Question
Explain about agriculture pattern.
✓
Answer
- Agriculture is one of the most important occupations of India.
- After independence, India ignored agriculture sector and gave importance only to the industrial sector. As a result, agriculture suffered and we can see the effects till date.
- Presently, agriculture contributes in extensive employment, production and export income compared to past. However, again this scenario is changing.
- Although agriculture sector is the most useful sector for providing employment, it contributes least in total revenue (National Income) compared to other sectors of economy.
- As per economic survey of $2011 -12,$ in $1950-51,$ the contribution of agriculture sector in national income $(GDP)$ was $53.1\%.$
- This has constantly decreased because of more focus on industries and less on agriculture.
- In the year $2011-12$ it decreased to as low as $13.9\% ($at constant prices$).$
- Fast rise of other sectors namely, industry and service is one of the key reasons for reduced contribution of agriculture to such a great extent.
- Although the contribution of agriculture is less in $GDP,$ it provides maximum employment to people compared to other sectors.
- At the time of independence, $72\%$ population was engaged in agriculture and allied agricultural activities. After independence, industry and service sectors developed quite fast and so people’s dependency on agriculture for employment reduced.
- For example, in the year $2001-02,$ agriculture provided employment to $58\%$ people which then reduced to $49\%$ in the year $2014-15.$
- We export our agricultural products to various countries. This earns us foreign exchange.
- The foreign exchange earned helps to buy such goods which India does not produce but needs for its economic development.
- India produces a variety of agricultural products.
- All these agricultural products have increased the usage as well as the incomes of people involved in production, processing and consumption.
- Today, people are using several agricultural products then ever. All these things have improved the standard of living of people.
- In the year $1951,$ on an average, an Indian used to consume $395$ grams of food grains. This increased to $511$ grams in the year $2013.$
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India$-2015$
- Our total agricultural production has increased tremendously. This can be seen in the table.
- On comparing the production of $1950-51$ with $2013-14$ we can see that the production has increased several folds.
- Although population has also increased in all these years but, it must be noted that rise in production has become possible due to rise in land under cultivation as well as rise in per-hectare productivity.
- Industries provide raw material to industries so that industries can further process, produce and contribute to national economy.
- These industries also sell produced goods in rural areas because almost $69-70\%$ people live in villages.
- Agriculture is the source of income and employment for such a huge rural population.
- With rise in agricultural and other sectors these rural dwellers are today even demanding products such as television, refrigerators, motorcycle, mobile phones, air conditioners, etc.
- This has boosted industrial production, consumption and also economy.
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