Agriculture – Some Challenges in Modern India

Agriculture, the backbone of Indian rural economy, contributes to the overall economic growth of the country and determines the standard of life for more than 50% of the Indian population. Agriculture contributes only about 14% to the overall GDP but its impact is felt in the manufacturing sector as well as the services sector as the rural population has become a significant consumer of goods and services in the last couple of decades. But during the same time, growing industrial sector has created its own set of problems to agriculture.

(Note: Some problems are inter – related and have common solutions. Hence I have listed the solutions separately)

The ‘Intra – Sector’ Problems

1.      Fragmented land holding

Nearly 80% of the 140 million farming families hold less than 2 acres of land[1]. Large land holdings enable the farmer to implement modern agricultural techniques and boost productivity. Besides, the number of people dependent on agriculture is also less in a large farmland as is the case in the Western economies. Small land holdings restrict the farmer to use traditional methods of farming and limit productivity. As land holdings are small, more people invariably work on the farms in the rural areas and coupled with the obsolete technology, farm incomes come down.

Different types of Irrigation

The following systems of irrigation are suitable for the Indian topography

1.Tank irrigation

2.Canal irrigation

3.Well and tube-well irrigation

TANK IRRIGATION:

A tank is nothing but  a depression  formed on the surface of the earth by naturally or artificially to store the water by building a bund around or a side of the depression. If the tank is nearer or on the way of the stream of the river it is easy to store the water.

CONDITIONS FOR TANK IRRIGATION:

1.Land should have an undulating relief feature so that depression could be available

2. should have a hard layered rock and little percolation of water so that water can be retained for a long period

3. nearness of the river course so that water can be easily filled in the depression

Economics of animal-rearing

·         Livestock contributes 25 per cent of gross value added in the agriculture sector.

·         provides self-employment to about 21 million people. Rapid growth of this sector can be even more egalitarian and inclusive than growth of the crop sector because those engaged in it are mainly small holders and the landless.

·         Growth of livestock output averaged 4.8 per cent per annum during the Eleventh Plan.

The animal production system in India is predominantly part of a mixed crop-livestock farming system vital for the security and survival of large numbers of poor people. In such systems, livestock generate income, provide employment, draught power and manure. This production system assumes special significance in the present context of sustained economic growth, rising income, increasing urbanization, changes in taste and preference that have lead to dietary changes reflecting the importance of milk, meat, egg and fish.