Agriculture

Indian economy hinges on agriculture. About 58.2 per cent of Indian population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. Agriculture and allied sectors contribute nearly 14.4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of India (India 2012). Besides, agriculture is an important source of raw material for industrial production, and serves as a huge market for the industrial products. In the opinion of Gunnar Myrdal “It is in the agriculture sector that the battle for long term economic-development will be won or lost." If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have a chance to go right in India (M.S. Swaminathan). The agricultural output, however, depends on monsoon as nearly 55% of area sown is dependent on rainfall. It not only provides food to its teeming millions; the agro-based industries for their raw material are dependent on agriculture. Moreover, agriculture fetches substantial amount of valuable foreign exchange.

The domestication of plants and animals is known as agriculture. It includes cultivation of crops, animal husbandry, horticulture, pisciculture, sericulture, silviculture, floriculture, etc. Being located in tropical and subtropical latitudes, the greater part of the agricultural land of India can produce two or more than two crops in a year.

LAND UTILISATION CHARACTERISTICS AND PROBLEMS OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE 1. Subsistent in Character 2. Heavy Pressure of Population 3. Predominance of Food Grains 4. Mixed Cropping 5. High Percentage of the Reporting Area under Cultivation 6. Small Size of Holdings and Fragmentation of Fields 7. Limited Intensive Agriculture 8. Primitive Technology 9. Indian Agriculture is Labour Intensive 10. Rain-fed Agriculture 11. Less Area under Leguminous and Fodder Crops 12. Tradition Bound 13. Low Productivity 14. Government Policy 15. Lack of Definite Agricultural Land Use Policy 16. Lack of Marketing and Storage Facilities 17. Low Status of Agriculture in the Society 18. Land Tenancy 19. Poverty and indebtedness of the Farmers 20. Inadequacy of Extension Service 21. Inadequate Agricultural Research and Education, Training, and Extension 22. Soil Erosion and Soil Degradation 23. Other Characteristics and Problems DETERMINANTS OF AGRICULTURE Physical Factors (a) Terrain, Topography, and Altitude (b) Climate (c) Soils 2. Institutional Factors (i) Land Tenure and Land Tenancy (ii) Land Holding LAND REFORMS 1. Abolition of Intermediaries Zamindari System Mahalwari System Ryotwari System 2. Tenancy Reforms 3. Rent Control 4. Ceiling of Landholdings 5. Consolidation of Holdings 6. Computerised Land Records INFRASTRUCTURE AND AGRICULTURAL INPUTS Irrigation Sources of Irrigation Crop Insurance Green Revolution in India Merits of the High Yielding Varieties 1. Shorter Life Cycle 2. Economise on Irrigation Water 3. Generate more Employment 4. The High Yielding Varieties are Scale Neutral 5. Easy to Adopt Geographical Constraints in the Adoption of New Seeds 1. Irrigation 2. A vailability of Chemical Fertilisers 3. Plant Protection Chemicals 4. Capital Constraint 5. Mechanisation 6. Marketing and Storage Facilities 7. Extension Service ff. Human Factor Performance of the High Yielding Varieties 9.10 and Fig. 9.11).Green Revolution and Rotation of Crops Table 9.13.Green Revolution and Regional Inequalities Intra-Regional Inequalities Intercrop Disparities Impact of Green Revolution on Farmers and Landless Labourers Large Farmers Small Farmers Tenant Farmers Landless Labourers Environmental and Ecological Implications of Green Revolution 1. Salination 2. Waterlogging 3. Soil Erosion 4. Pollution 5. Lowering of the Underground Water-Table 6. Deforestation 7. Noise Pollution 8. Health Hazards Green Revolution—Achievements Green Revolution—Problems and Prospects SECOND GREEN REVOLUTION WHITE REVOLUTION Objectives Phases of the White Revolution Phase I (1970—81)Phase II (1 981—85)Phase III (1985-2000)Achievements Problems and Prospects BLUE REVOLUTION Strategies for the Fisheries Development Problems and Prospects AQUACULTURE Growth and Development of Aquaculture Types of Aquaculture 1. Algaculture 2. Fish Farming 3. Freshwater Prawn Farming 4. Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture 5. Mariculture 6. Shrimp Fanning APICULTURE (BEEKEEPING) OR GOLDEN REVOLUTION History of Beekeeping Wild Honey Harvesting Domestication of Wild Bees Invention of the Moveable Comb Hive Traditional Beekeeping Fixed Frame Hives Modern Beekeeping Movable Frame Hives Top Bar Hives Types of Beekeepers The Colony of Bees SERICULTURE Production POULTRY FARMING (SILVER REVOLUTION)Poultry Farming in India HORTICULTURE Fruits Vegetables Flowers DRY FARMING Significant Features of Dry Farming Crops Main Problems of Dry Farming Strategy for Development AGRIBUSINESS Characteristics of Agribusiness NATIONAL COMMISSION ON FARMERS INDIAN AGRICULTURE—CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS NEW NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL POLICY