from the two Latin words agri (implying field) and culture
P ymg ~ultivation). Webster Dictionary states , "Agriculture is the art or science of production of
crops and lwestock on a farm. " In economics, we use the term agriculture as relating to every aspect of
c ti ation. Main purpose of agriculture is to produce wage goods, such as, foodgrains, milk, vegetables,
p ses raw materials, etc.

■ ~ortance of Agriculture
Economic development attempted in successive five year plans has made agriculture a pride of
national economy. Need importance of agricultural development in India is evident from following facts:
( 1) Contribution to National Income: During the period of plans, the contribution of
agriculture to national income in different years has been ranging between 61 per cent and
15.3 per cent. In 1950-51, contribution of agricultural sector to the national income was 61
per cent which in 2015-16 came down to 15.3 per cent. Contribution of agricultural sector to
the national income of India is considerable as compared to the contribution of other sectors
like, industry, trade etc., but, now, it has been declining gradually. In the rich countries of the
world, agriculture is sufficiently developed but its contribution to the nation.al income is very
little. In America and England, agriculture contributes only Lper cent of the national
mcome. In underdeveloped countries, shar~f agnculturc in the national mcome 1s more
as compared to share of agriculture in developed countnes. In India, contribution of
agriculture to national income 15 1~ per cent, which on the one hand 1s mdicattve of the
importance of agricultural ector but, on the other, it also symbolises the backwardness of
the country.
 Ind ian
Su pp ly of Wa ge Go od s:
Main objective of agricultura
Those goods which are cons l sector is to supply wage
umed by the masses of the soods.
life are called wage goods. Th country to satisfy their neces
ese include agricultural produ sities E>f
ba jra , oilseeds, etc. In Ind cts like wheat, rice, pulses, ma
ia, agriculture sector provides ize,
fodder to 40 crore of cattle. food to about ~ o re of pe_
Between 1951-and 2014, po ople and
more than three times and pulation of tne country has
the production of foodgrains inc reased
daily availability of cereals an has increased fourfold. Per
d pulses was 39 5 grams in 19 capita
(3 ) .h lcr ea se in Em pl oy 51 wh ich ros e to 49 1 gra ms
m en t: Agriculture is the ma in 2014.
main occupation of India. in so ur ce of employment in India. It is the
In the year 2011-12, 48. 9 pe
in agriculture. De pe nd en ce r cent of the population wa
of nearly 49 per cent of the s engaged
the on e ha nd , of the signif population on agriculture sp
icance of this sector to the eaks, on
underlines the backwardne Indian economy, on the
ss of the country. It is so be other, it
in agriculture. Of the total wo ca us e the productivity of lab
rking population, 1.2 pe r ce our is low
pe r ce nt in Germany, is en nt in UK, 1. 6 pe r ce nt in US
ga ge d in agriculture. Prop A an d 3
agriculture ha s be en decli ortion of po pu lat ion de pe
ning with the increase in ec nd ing on
USA, in 18 10 ab ou t 75 pe on om ic de ve lop me nt. For
r cent of population was de ins tance, in
ju st 1. 6 pe r cent. pe nd en t on agriculture, pre
sently, it is
(4 ) Ag ric ul tu re an d In
dustry: In an underdevelo
ec on om ic development, ag ped country like India, in
riculture has an important the initial stage of
sector, in a variety of ways co ntr ibu tio n to the growth of industria
, viz; (i) Industries get raw l
oilseeds, rubber, cereals etc ma ter ial s lik e cotton, jute, sugar cane,
., from agricultural sector. M
like ha nd lo om , oil extracti any cottage an d small-scale
ng, rope-making, etc. de pe industries
(ii) In co me of th e pe op le nd on agriculture for their
rises un de r the impact of ag raw materials.
mo re go od s pr od uc ed by ricultural de ve lo pm en t. Th
the industrial sector. As a ey demand
ex pa nd s. (iii) As a result of result, ma rk et for industri
industrial development, inc al products
their de m an d for cereals, om e of th e pe op le rises an
he nc e de ve lop me nt of agric d so also rises
ulture is very essential.
(5 ) Ag ric ul tu re an d Fo
re ig n Trade: Agriculture
(a) In th e total ex po rt tra is of gr ea t im po rta nc e to In
de of India, contribution dia 's foreign trade.
oil-cakes, tobacco, spices, of ag ric ult ural pr od uc ts like, tea, co
jute, etc. ha s be en very lar ffee,
12. 7 pe r ce nt constituted of ge . In 2014-15, of th e total exports
agricultural pr od uc ts. (b) about
fertilizers, agricultural im In th e im po rts , fo od gr ain s, edible oils,
plements, etc., play an
de ma nd , imports of foodgr im po rta nt ro le. With inc rea se in size
ains an d oilseeds in th e co of
it, co un try 's ba lan ce of tra un try , in cr ea se ve ry mu ch . As
de be co me s un fa vo ur ab le. a result of
de pe nd en ce on im po rts If ag ric ult ur e de ve lo ps in th e country,
wo ul d go do wn . Foreign
agricultural pr od uc ts will cu rre nc y ea rn ed as a result of ex po
be utilized for th e im po rt rt of
ma ter ial s etc. ne ed ed for of ma ch in es , m ea ns of tra ns po rt, raw
th e ec on om ic de ve lo pm
en t of th e co un try .
(§}"Role in Internal Trad
~: Ac co rd in g to Na tio na l Sa
/ 2009-10, 57 pe r ce nt of mc m pl e Su rv ey Or ga ni sa tio
om e wa s sp en t on fo od n, in th e ye ar
income wa s sp en t on fo od in in th e ru ra l ar ea s an d 44 pe r ce nt of the
ur ba n ar ea s. Th us . ag ric
internal tra de of th e country. ul tu re pl ay s an im po rta nt
Fo od tra de pr ov id es em role in the
an d also ge ne ra te s tax re pl oy m en t to a lar ge nu m be r of pe
ve nu e for th e go ve rn m en op le
t.
(7) Agriculture an d Tr
ansport: Agricultural pr od uc
di sp ar iti es . In so m e sta tes tio n in In di a is ch ar ac ter
like Pu nj ab ize d by regional
, Ha ry an a, U.P., An dh ra
Pr ad es h, etc ., productiO
n
•• "•poitance and Productivity 29

foodgrains has increased very m h

not only become self-suff· . ~c u nd er the impact of green revolution. These states have
food . ic1ent m the m tt f h
grams from them A a er O foodgrains but other states also pure ase
earning good revenb· s a result, means of transport like trucks railways etc. have been
(8) In come to G ue Ycarrying · ' ' '
agncu1tural products from surplus states to deficit states.
. overnment: Stat . .
the agricultural
. . . se t M . e governments
c or. any kmd O f t obtam a sizeable part of their revenue from
.
irngation tax a · 1 . s axes are levied on agriculture, e.g., land revenue,
' gncu tural mcom t .d bl
revenue by wa O f . e ax, etc. Central government also earns cons1 era e
Y excise duty a d b t
coffee etc In th k n export duty on agricultural products like to acco, ea,
on ag:icult.u ra1income.
_e wa e of green revolution, the Government is seriously considering taxation
(9) Capital Formation· L . · f
· O ff1 d · arge part of Indian capital is invested in agriculture. From the pomt o
view . ~e capital assets, farm-lands occupy the highest place. Capital worth millions of
st
ruhpees is ~nve ed in the means of irrigation, cattle, agricultural implements, tractors a nd
ot er agricultural m h· d. · d
ac mes, warehouses, etc. Prof. Nurkse opined that 1sguise
unemployment in Ind· · l • · · I I d"
ian agncu ture 1s also a potential source of capital formation. n n Ia,
about ~S per cent of the farmers suffer from disguised unemployment. This surplus labour of
th
e agricultural sector can be employed in urban industries at less than prevailing rate of
wages. Saving thus effected on account of low wages may be invested in industries.
(10) Source of Saving: After green revolution, agriculture may constitute an important source of
saving. So far, green revolution has benefitted rich farmers only. They have grown richer. The
additional income earned by them can be saved and invested. If benefits of green revolution
are extended to all farmers then income of farmers can be increased and thus saving
potentials can be very large in agricultural sector. If the same are properly utilized, they can
prove very helpful in the economic development of the country.
(11) Basis of Economic Development: Indian agriculture serves as a basis of the economic
development. Because firstly, development of agricultural sector provides inputs to industries
for their development. Secondly, agriculture requires relatively less capital and less foreign
exchange for its development. Thus, by making use of the available resources, agriculture can
be developed. Agricultural development will help in the development of industries, transport,
foreign trade, etc.

(12) Social and Political Importance: Development of agriculture has its social and political
significance. India is mainly a country of villages. As a result of agricultural development,
economic, social and political life of the villages will improve. They will take more interest in
national programmes and development problems. Such type of public cooperation is very
essential for all round progress of the country. Roughly, three-fourth of the total electorates
live in villages. As such, differe~t political parties make all efforts for their improvement
through the development of agriculture.
) ernational Importance: Some of the agricultural products of d. f. .
. . h In 1a are o international
nificance. India ranks first mt e world as regards the pr d t· f .
d . o uc 10n
pulses, butter and ghee; secon rank with regard to sugar rice wh t fni"tso spices, milk , jute ,
nd tobacco and sixth rank with regard to potatoes India ' . ' ea ' 1 . , vegetables, tea
a . . h . · enJoys monopoly m the prod cti
1 m agriculture is given in Table
of lac. India's ranking mt e word 1. u on
 30
Indian Economy
Tab I~\ 1. Ind ia• s Ra nk ing in
th e Wo rld in Ag ric ult ur e (S
ele cte d In dic ato rs)
eri ter ;f, C~
o Ind ia's Ra nk
Cr ite ria /Cr op
Total Irrigated A~ a Ind ia's Rank
1 Cultivable Land 2
Pulses
1 Wheat 2
Jute
1 Rice 2
Spices
1 Sugar Cane 2
Milk
1 Fruits and Vegetables 2
Butter and Ghee
1 Tobacco 2
Cashew Nuts
1 Tea 2
In brief, agricultural developm
ent has a significant role to
de ve lop me nt. Appropriate dev acc ele rat e the rat e of econo
elopment of the agricultural sec mic
tor is alm ost a pre -co nd itio n for
of an y de ve lop me nt plan of the the success
country.
■ 3. Agricultural Prod
uction
Changes in agricultural produ
ction have significant implicat
economy of India. De ma nd for ions in the agriculturally domi
agricultural products in India ha nated
to a rapid rise in its large po s be en rising consistently ov er tim
pulation. If agricultural pro du e owing
adversely affect the economic gro cti on do es no t rise pro po rtio
wth. While pro po rtio na te rise na tel y, it will
process of the growth. Thus, ch in agricultural pro du cti on wil
ange in agricultural pro du cti on l stimulate the
rate of the eco no my as a whole ha s an im po rta nt be ari ng on
. Agricultural pro du cti on in Ind the growth
(i) Food Crops an d (ii) Non-f ia ca n bro ad ly be div ide d int
ood or Commercial Crops. o tw o parts:
• 3.1 Trends in the Produc
tion of Food Crops
Changing trends in the produ
ction of food crops like rice,
important effect on the eco no wh ea t, pu lse s, oil see ds, etc.,
mi c de ve lop me nt of the countr ha ve an
ad eq ua te supply me an s great y. Th ese are im po rta nt wa ge
relief to the po or an d stability in go od s. Their
sta nd ard of living of the people the pri ce level. It ha s fav ou rab
. Ch an gin g trends in the pro le effect on the
ind ep en de nc e pe rio d are sho du cti on of foo d cro ps in Ind
wn in Table 2. ia in the post
Table 2. Trends in th e Pr od
uc tio n of Fo od gr ain s
(L ak h To nn es)
Last Year of Plans Cereals Pulses Foodgrains Rice Wh ea t Average Growth Rate
Before Plan (pe r cent, per annum)
(1949-50) 468 81 549 225
First Plan 64
(1955-56) 538 110 648
Se co nd Plan 276 86
(1960-61) 5.2
693 127 820 345 110
Third Plan (1965-66) 3.9
624 99 723 306 104
Three Annual Plan (1966-69) (-} 2.0
836 104 940 398 186
Fourth Plan (1973-74) 947 9.4
100 1,047
Fifth Plan 441 21 8
(1977-78) 1,120 2.8
112 1,232
Sixth Plan 538 335 5.4
(1984-85) 1,340 122 1,462
Seventh Plan 586 44 2 6.3
(1989-90) 1,580 126 1,706 741 49 7 3.5
(1996-97) 1,844 146 1,990 813 693 3.4
 In India prod ucti vity pe r Ia b oure r is I
. . I d' . ow com pare d t
production m n 1a 1s 1 51 of Ge rmany, 1 91 of USA and o other countries. Per worker agricult\;n;lt'
Indian agriculture. This ex . s of
US. A. 1 out of e:la ms why ever y 49 out of 10 1/66 of Ja~a n. It ~oints to the ba~ ar~ nes
ultur e,
while m . O persons m India are engaged m agnc
. . ery 100 Pers ons is en the
gaged m agriculture Indian farmer still fails to fulfil
country 5 food re~u irem ents . Ame rica n farm crores of
r, on th e oth_er hand, facilitates exports worth
tonn es after mee tn:g h~s dom estic need s. Thee nd
tnes 1
s h1gh hght ed in the f . exte nt to which labour productivity in India lags behi
othe r coun
Tab l 7 L o 11 owing Table 7:
e · abo ur Pro d . .
uctavity m Agr icul ture Per Year (201 3)
Cou ntry Average Prod uctiv ity (US $)
1. USA & ~,2 -ou
~
2. Japa n <...t6 I l,,5
46,0-45
3. Germ any ~ "3,S,1,1 ~
4. Eng land 23,i ~~ 18 I -fc'- ~
5. Chin a 785
6. India 697
5)
(So urc e: Wor ld Dev elop men t Rep ort, 201
to the Nati on I I c . . labo ur prod .
uctiv ity . . ultural sector was ~, 500 m
. m agric ·
Acc ordi ng a nco me omm 1ttee
195 0-51 · ~n yea r 2 0l3 , labo ur productivity in India rose to ~ 41,8 20 (697 x 60, $ 1 =
appr ox t 60) at the
duri ng the
rove men t in labo ur productivity in agriculture
curr ent pnc es. Thu s, ther e has been som e imp
is very low in com pari son to deve lope d nations.
peri od of plan ning . But labo ur productivity
l Productivity
• 4.4 Imp ort anc e of Inc rea se in Agricultura
gen era tes eco nom ic sur plu s. This is nee ded for
( 1) Incr ease in agri cult ural prod ucti on
(i) furt her rise in prod ucti vity . (ii) industria
l growth, (iii) capi tal form atio n, and (iv) cop ing
of the urba n pop ulat ion.
with the grow ing con sum ptio n requ irem ents
r
lita tes rele ase of labo ur to be used in othe
(2) Incr ease in agri cult ural productivity faci
sect ors of the econ omy .
thus
es pur cha sing pow er in the rura l are as,
(3) Incr ease in agri cult ural productivity rais
s.
gen erat ing dem and for the non-agricultural good
.
very essential for the dev elop men t of econ omy
Thu s, incr ease in agri cult ural productivity is
ltur e/C aus es of Low Pro duc tivi ty in
• 4.5 Cau ses of Bac kwa rdn ess of Agr icu
Agr icu ltur e e factors: ( 1) Hum an
rdin g to economists, dep end s mainly upo n thre
Agricultural dev elop men t, acco to train ing
Tec hnic al fact ors. Hum an factors are rela ted
fact ors, (2) Ins titu tion al fact ors, and (3)
36

and efficienc y of the farmers and oc,al convention lnshtuhonal factors relate to the relationship
the culti to
fro v~ rs a nd owners of land Technical factors relate to techniques and methods of culttvatl
11 g
m a ft e human, institutio n I and technical angles that Indian agriculture is backward. Followin
some O th e mam causes of the backwar dness or unsatisfactory agricultural developm ent in India:
• (1) Human Factors
(I) Pressur e of Populat ion on Land: Heavy pressure of population on land is one of
pnnc1pal causes of the backwardness of Indian agriculture. In 1901, 16 crore 30 lakh peopW
were dependt.?nt upon agriculture. The number has now risen to about 60 crore
Consequently. per capita cultivable land which was 0.43 hectare in 1901 has now reduced to
Just 0.16 hectare. Per capita availability of agricultural land is further expected to reduce to
0.08 hectare in 20'351 Heavy pressure of population on land has led to its. subdivision and
fragmentation as well as disguised unemployment. Saving capacity of the farmers has also
been reduced.
(ii) Social Atmosp here: Social atmosphere is also not conduciv e to growth. Indian farmer
is
illiterate. and thus fails to be aware of latest techniques of production. He is fatalist in outlook
and, therefore, has no urge to make progress. He is superstitious and orthodox . He is in the
firm grip of casteism. Because of ignorance and casteism, Indian farmers quarrel over trifle.
Most of their time and money is wasted in litigation . Social environm ent of the rural sector is in
no way conducive to the growth of agriculture in India.
• (2) Institutional Factors '
(i) Small Size of Farms: Generally holdings in India are of very small size. India's average size
of holding is 1.16 hectares. About 67 per cent of the holdings are even less than or equal to 1
hectare and 83 per cent of all agricultural holdings are less than 2 hectare size. In America, the
average size of holding is 122 hectares . In India not only holdings are small but also
fragmented. Because of small size of holding, scientific cultivation becomes difficult. There is
':'7 wastage of cattle, implements and land. Irrigation facilities are not properly utilised. On
account of small and fragmented holdings, there are disputes and litigations among the
farmers over irrigation turn. It also adversely affects Indian agriculture.
(ii) Land Tenure System : Zamindari system has been an importan t factor responsi ble for
the
backwardness of Indian agriculture. In this system the tiller of the soil is not the owner of the
soil. Zamindar, the owner of the soil, could evict the tenant at will. As a result, the tiller never
took any interest in the improve ment of land. Zaminda r also took no interest in the
deveJop ment of cultivati on. Though Zamind ari system has been abolishe d after
independence, yet the position of the cultivators is far from satisfactory. They have to pay
exorbitant rent. The behaviou r of the landlords continue s to be arrogant and arbitrary. They
throw the cuJtivator out of the land on flimsy excuse. Under these circumstances, it would be
too much to expect of the cultivators to increase agricultural productivity.
3) Technical Factors
(J) Inadequ ate Irrigatio n Facilitie s: Indian agriculture is still largely ramfed Because of
uncertam ty of rainfall, agriculture becomes a gamble in monsoo n. Even aft r 69
indepen dence only 46 per cent of the agricultural land has permane nt 1rngation fK111ny.
of permane nt irrigation facility makes it impossible for the farmer to raise more than
in a year.
 •911llua-lmportance and ProctuctiVity

-- ~ AsricuJtura1 ltnpleinents• Old .

agncuJture. In this advanced
d d .
an spa es in Indian agncuJtu
. . . . implements is a typical technical dtaad.er
sc1entif1c age ·11
of--~
' one sti finds the use of wooden pleughs, add•
used. Owing to the use of t re. Tractors and modern equipments are still not comm~
ou -moded impl
(HI) Old Method f ements, Produetivity remains low.
. s o Culth,ation: M th Od . . . al
Rotation of crops is not sci . . e 5 of cultivation continue to be convention •
1
(Iv) na dequate High Yieldin \I: . Practised. Produetivity is thus bound to be low. .
entifically
9
commonly used · rarmers
r-- • ariety Seeds:• High yielding variety of seeds areAlstillthnot
m Ind· f ·1
cannot afford t b th Ia a, to appreciate the significance of these seeds. so ey
productivity suffe~s. uy em, and sometimes these are not available. Consequently,

(v) Shortage of Manures· M . .. . . h I d" n

,armer
c . m
fails f t e n ia·n
. the J·ud· ·• anures are a s1gnif1cant input to raise product1v1ty. But
nd . . icious use of manures. Cow dung, an important source o manure 1
l ,a, is used nd more as a fuel. Nearly 60 per cent of it is burnt. Chemical fertilizers are
ex~ensive a are mostly imported from abroad. Thus chemical fertilizers are not available to
Indian farmers in sufficient quantity.

of
(vi) Defectiverd Marketing: Defective marketing system is an important factor in the context
backwa
rod ness of agriculture. Farmers in India fail to get the reasonable price for th eir
p uce. Poor roads and lack of means of transport compel the farmer to sell his PTO<luce to
the local 'Sahukars' at unremunerative prices. Lack of warehouses compels the farmer to sell
his produce immediately after harvest when prices are low.

(vii) Diseases of Crops and Pests: Large portion of the farmers' produce is destroyed by plant
diseases, monkeys, lats and by the insects and pests.

(viii) Weak Cattle: 'Ot,t;,l ng to limited mechanisation in Indian agriculture, cattle power assumes
more signific!ance f!ndian cattle are weak and their mortality rate is very high. Farmers have to
maintain a large number of cattle involving lot of expenditure. It adds to the co t of
agricultural production. Cultivation through cattle is more expensive than the tractors.
(ix) Defects of Soil: Indian soil is qualitatively poor. Soil erosion, waterloggmg, salinity,
deficiency of nitrogen and moisture are some of the drawbacks that lower the productivity of
agriculture land.

(x) Lack of Credit Facilities: Credit facilities are insufficient in the rural areas. Farmers do not
· get the desired amount of credit from cooperative banks and credit societies. They have to
depend for loans upon 'Mahajans' and 'Sahukars' who charge exorbitant interest rates. The
farmer has to pay a large portion of his income lo the moneylender by way of interest.
Farmers are very often forced to sell their produce at low prices to the moneylenders. Low
income of the farmers results in low productivity.

(xi) Inadequate Availability of Electricity: In India still many villages are unelectnfied or
supply of electricity is insufficient and irregular. So farmers cannot use their tubewells
needs or they have to run their tubewell sets on diesel which proves very costly. as per
Inadequate Communication !nfr~fructure: Because of inadequate comm
~ctum. farmers cannot get timely_mformation about current markef pnce onnar
111
n,gulafed rnarlrels. They do not get information about availability 41
 Indian Eco
inp~ts, mo de rn methods of cul
tivation, etc. Although governm
agriculture markets through int ent has inter-conne
ernet an d has started e-trading,
are no t literate eno ug h to use int bu t in reality, Indian fanncted
ernet or they do not have access
. In s~ort, all the three sets of to internet. ers
1nd1an agr factors-human, institutional an d
iculture in the state of backward tec hnical are responsible for keepin
ness.
• A. 6 Re me die s/S ug ge sti on 9
s to Ov erc om e Ba ck wa rd ne
Su gg es tio ns to Im pr ov e Ag ss of Ag ric ult ur e/
riculture Production an d Pr
(1) Le ss Pr ess ur e of Po pu lat od uc tiv ity
ion : It is essential that the pressu
reduced. It requires the growth re of population on the soil is
of industries so that the surplu
usefully eng age d elsewhere. Als s farm-population can be
o small an d cottage industries mu
areas. Besides this, rigorous means st be developed in the rural
are to be ado pte d to control the
growth rate of population.
(2) Irr iga tio n: With a view
to reducing the dep end enc e of
essential that permanent means Indian agriculture on rainfall, it
of irrigation are developed. There is
tubewells. Multipurpose river val should be more candls and
ley projects can also help to solve
the problem of irrigation.
(3) Me ch an isa tio n: More
an d more mechanised means of
suit the needs an d means of the cultivation ne ed to be introduce
farmers. Also, there should be pro d to
sale an d maintenance. Exhibitio per arr an ge me nt for their
ns of agricultural tools an d imple
arouse awareness of mechanisati ments ma y be organised to
on amongst the farmers. Arrangem
sell implements to the farmers ents should be made to
on instalment basis.
(4) Sc ien tif ic Cu ltiv ati on
: Scientific methods of cultivatio
should be edu cat ed ab ou t rotati n sho uld be pro pa ga ted . Farme
on of crops, use of fertilizers, inp rs
etc. Farmers should be taken to uts -m ix, mo de m t chmque ,
state demonstration farms to sho
scientific methods of cultivation. w to the m the new dnd
Farmers using new techniques mu
through awards. More research st be en co ura g d m y be
on the crops, seeds, land an d fer
in this context. tilizers ma y pro ve to b u efu\
(5) Go od Qu ali ty Se ed s:
Farmers should be given com
varieties of seeds. Quality see ds plete knowledge reg rdmg van
should ou
be sold through coo per ati ve soc
Panchayats.' Small farmers sho 1etie or V1lldge
uld be given these see ds on con
is needed regarding quality seeds. ces sional loa r More re earch
High yielding variety see ds ma y
be pro cur ed from ab roa d.
(6) Us e of Manure: Farmers
sho uld be ed uc ate d on the use
be used as fertilizers. Giving up of gre en ma nu re. 011 cakes ma y
their un wa rra nte d superstition al o
farmers should be pre pa red to s an d religious sentiments
use bo ne s an d fish as ma nu res
manures should be raised an d . Pro du cti on of chemical
be ma de available to the farme
rs at red uc ed rates.
(7) Cr ed it Fa cil itie s: Farm
ers mu st get credit at rea son ab
La nd Development Banks sho uld le rat es of interest. More an d
be op en ed . Cr edi t activities of more
scrutinised. Commercial ba nk s 'M ah aja ns' mu st be properly
sho uld be spr ead in the rur al
loa ns to the farmers wherever are as. Go ve rnm en t must offer
the re are na tur al calamities.
(8) Land Re for ms : La nd reform
s are ver y vital to the pro gre ss
be abo lis hed an d ownership of of agriculture. Zamindari system
lan d be be sto we d up on tho se far
Ceiling on landholdings be im po me rs wh o actually cultivate
sed . Minimum size of farm be
waterlogging b~ removed. In Ind fixed. Evils of soil era s o
ia, ab ou t 16 0 lakh he cta res of cul
sho uld be tre ate d an d pu t to agr tivable lan d is lymgwaste.
iculture use .
 ...-~· •'-' 11 '-t::: ana p ;.J: - - - - : - - : - - - - - - - - - - -
rouuctivity

(9) Tenancy Reforms· p 39

· rogress of •
Lan d rent should be f agnculture pre su
them. Cultivators shou:Xed. No. begar (work ~ith:~ses th e mu~h needed tenancy reforms.
time of their . . d not be evicted so I remuneration) should be taken from
th eviction, they must be ong 9s th ey continue to pay rent. Moreover at the
em on the soil. compensated for all permanent improvements m~de by
(10) Agricultural Market·
· . mg: Agricultural
appropnate pnce for his k .
p d mar etmg must be improved so that the farmer gets
should be established W roh uc~. Regulated markets and cooperative marketing societies
a 1so be improved. . -are - -~ factTr
- -ousmg 1 ies should be improved. Means o!_!ransport should

(11) Mixed Farming· Mix d f .

husbandry, veget~ble a:d fr:~mmg ~hould be encouraged so that crop cultivati~n, animal
be encouraged ·th . it growmg could be practised side by side. Dairy farming should
WI a vie_w to improving the economic conditions of the farmers.
(12) Spread of Education· Ed · ., must be spread in the rural areas as much as posSl·ble.
F. · ucahon
armers
h must be educated m . genera I and farming operations in particular. It w1·11 remove
ort _od~xy a nd superstitions among them. With the knowledge of new techniques of
cultivation
. ' they will str·ive to increase
· •
production. Free education be given ·m th e vi·11ages ·
Night classes be arranged for adult farmers.
(l 3 ) Improvement in the Breed of Livestock: Artificial insemination should be used for
improving cattle breed. Provision of good fodder will keep the cattle healthy. Cattle diseases
should be immediately attended. More and more veterinary hospitals need to be opened to
treat sick cattle.
( 14) Reduction in the Risk of Farmers: Indian farmer is exposed to a variety of risks, related to
uncertain rainfall in particular. The crops are also destroyed by the menace of insects and
pests, besides floods sometimes. All this adversely affects economic condition of the farmer,
and therefore farming. Crop Insurance may serve as a useful remedy in this context. Use of
insecticides and pesticides should be en.couraged to check the menance of insects and pests.

(15) Help to Small Farmers: To maintain the impact of green revolution, it is essential that small
farmers are helped with HYV seeds, fertilizers and new farming techniques. Also, they should
be given loan at concessional rates of interest to enable them to make use of new technology.
Economic prosperity of farmers will contribute to the prosperity of the nation as a whole.

(16) Price Stability: Benefits of green revolution are mixed with the fear that, owing to increased
productivity, crop prices may fall. The government should ensure that farmers get reasonable
price for their produce. Otherwise farmers will not adopt improved technique and agricultural
growth will not be enhanced.

(17) Efficient Administration: Development plans regarding agriculture can be successful onl
if there is efficient administration of the plans. Only such officials should be associated wit~
Integrated Rural ~evelopment prograr:1me, cooperative societies and various other
development agencies who are abreast with the rural life and are comm1·tte d to th e cause of
rural upliftrnent.

(18) More Public Sector. Investment

. ul . in Agriculture·· In In d.1a, percentage share of pub\"
sector investment m. agnc ture 1s declining To accel t th
· era e e growth m . agriculture sect lC
0
government s hou Id mcrease public sector inve 5t t. . .
men m agriculture. It will help to pro
 40

India n l:::.c'OI\Ollt
research, market de 1
te f f T. ve opment, storage and warehousing facilities, irriga
s mg aci ihes, availability of guidance cells like Kisa tion facilities SOI
{19) Cor n Call Centres, etc. '
. por
. . atis atio n 0 f A gr1c
· I
u ture : It means corporate bodies undertake
ac t1v1h
. es. Thes~ e com pam•es d eve 1op 1arge sized . agriculturai
agriculture will infuse agric ultur al farms. Corporatisation Of
1 more fun ds m
• agnc . ulture . help .
sector. It will m ava1.lmg
. econ .
a:ge scale I~roduction, promoting mechanisation omies of
and use of advanced technology. All this
will help to increase agriculture productivity.
(20) Oth er Sug
gest ions :
(i) Dema
nd fm fruits and vegetables has grown very much
in India due to increasing
urbanisation and changing food pattern. Agr icul
tura l rese arch should therefore be
mainly directed towards improving the productiv
ity of fruits and vegetable cultivation.
This will help in increasing their supply accordin
g to demand.
(ii) Policy of libe rali sati on should also be appl
ied to agricultural sector as it has been
applied to industrial sector. Restrictions imposed on
agricultural sector by the government
should be reduced to the minimum .
(iii) Under export-import policy regarding agricultur
e, exp ort of agri cult ural prod ucts of
higher value be encouraged in exchange for impo
rt of essential agricultural inputs of
lower value.
■ 5. Me asu res Em plo yed to Develop Agr icu
ltur e/M eas ure s for Achieving
Sus tain abl e Agr icu ltur e Growth
Man y steps have been initiated since inde pend
ence for the deve lopm ent of agriculture. In fact,
maj or brea kthr ough has been achieved. Foodgrain
production has substantially increased from 549
tonn e in 194 9-50 to 2,52 7 lakh tonn e in 2014-15. lakh
Increase in agricultural prod ucti on may be explaine
term s of: (1) Increase in Area und er Cultivation, d in
(2) Increase in Productivity, (3) Cha nge in Crop
Patt ern. In India, from 1951 to 201 5, growth rate ping
of agriculture was 2.7 per cent. About 52 per cent
incr ease in prod ucti on was due to increase in area of
und er cultivation and abo ut 48 per cent due to incre
in productivity. In recent years, main caus e of ase
increase in agricultural prod ucti on is improvem
productivity as against extension in agricultural ent in
area . Various mea sure s ado pted during the plan
for rais ing agri cult ural outp ut may be cate gori peri od
sed as: (i) Tec hnic al Mea sure s and (ii) Institutio
Measures. These mea sure s are discussed below: nal
• Technical Measures
Technical measures include: (i) Multiple cropping
, (ii) Exp ansi on of irrigation facilities, (iii) Manures,
iv) Use of high yiel ding vari ety of seed s, (v)
Plan t prot ecti on , (vi) Scie ntifi c met hod of culti
(vii) Mechanisation, (viii) Dev elop men t of agricultu vation
ral land and (ix) Imp rove men t in anim al husbandr
y
• Institutional Measures
Institutional mea sure s include: (i) Increase in area
und er cultivation. (ii) Lan d reforms, (iii} Tenancy
reforms, (iv) Imp rove men t in mar keti ng of agricultu
ral prod uce, and (v) Imp rove men t in credit facil
ities.
Mai n mea sure s emp loye d to deve lop agricult
ure are disc usse d below:
(1) Inc rea se in the Area under Cultivation: Area
und er cultivation increases either (i) because
of incr ease in the net area or (ii) beca use of mul
tiple crop ping . The latter refers to raising more
than one crop duri ng the year. Atte mpt s hav
e been mad e to increase the area uorler
cult ivat ion duri ng five year plan s by both
thes e met hod s. In 1950-51, total area und er
 ance anct Productivity
cultivation was 1
3
crore hectar: 41
order to increase the e, While Presently ·t .
under cultivation A area Under cultivation lot if is el~timated to be 19.6 crore hectaN la
reclaim the land ly·· rea Und er Waste land has ' b0 cu tivable waste land has been brought
put under multipl mg wa~te due to soil erosion ~en rehduced. Efforts have been made to
(2) e cropping. · ore t an 6 crore hectare of land has been
Expansion of lrrigatio . . .
and minor irr' f n. Irrigation facilities ha b .
iga ion projects hav b ve een increased over time. Many major
land Was irrigated land wh· h e een launched in the country. In 1951 only 18 per cent of
1·n t ll t· ' IC now has incr: d '
. trs ad a ion of
. tube-well s have been part' 1ease 1 to 46 . per .cent. Multi-purpose projects and
m
M o uced in areas wh ere Permanent m icu ar Y useful
f- . . m this context. Dry farming has been
arch 2012 total irrig t· eans 1rngation are not possible. By the end of
O
' a Ion Potential w 1 132 l ·
Krishi Sinchai Yojana h • b as , .4 akh hectares. In 2015-16, Pradhan Mantri
(3) as Jeen
More Use of Fertilisers· d· launched
. to
. boost
. irrigation potential in the country.
.
growth O f - l • u Icious application of fertilisers has also contnbuted to the
d agncu tural output.
cow ung as manure rath th Various steps have been initiated to encourage.the use of d
b . er an as fuel. Use of chemical fertilisers has also increase ,
es ides the greater application of ,compost'. In 2014-15, nearly 255. 7 6 lakh tonnes of
chemical fertilisers Were used. The all India average fertilizer consumption was kg
per hectare per annum in 2011-12. 164
4
( ) More High Yielding Variety Seeds: HYV seeds have almost revolutionised l ian
nd
agriculture since 1964-65. HYV seeds have been evolved especially in respect of wheat,
bajra, rice, maize, jowar and cotton. National Seeds Corporation and State Farm
Corporation of India have been set up for the proper growth and distribution of these seeds.
Besides, these two national level corporations 15 State Seeds Corporations are also working
for this. In 2014-15, nearly 352 lakh quintals of certified seeds were distributed. In India 88
per cent of wheat crop is covered under HYV seeds.

(5) Plant Protection: Considerable efforts have been made to protect crops from the insects
and pests. Fourteen Central Plant Protection Centres have been set up for this purpose.
(6) Scientific Cultivation: Scientific cultivation has been particularly emphasized during the
plan period. It has been endeavoured to adopt superior agricultural technology in respect of
crop rotation, use of quality seeds, use of fertilisers, treatment of soil, selection of crops, dry
farming, etc. In this context, Intensive Agricultural Area Programme has been started. Many
agricultural research centres and agricultural universities have been set up for developing new
scientific methods of cultivation. Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar; Punjab Agricultural
University, Ludhiana; Himachal Agricultural University, Palarnpur; Uttar Pradesh
Agricultural University, Rudrapur; Indian Council of Agricultural Research ((CAR), Delhi
etc., are making substantial contribution to the field of scientific methods of cultivation.
(7) M~chanlsat;_on: Use of tractors, thrashers and various agricultural tools and implements are
bemg popularised. Small farmers are assisted with cheap credit fac· t·t· th h •
. . .
societies, commumty development blocks and nationalized b 1ks 1 1es f roug h cooperative
machmery
. and equipment.
. Agro-Industries corporations h b an or . t e purchase of
with a view to encouraging mechanisation in agriculture ~:: een set ~p 1_n almost all sta
agriculture fields owned by small and marginal f · mechanisation of small
named 'Krishi Shakti' has been designed. armers, a small tractor (which is I
 42 Indian Economy

th development of agricultural
(8) Development of Agricultural Land: Efforts a re made for e
chieved in the !eve11·mg O f Ian d,
land during five year plans. Nota bl e succ ess has been a
terracing of fields and contour bunding. •at efforts have been made to
, . the plans, spec1 .
(9) Improvement in Animal Husbandry: Dunngh been opened to check cattle diseases.
·
improve cattle-breed. Many veterinary centres
. ·
h ave been started for 1mprovmg · the cattle
Many Intensive Cattle Deve Iopmen t ProJects ave .

wealth of the country. . . f . lture in addition to technical

( h roduct1v1ty o agncu '
10) Land Reforms: In order to increase t e p I f timportance. After independence,
h b
factors institutional factors like Ian d re forms are a so o grea (i) Zamindari system as een
the ownership right or the ng . ht f
'
government has undertaken many Ia nd reform. measures, .th e.g.,
I . t has been given e1 er~ · .
d by enacting various
0
1eg1s. 1a ti ve
abolished. The actual cu tiva or
,enancy system
• ·) -r.
_. beenJd·re orme
has dh . By 2004 , a b ou t
s has been fixed. (1v)
occupancy tenant. (11
t (111
measures in differentsta es.
···) Cedmg on an °l"dmgt d (v) Cooperative farmmg
1 · has
1,633 lakh hectares of holdings have _been con;o, • t af ~a~dless farmers, Acharya Vinoba
also been developed. (vi) In order to improve t e o o
Bhave launched Bhoodan movement in the country. kr . t
. . I Marketin : Improved agricultural mar e mg au~s a
(11) Improvement m Agr1cultur~ rd fr~m the sale of their product. Three directional
ensuring the farmers the a_ppro~nate red~a(_) R ulated Markets: Regulated markets are
fforts have been made m this regar . I eg .
:ana ed by Market Committees appointed by the state governments. These comm1tte~s
ensur; that the farmers are not exploited by the middlemen. Meteric system of we1ghmg 1s
adopted in these markets. At present, the number of regulated agricultural markets st~o~ at
7,566. (ii) Cooperative Marketing Societies: These are yet a~other agency for brm~mg
about marketing reforms. These societies sell the produce of their members at appro~nate
prices. They also arrange for the speedy and cheap means of transport and proper grad mg of
crops. Also, these societies offer storage and warehousing facilities to the farmers. At present
nearly 6,980 such societies are working in the country. (iii) Price Support: In order to
encourage the farmers to increase agricultural production, it is essential that fall in agricultural
prices be insured against. It is done through price support system. Under this system,
government assures the producers a minimum price of their crops. Government trading
agencies arrange to buy the entire crop of the farmers at the minimum price. Presently, the
policy of support price covers wheat, rice, cotton, gram and a few other grains.
(12) Credit Facilities: Cooperative credit societies have been formed with the view to providing
credit facilities to the farmers at reasonable rates of interest. Number of Land Development
Banks has been increased. Presently, there are about 93,042 primary credit societies and 697
Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks in the country. After
nationalisation, commercial banks have also started giving loans for farming operations.
Regional Rural Banks and farmer service societies also strengthen the rural credit
programmes. National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been
established as an apex agricultural finance institution. In the year 2014-15, institutional credit
worth f 8,45,328 crore was granted by different financial institutions. Of it, the share of
Commercial Banks was f 6,04,376 crore, which was 71.5 per cent of totalinstitutional credit.
(13) National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAJS): The scheme was launched by the
government in 1999 to cover the risk of the farmers. This scheme insures the farmers against
~ lfl India-Importance and Productivity /IS

losses from calamities like cyclo ne, 1andslide h ·1 t

from 1.5 per cent to 3 per cent (of . ' ai s orm and flood. The premium rates vary
to a subsidy of 50 per cent on su~ insured) for food crops. The poor farmers are entitled
premium charged C I
been covered under the scheme f · umu atively, 20. 75 crore farmers have
Company of India Ltd (AICIL) hro~ year 1999-2000 to March, 2013. Agriculture Insurance
Bima". This Varsha Bi S has introduced rainfall insurance scheme known as "Varsha
ma c eme has b . I . . . . th
farmers against excessi een Imp emented m 150 d1stncts to msure e
.
ve or scanty rainfall · Now pnvate . h
also started agricultu . general insurance companies ave
re insurance schemes.
(14) bStrengthening
k d . Rural InfraSlructure: One of the major causes of agricultural
ac war ness is weak rural infrastructure. To strengthen rural infrastructure, government has
!a~nc~ed the scheme named 'Bharat Nirman'. It aims at construction of roads, improving
1rngabon
. . . rural water supply, rural housing,
. ' rural electrificafIon, commumcation, . etc. ,or
c

improvmg rural roads government has started 'Pradhan Mantri Gram Sarak Yojana' ·
Fo~ im~roving rural electrification, the scheme named 'Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutik~ran
YoJana was launched. Now the existing 'Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana has
been taken over by 'Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana'. NABARD has set up
'Rural Infrastructure Development Fund' for improving rural roads, minor irrigation,
soil conservation, drainage, etc.
n
(15) Agricultural Research: Agricultural research is conducted by Indian Cou cil of
Agricultural Research, agricultural universities and other national/state level institutions.
Various high yielding varieties of seeds, pesticides, good quality fertilizers have been
developed in these research centres. It has helped to increase agriculture productivity in India·
(16) Soil Testing: Soil testing is conducted in agricultural universities and other national and
state level agricultural laboratories. In 2008-09, government set up 500 new Soil Testing
Laboratories and 250 mobile soil testing laboratories in India. In year 2014-15, government
has started a scheme for issuing soil health card to every farmer.
(17) Bio-tech Crops: The new bio-tech crops like BT cotton are developed to achieve higher
productivity and lower production cost. Bio-tech crops require lesser pesticides and water on
the farm. These crops are developed by changing genes of the seeds in agriculture research
centres.
(18) Use of Bio-Fertilizers: Bio-fertilizers enhance soil health-by using micro-organisms. It is
very cheap as it uses the nitr~g~n present in the atmosphere. It converts the nitrogen present
in the atmosphere and stores 1t m the form of root nodules in the plants. Most commonl used
bio-fertilizer is Rhizobium.
r ·1·
•
By1·kusing bio-fertilizers ' farmers can cut dow n th e cost o fyusmg
·1· 1zers 1 e Urea
other nitrogen. plus 1erb . which are comparatively costl'ier. p resently there are
around 125 b10-ferb 1zers production units in the country w·th 1 I ·
tonnes of bio-fertilizers. an annua capacity of 18,000

(19) Kisan Call Centres: Government has establi h d K'

to get expert advice on agriculture related . s e tsan Call Centres to enable farmers
nd
'1800-180-1551' from 6 a.m to 10 P issues a problems. For this farmers ca d' l
b b · .m. on all 7 da O f h ' n 1a
num er can e called free of cost fro BSN ys t e week nation ·d T
m UMTNL landline numbers. w1 e. h1
 44

(20) Educating Farmers Th

rough 1V and Radio Channe
Krishi Vani Radio channel ls: Krishi Darshan 1V channel
were launched with the obj and
addressing problems of far ective of telecasting programm
mers. In these programmes es
mo der n agricultural practices. farmers are educated regard
ing
(21) Na tio na l Rainfed Area
Authority: In November 20 06
Rainfed Area Authority to giv , government had set up Nation
e focused attention to the al
authority is advisory and pol problems of rainfed areas. Thi
icy making bo dy with the rol s
schemes an d formulation of e of examining various existin
new schemes for agricultural g
development in rainfed areas.
(22) Us e of Information
Technology for Promoting
technology will be pro mo ted Agriculture: Use of inform
to ensure rapid dev elo pm ent ation
farmers in getting informati of agriculture. It will help the
on abo ut we ath er condition
pro du ce, marketing infrastru s, market prices of agricultur
cture, dro ug ht relief schemes, al
pro du ce, etc. For providing e-t rading platform for agricultur
latest information ab ou t the e
started. Farmers will be pro se aspects, SMS portal has
vided information ab ou t late been
through SMS facility in local st developments on these asp
language. Farmers can registe ects
Kisan Call Centres. r for this ser vice by contacting
■ 6. New National Agricultu
ral Policy
Th e Go ver nm ent an no un ced
new agricultural policy on 25
is to ach iev e the target of 4 th July 20 00 . Th e aim of the
pe r cen t pe r ann um growth new policy
po lic y are as follows: (0 Th in agr icu ltural sector. Th e main featur
e foc us of the ne w policy is es of the
{ii) Timely an d ad eq ua te cre on efficient use of res ou rce
dit is provided to the farmers. s an d technology.
would be enc ou rag ed. (iv) (iii) Private sector investment
To pro tec t farmers against in agriculture
agr eem ent . (v) Sp eci al effort the adverse effects of imple
s will be ma de to protect the mentation of wro
prices. (vi} Pla nt varieties wo farmers against wider fluctuatio
uld be protected through a ns m agricultural
research enc ou rag ed. (vii} Th legislation, an d breeding of
e restnctions on the mo vem ent new vanehec; and
cou ntr y wo uld be rem ov ed. of agricultural commodities
(viii) Excise duties on agricultu throughout the
inputs will be red uce d. (ix) ral machinery, fertilizers an d
Package Insurance policy oth er agricultural
electrification, rural roa ds an will be pro vid ed for the far
d dev elo pm ent of irrigation wil me rs. (x) Rural
marketing infrastructure. (xii l be enc ou rag ed. (xi) Strengthe
) Remunerative prices for agr n mg agnculture
floriculture, animal hu sba nd icultural products. (xni) Focus
ry an d fisheries. on horticulture
■ 7. Agricultural Deve
lopment during Recent Pl
Un der five ye ar plans, pro du
ans
cti on of foodgrains has increa
agricultural sec tor in recent sed more tha n fourfold. Progre
five yea r pla ns is evident fro ss ma de in
m the following account:
(1) Agricultural De ve lop
me nt in Eleventh Plan (20
are a of 11 th plan. In this 07 -20 12 ): Agriculture is the
plan, a total outlay of t prionty
de ve lop me nt of agriculture 1,3 6,3 81 crore was spe nt
an d allied activities. Th e plan for the
agriculture to 4 pe r cen t pe aim ed to increase the growth
r year. The objectives of the rate of
pro du cti on an d productivit pla n were to improve agricu
y in ord er to me et the de ma ltural
inc rea se the inc om e of the nd s of the rising population
farmers. With ab ou t 50 pe r an d to
agriculture, we can no t exp cen t population still de pe nd
ect inclusive growth if we en t on
Following me asu res were tak do ~ot bo ost up a~ icu ltu :e
en in this pla n to dev elo p agr sector.
we re ma de to raise the gro iculture sector: (1) S~ cia l eff
wth rat e of agriculture by orts
agricultural res ear ch to raise 4 pe r cen t per year. (u) Fo
agricultural productivity. (iii) cus on
De vel op me nt of better seeds,
plant
 47
Agri~ in India-Importance and Productivity

plain the importance of agriculture .m Ind"1an economy

½ d ~c~ 0 f agnculture
•t importa
h scuss the ·
ow can l s pro uctiv1ty be improved?
.m Indian economy. ls· Indian agriculture backward.? If so,

S. How dofyo~ a~count for the backwardness of Indian Agriculture? What measures would you
~ggest or its improvement?
M" Why is ~r~ductivity of Indian agriculture low? If so, what measures can be taken to improve its
productivity? ~ Pi 1 ~ • 11 1 )I
7 - Wh_at are the causes of low production in Indian agriculture? Suggest remedies to increase
agriculture production.
8 - Discuss the role of agriculture in economic development of India. What is being done to
~r.prove it?
/ ,~ccount for_backwardness of Indian agriculture. Discuss various steps taken by government to
improve agricultural productivity in India since independence.

■ II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. Discuss two main points of importance of agriculture.
2. What do you mean by agricultural economy?
/ Discuss causes of low productivity in Indian agriculture. ~ ~6~
4. Give two reasons in support of increase in agricultural productivity.
5. Discuss any two remedies for backwardness of agriculture.
6. Give any two suggestions for the improvement of Indian agriculture.
Y, Write a note on New Agricultural Policy.
~
1] "\
8. Enlist causes of backwardness of Indian agriculture.
9. Discuss the importance of agricultural development for industry.
I

z-- 10.

12.
What is the share of agriculture in India's national income?
Explain the relationship between agricultural and industrial development.
Define the term agricultural productivity.
13. How can productivity in small and marginal agricultural holdings be increased?
7, What steps are proposed during twelfth plan for the development of agnculture? ~
.,-15. Write a note on agricultural research in India.
Ill
 r•~"UOll . percent ltm&.as
isbecauseevennowabout54percentoflndianamttiallllllt
of favourable rainfall, production lllCleaSeS and m case of
comes down.
(6) Regional Differences in Agricultural Developmeat:
development of Indian agriculture is the variation in growth rate m
ftllll-
one hand, growth rate of agriculture in Punjab, Haryana West Bensal, Aftl!I•
Uttar Pradesh is more; on the other hand, growth rate of agriculture
Rajasthan, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala is less.
7) Lack of Social Justice: From the point of view of social Justice, Cl8'1ekJm
agriculture has been unjust. It has benefitted rich farmers and big zarm~
have not been able to rise above the poverty line. Because oflow rate of growth
production, employment opportunities could not increase. The developmen
agriculture has not been satisfactory from the social point of view.
In short. there is need to firmly enforce improvements in agriculture sector. It will help "1
growth rate of agriculture.

■ I. Essay Type Questions

1. What is the importance of agriculture in India? What steps have been taken t.t
2. On ~hat grounds Indian agriculture is still regarded to be backward? Mel'llalMIII
back\vardness.