ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my gratitude to our respected principle Sir who has authorized to do the project
work. And I would also like to give a vote of thanks to my respected Sir who has given all of us a
wonderful opportunity to work into this project based on the topic “Role of Agriculture in Indian
Economy” which according to me is a very fascinating and most interesting chapter and moreover it
helped me to do lot of research and I came to know much about this particular topic. I am really very
much thankful to them. I personally and honestly would like to thank my subject teacher who assisted
me in completing my work in a limited time period. I am extremely grateful to her for providing such a
nice support and guidance though she had a busy schedule managing the company affairs.

Secondly, I would like to give a very vote of thanks to our college librarian who has guided me and
aided with such a good and relevant books which resulted in completion of my project work very soon.
Though he was very busy with the others works during his duty but yet he manages to find out those
important and relevant books for me for my work. It is such an honor to have a librarian like him in our
institution. Technologically, I would like to thank some social networking sites through which I got my
notes for my work. We are very much blessed to have these kinds of social sites in today´s world, which
genuinely makes our work very comfortable and exact.

Lastly, I heartily thank my friends and teaching staffs. Without the support of these people I would not
be able to complete my project work efficiently. It is all because of their assistance I have completed my
tiring project work. I am fortunate enough to get support and guidance from these kinds of People who
successfully helped me in completing of my work.

Thank You.

Neeha Gurung

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DECLARATION

The present project under taken by me as my first year curriculum is a complete own work of mine, any
reference or help taken by me for the completion of this study has been duely mentioned and referred.

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 CONTENT

SL NO Topics Page No

1 Research Methodology 4-8

2
Introduction 9-10
3
4 Definition of Agriculture 11
5
Its Role 12-17
6
Need for Agriculture 18-20
7

8 Its role with Green Revolution 20-23

9 Few Problems faced 23-29

Conclusion 30-33

Webbliography / Bibliography 34

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY :

Research is a logical and systematic search for new and useful information on a particular topic.
Research is not confined to science and technology only. There are vast areas of research in other
disciplines such as languages, literature, history and sociology. Whatever might be the subject, research
has to be an active, diligent and systematic process of inquiry in order to discover, interpret or revise
facts, events, behaviors and theories.
Application of these techniques in order to get out a systematic, comprehensive and detailed scientific
study is known as research methodology. Basically Research Methodology means the method by which
we proceed for the outcome of research for the refinement of knowledge in other subjects, or in
enhancing the quality of human life also becomes a kind of research and development. It is done with
the help of study, experiment, observation, analysis, comparison and reasoning. Research is in fact
ubiquitous.
Research methods are the various procedures, schemes and algorithms used in research. All the methods
used by a researcher during a research study are termed as research methods. They are essentially
planned, scientific and value-neutral. They include theoretical procedures, experimental studies,
numerical schemes, statistical approaches, etc. Research methods help us collect samples, data and find
a solution to a problem. Particularly, scientific research methods call for explanations based on collected
facts, measurements and Observations and not on reasoning alone. They accept only those explanations
which can be verified by experiments.
Research methodology is a systematic way to solve a problem. It is a science of studying how research
is being carried out. Essentially, the procedures by which researchers go about their work of describing,
explaining and predicting phenomena are called research methodology. It is also defined as the study of
methods by which knowledge is gained. Its aim is to give the work plan of research.

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The prime objectives of research methodology are:
(1) To discover new facts
(2) To verify and test important facts
(3) To analyze an event or process or phenomenon to identify the cause and effect relationship
(4) To develop new scientific tools, concepts and theories to solve and understand scientific and non-
scientific problems
(5) To find solutions to scientific, non-scientific and social problems and
(6) To overcome or solve the problems occurring in our everyday life.

TYPES OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

Research is broadly classified into two main classes:

1. Fundamental or basic research
2. Applied research
A. Fundamental or Basic Research:
Basic research is an investigation on basic principles and reasons for occurrence of a particular event or
process or phenomenon. It is also called theoretical research. Study or investigations of some natural
phenomenon or relating to pure science are termed as basic research. Basic researches sometimes may
not lead to immediate use or application. It is not concerned with solving any practical problems of
immediate interest. But it is original or basic in character. It provides a systematic and deep insight into a
problem and facilitates extraction of scientific and logical explanation and conclusion on it. It helps
build new frontiers of knowledge. The outcomes of basic research form the basis for many applied
research. Researchers working on applied research have to make use of the outcomes of basic research
and explore the utility of them. It focuses on areas like
• Why are materials like that?
• What are they?
• How does a crystal melt?

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Whereas on the other hand the Fundamental research leads to a new theory or a new property of matter
or even the existence of a new matter, the knowledge of which has not been known or reported earlier.
For example, fundamental research on;
(1) Astronomy may leads to identification of new planets or stars in our galaxy,
(2) Elementary particles results in identification of new particles,
B. Applied Research:
In an applied research one solves certain problems employing well known and accepted theories and
principles. Most of the experimental research, case studies and inter-disciplinary research are essentially
applied research. Applied research is helpful for basic research. A research, the outcome of which has
immediate application is also termed as applied research. Such a research is of practical use to current
activity. For example, research on social problems has immediate use. Applied research is concerned
with actual life research such as research on increasing efficiency of a machine, increasing gain factor of
production of a material, pollution control, preparing vaccination for a disease, etc. Obviously, they have
immediate potential applications.
For the concerned study the main research methodology which will be used by me is a form of applied
research; which in the long run tries to evaluate the impact of the undertaken study in academic ethos.

Data Collections:
Data can be of mainly two types:- Primary & Secondary data. The primary data collection focuses on
direct interviews, person to person contact, questioners etc. Whereas on the other hand the secondary
data collection proceeds through the lines of taking the help of books, journals, articles, diaries and other
secondary materials for the completion of the study.
Since my undertaken proposed study focuses on the much larger area, which is always in flux and
dealing with social science and social beings as such the modes and methods of data collections
appropriated by me will be the Secondary Method of data collections, mainly relying on web, internet,
library, books , journals and commentaries.

VARIOUS STAGES OF A RESEARCH:

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For the systematic and scientific completion of the above mentioned study. My research methodology
proceeded in the following outline and stages:

1. Selection of a research topic.

I am a pol science student and it is my obligation to have knowledge and ideas about the concept of
State and Government. Thus I have chosen this topic of my own with the hope to learn more, plus there
are yet to complete about the role of agriculture in Indian economy.

2. Definition of a research problem.

While going through this project work, I found that there are certain missing links which needs to be
under taken and work on it to get good and proper information regarding this topic on the role of
Agriculture.

3. Literature survey and references, and collection of data.

While I was completing my project work I personally referred to our college library and North Bengal
University Central library to refer and to collect the best of the best information’s.

4. Assessment of current status of the topic chosen.

There are various weak and missing links in the topic.

5. Research design.

I selected secondary research design for my research topic as the areas selected by me was very vast and
was not possible to go for a field work and primary research designs.
6. Actual investigation:

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 1st material collected, 2nd divided the materials in net, books, articles, etc.
7. Data analysis.

8. Interpretation of result.

9. Report.
After collecting all the data’s and the materials I made an investigation on the collected data’s and
started to analyses and started to write and interpret. Finally after getting all those materials I started to
work on it and made a project.

INTRODUCTION

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian Economy. About 65% of Indian population depends directly on
agriculture and it accounts for around 22% of GDP. Agriculture derives its importance from the fact that
it has vital supply and demand links with the manufacturing sector. During the past five years agriculture
sector has witnessed spectacular advances in the production and productivity of food grains, oilseeds,
commercial crops, fruits, vegetables, food grains, poultry and dairy. India has emerged as the second
largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world in addition to being the largest overseas exporter of
cashews and spices. Further, India is the highest producer of milk in the world.

Agriculture, for decades, had been associated with the production of basic food crops. Agriculture and
farming were synonymous so long as farming was not commercialized. But as the process of economic
development accelerated, many more other occupations allied to farming came to be recognized as a part
of agriculture. At present, agriculture besides farming includes forestry, fruit cultivation, dairy, poultry,
mushroom, bee keeping, arbitrary, etc. Today, marketing, processing, distribution of agricultural
products etc. are all accepted as a part of modern agriculture. Thus, agriculture may be defined as the
production, processing, marketing and distribution of crops and livestock products. According to
Webster's Dictionary, agriculture is the art or science of production of crops and livestock on farm.

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The direct contribution of the agriculture sector to national economy is reflected by its share in total
GDP, its foreign exchange earnings, and its role in supplying savings and labor to other sectors.
Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry and fishing accounted for 18.5 percent of total Indian Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) in 2005-06 (at 1999-2000 constant prices) and employed about 58 percent of
the country's workforce. It accounted for 10.95 percent of India’s exports in 2005-06 and about 46
percent of India's geographical area is used for agricultural activity. There has been a structural
transformation in the Indian economy during the past few decades. The composition of Gross Domestic
Product at 1993-94 constant prices reveals that the share of agriculture including forestry and fishing has
declined as growth in industrial and services sectors far outpaced agricultural sector. The share of
mining, manufacturing, electricity and construction sector has increased from 21.6 percent in 1970-71 to
27 percent in 2004-05 and services sector has increased significantly from 32 percent to 52.4 percent
during the same period. Despite a steady decline of its share in the GDP, agriculture is still an important
sector and plays a significant role in the overall socio-economic development of the country. Therefore,
fostering rapid, sustained and broad-based growth in agriculture remains key priority for the
government.

Despite declining share of agriculture in the economy, majority of workforce continue to depend on
agricultural sector for employment and in rural areas dependence on agriculture is more as nearly 75
percent of rural population is employed in agricultural sector. However, there is disguised employment
in the sector due to limited opportunities for rural non-farm employment. This disguised employment
leads to lower labor and resources productivity in the sector relative to other sectors of the economy. The
low labor productivity leads to higher rates of poverty in rural areas. Agriculture in India is
constitutionally the responsibility of the states rather than the central government. The central
government's role is in formulating policy and providing financial resources for agriculture to the states.

Indian agriculture is characterized by agro-ecological diversities in soil, rainfall, temperature, and

cropping system. Besides favorable solar energy, the country receives about 3 trillion m3 of rainwater,
14 major, 44 medium and 55 minor rivers share about 83 per cent of the drainage basin. About 210
billion m3 water is estimated to be available as ground water. Irrigation water is becoming a scarce
commodity. Thus proper harvesting and efficient utilization of water is of great importance.

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Intensive cultivation as a result of introduction of high yielding varieties in the mid 1960's required
higher energy inputs and better management practices. Land preparation, harvesting, threshing and
irrigation are the operations, which utilize most of the energy used in agriculture. The share of animate
power in agriculture decreased from 92 per cent in 1950-51 to 20 per cent in 2000-01. For desired
cropping intensity with timeliness in field operations, animate energy sources alone were no longer
adequate. Farmers opted for mechanical power sources to supplement animate power.

Thus, agriculture may be defined as the production, processing, marketing and distribution of crops and
livestock products. According to Webster's Dictionary, agriculture is the art or science of production of
crops and livestock on farm.

DEFINITION OF AGRICULTURE

According to Samuel Whites,“The science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and
raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products”.

According to Adam S. Sannitum,” the art and science of growing plants and other crops and the raising
of animals for food, other human needs, or economic gain”.

According to James Rihard,” include farming in all of its branches and the cultivation and tillage of the
soil, dairying, the production, cultivation, growing and harvesting of any agricultural, aqua cultural,
floricultural or horticultural commodities, the growing and harvesting of forest products upon forest
land, the raising of livestock including horses, the keeping of horses as a commercial enterprise, the
keeping and raising of poultry, swine, cattle and other domesticated animals used for food purposes,
bees, fur-bearing animals, and any forestry or lumbering operations, performed by a farmer, who is
hereby defined as one engaged in agriculture or farming as herein defined, or on a farm as an incident to
or in conjunction with such farming operations, including preparations for market, delivery to storage or
to market or to carriers for transportation to market”.

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According to James Onmarden.” Agriculture is the science of cultivating the soil, harvesting crops, and
raising livestock and also as the science or art of the production of plants and animals useful to man and
in varying degrees the preparation of such products for man's use and their disposal”.

What is the role of Agriculture for our country?

Agriculture plays a crucial role in the life of an economy. It is the backbone of our economic system.
Agriculture not only provides food and raw material but also employment opportunities to a very large
proportion of population. The following facts clearly highlight the importance of agriculture in this
country.

 Source of Livelihood

In India the main occupation of our working population is agriculture. About seventy per cent of our
population is directly engaged in agriculture. In advanced countries, this ratio is very small being five
per cent in U.K., four per cent in USA., sixteen per cent in Australia, fourteen per cent in France, twenty
one per cent in Japan and thirty two per cent in USSR. This high proportion in agriculture is due to the
fact that the non-agricultural activities have not been developed to absorb the rapidly growing
population.

 Contribution to National Income

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Agriculture is the premier source of our national income. According to National Income Committee and
C.S.O., fifty two per cent of national income was contributed by agriculture and allied occupations. This
sector alone contributed while its contribution was to the tune of forty eight per cent. It contributed
around thirty two per cent of national income. This was further reduced to twenty eight per cent.
Contrary to this, the proportion of agriculture in U.K. is only thirty one, in USA it is three percent, two
per cent in Canada, six per cent in Japan, seven per cent in Australia. The mere conclusion of all this is
that more developed a country the smaller is the contribution of agriculture in national output.

 Supply of Food and Fodder

Agriculture sector also provides fodder for livestock. Cow and buffalo provide protective food in the
form of milk and they also provide draught power for farm operations. Moreover, it also meets the food
requirements of the people. Import of food grains has been very small in recent years, rather export
avenues are being looked for.

 Importance in International Trade

It is the agricultural sector that feeds country's trade. Agricultural products like tea, sugar, rice, tobacco,
spices etc. constitute the main items of exports of India. If the development process of agriculture is
smooth, export increases and imports are reduced considerably. Thus, it helps to reduce the adverse
balance of payments and save our foreign exchange. This amount can be well utilized to import other
necessary inputs, raw-material, machinery and other infra-structure which is otherwise useful for the
promotion of economic development of the country.

 Marketable Surplus

The development of agricultural sector leads to marketable surplus. As country develops more and more
people are to be engaged in mining, manufacturing and other non- agricultural sector. All these people
depend upon the food production which they can meet from the marketable surplus. As agricultural
development takes place, output increases and marketable surplus expands. This can be sold to other

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countries. Here, it is worth mentioning that the development of Japan and other countries were made
possible by the surplus of agriculture. There is no reason why this could not be done in our own case.

 Source of Raw Material

Agriculture has been the source of raw materials to the leading industries like cotton and jute textiles,
sugar, tobacco, edible and non-edible oils etc. All these depend directly on agriculture. Apart from this,
many others like processing of fruits and vegetables, dal milling, rice husking, gur making also depend
on agriculture for their raw material. According to United Nations Survey, the industries with raw
material of agricultural origin accounted for fifty per cent of the value added and sixty four per cent of
all jobs in the industrial sector.

*Importance in Transport

Agriculture is the main support for railways and roadways which transport bulk of agricultural produce
from farm to the mandies and factories. Internal trade is mostly in agricultural products. Besides, the
finance of the government also, to the large extent, depends upon the prosperity of agricultural sector.

 Contribution to Foreign Exchange Resources

Agricultural sector constitutes an important place in the country's export trade. According to an estimate,
agricultural commodities like jute, tobacco, oilseeds, spices, raw cotton, tea and coffee accounted for
about eighteen per cent of the total value of exports in India. This shows that agriculture products still
continue to be significant source of earning foreign exchange.

 Vast Employment Opportunities

The agricultural sector is significant as it provides greater employment opportunities in the construction
of irrigation projects, drainage system and other such activities. With the fast growing population and
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high incidence of unemployment and disguised unemployment in backward countries, it is only
agriculture sector which provides more employment chances to the labour force. In this way,
significance of agriculture emerges more and more.

 Overall Economic Development

In the course of economic development, agriculture employs majority of people. This means raising the
level of the national income and standard of living of the common man. The rapid rate of growth in
agriculture sector gives progressive outlook and further motivation for development. As a result, it helps
to create proper atmosphere for general economic development of the economy. Thus, economic
development depends on the rate at which agriculture grows.
 Source of Saving

In India, many state governments get sizeable revenue from the agriculture sector. Land revenue,
agricultural income tax, irrigation tax and some other types of taxes are being levied on agriculture by
the state governments. Moreover, considerably revenue is earned by way of excise duty and export duty
on agricultural products. Raj committee on Agricultural Taxation has suggested imposition of taxation
on agricultural income for raising revenue.

 Basis of Economic Development

Prof. Nurkse has laid sufficient emphasis on the improvement of agriculture for a balanced growth of an
economy. The development of agriculture provides necessary capital for the development of other
sectors like industry, transport and foreign trade. In fact, a balanced development of agriculture and
industry is the need of the day. From the above, explanation it may be concluded that agriculture
occupies an important place in the development of an economy. It is in fact, a pre-condition for
economic up liftmen.

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ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN INDIAN ECONOMY

The following points emphasize the importance of agriculture in Indian Economy.

Share of Agriculture in National Income

Agriculture has got a prime role in Indian economy. Though the share of agriculture in national income
has come down, still it has a substantial share in GDP The contributory share of agriculture in Gross
Domestic Product was fifty five percent and is reduced to eighteen only at present. The share of the
agricultural sectors capital formation in GDP declined from two percent in the late to one percent at
present.

Important Contribution to Employment

Agriculture sector, at present, provides livelihood to sixty five to seventy percent of the total population.
The sector provides employment to fifty eight percent of country’s work force and is the single largest
private sector occupation.

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Important Source of Industrial Development

Various important industries in India find their raw material from agriculture sector -cotton and jute
textile industries, sugar, vanaspati etc are directly dependent on agriculture. Handloom, spinning oil
milling, rice thrashing etc are various small scale and cottage industries which are dependent on
agriculture sector for their raw material. This highlights the importance of agriculture in industrial
development of the nation.

Importance in International Trade

India’s foreign trade is deeply associated with agriculture sector. Agriculture accounts for about fourteen
percent of the total export earnings. Besides, goods made with the raw material of agriculture sector also
contribute about twenty percent in Indian exports. In other words, agriculture and its related goods
contribute about thirty eight percent in total exports of die country.

Agriculture’s economic contribution through rapid productivity growth

Over time, agriculture remains more productive than industry so the real price of food declines,
contributing to: increased savings; increased incomes; economic stability; and overall total factor
productivity. Historically, agricultural productivity growth has been even faster than productivity growth
in manufacturing. Farm productivity growth in the agricultural-exporting rich countries has been
comparatively very rapid. In the
United States, for example, total factor productivity growth since the late 1940s has been nearly four
times as fast in farming as in the private non-farm sectors (Jorgenson and similar performances have

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been found in Australia and Canada. As well, new technologies are capable of making food safer and
raising its quality, and of reducing any harm to the environment caused by farming. This property is
valued more and more as people’s incomes grows and as the natural environment comes under stress.
In low-income countries where people spend a high proportion of their income on food, even small food
price increases can be detrimental to the well-being of the urban poor and rural net-food purchasers.
Many of the poorest people in low-income countries also depend on agriculture (directly and indirectly)
for their livelihoods, and rising crop prices may actually increase their real incomes and food intake.

Agriculture’s economic contribution to alleviating poverty

Past evidence suggests that periods of high agricultural growth rates are associated with falling rural
poverty. Strong agricultural growth leads to: (1) lower food prices (for urban consumers and rural net-
food buyers); (2) increased income generating opportunities for food producers and jobs for rural
workers (thus reducing rural-urban migration, with positive consequences for real urban wage rates);
and (3) positive intersect oral spillover effects including migration, trade and enhanced productivity. A
World Bank review concludes that higher agricultural and rural growth rates are likely to have a ‘strong,
immediate, and favourable impact’ on poverty (World Bank 1996). The review notes that agricultural
growth rates exceeding 3 percent a year produce a decline in the World Bank’s poverty index grouping
by more than 1 percent. In no case did poverty decline when agricultural growth was less than 1 percent
(World Bank 1996). Even the most populated countries have had great success. In both China and
Indonesia, for example, rapid agricultural growth substantially reduced rural poverty, improved food
security in both rural and urban sectors, and provided a significant demand side stimulus for non-
agricultural goods and services. No country has been able to sustain the process of rapid economic
growth without solving its problems of macro food security. In contrast, countries failing to make
progress in agricultural growth experience stagnating rural sectors, sluggish overall economic growth
with declining per caput incomes, and falling investment in rural services and agricultural infrastructure.

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NEED AND ROLE FOR AGRICULTURE IN INDIAN ECONOMY

Minimum Support Price of Agriculture Products

Agriculture has a significant role in our economy. Being the main occupation of the people of India,
about sixty four percent of our workforces is employed in agriculture. Both industry and agriculture are
important for the progress of country and since independence we have made great efforts in the field of
industrial development. However, almost twenty nine percent of our national income still comes from
agriculture. Hence, its role in our country's economy cannot be ignored.

Agriculture provides us with our very basic requirement that of food in the form of grains, vegetables,
fruits and many other edibles. In addition it provides raw materials for many industries thus it not only
fulfills one of our essential needs but also gives support to industries. There are many agricultural
products which are exported and in return valuable foreign exchange is earned which strengthens the
economic system of our country. Hence, it is important to develop and encourage agricultural sector.

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Since the attainment of independence, the Government has given top priority to agriculture. Better
quality of seeds and chemical fertilizers, methods of irrigation and the use of modern methods of
farming and machinery have definitely increased our agricultural production.

Cooperatives for marketing the agricultural produce and easy loan schemes which are made available to
farmers are also very helpful in this field. As a result of all these efforts, the growth rate between the
years 1950-60 was 2.7 per cent the 7.6 per cent in 1998-99. Food grain production has recorded a
fourfold rise from fifty million tons in 1950-51 to two hundred million tones estimated in 1998-99.

Though our agricultural production has increased immensely, yet it is far from satisfactory. Progress in
agriculture naps been slow if farmers produce more and get better prices or their produce the problem of
rural backwardness and Poverty that has plagued our country since the British rule can be solved. The
prosperity of farmers means a large market for industrial goods that in turn benefits industries also.

Thus, agriculture is of supreme importance for the progress of the country. It is the real backbone of our
economy, as with the prosperity of farmers, the nation prospers. Hence, agriculture must be given top
priority and the condition of the farmers must be improved. Only then we can hope for a country
economically advanced. Keeping in view the interests of the farmers as also the need of self-reliance,
Government has been announcing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for twenty four major crops. The
main objectives of announcing MSP are:

To prevent fall in prices in the situation of over production

To protect the interest of farmers by ensuring them a minimum price for their crops in Minimum support
price announced by the government is that price at which government is ready to purchase the crop from
the farmers directly if crop price becomes lower to MSP. As a result, market price of the crop never
comes down from the level of MSP This minimum price security gives incentives to farmers to increase
their production. These minimum support prices of various crops are announced on the basis of
recommendations made by Agriculture Cost and Price Commission (ACPC) which takes into
consideration the inputs costs and favourable returns to the farmers while recommending MSP.

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Food grains Procurement and Stocks in India

Food grains procurement by the Government serves the dual purpose of providing support prices to the
farmers and of building up public stocks of food grains. Procurement operations are carried out by the
Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the state agencies designated by State Government Procurement
prices are based on support prices recommended by CACP. Food stocks are maintained by the Central
Government for three purposes: Meeting the prescribed minimum buffer stock norms for food security.
For monthly release of food grains for supply through PDS Public Distribution System. For market
intervention to augment supply so as to help moderate the open market prices.

Buffer Stock in India

The years witnessed high levels of stock buildup in the central pool. Food grains stocks reached a peak
of sixty four million tones, an all-time record in June.
The year witnessed a general easing in the food grains stocks with relatively lower procurement of rice
and wheat following a bad agricultural year in and relatively high off-take of food grains especially for
drought-related relief operations and under the welfare schemes. The steady reduction, in stocks
prompted the Government to stop fresh allocation of rice and wheat for export with effect from August,
which has continued till date. The year started with a much lower stock of twenty million tones on April,
down from thirty two million tonnes on April. Stocks however, remained consistently higher than the
buffer requirement with sufficient procurement of rice and wheat and relatively lower off-take than in
the previous year. On April, the stock at seventeen million tonnes was above the buffer norm of sixteen
million tonnes.

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ROLE OF GREEN REVOLUTION IN INDIA (In the field of agriculture)

Indian Green Revolution is associated with the use of HYVS (High Yielding Variety Seeds), chemical
fertilizers and new technology which led to a sharp rise in agricultural production. The term Green
Revolution was given by American scientist, Dr. William Gande. During the middle of sixties, Indian
agriculture scientists developed a number of new high yielding varieties of wheat by processing wheat
seeds imported from Mexico. A similar improvement in variety of rice was also observed.

Second Green Revolution in India

(Strategy Adopted In 11th Plan)
The urgent need for taking agriculture to a higher trajectory of four percent annual growth can be met
only with improvement in the scale as well as quality of agricultural reforms undertaken by the various
states and agencies at the various levels. These reforms must aim at efficient use of resources and
conservation of soil, water and ecology on a sustainable basis, and in a holistic framework. Such a

Neeha Gurung, Roll no. 13 Page 21

holistic framework must incorporate financing of rural infrastructure such as water, roads and power.
The Approach Paper to the Eleventh Five Year Plan has aptly highlighted such a holistic framework and
suggested the following strategy to raise agricultural output.

Improving water management, rain water harvesting and watershed development

Reclaiming degraded land and focusing on soil quality Bridging the knowledge gap through effective
extension Diversifying into high value outputs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs and spices, medicinal
plants, bamboo, bio-diesel, but with adequate measures to ensure food security Promoting animal
husbandry and fishery Providing easy access to credit at affordable rates Improving the incentive
structure and functioning of markets; and refocusing on land reforms issues.

CHANGES UNDERTAKEN IN AGRICULTURE IN INDIA

The post-Independence history of Indian agriculture can be broadly grouped into four periods. Before
describing them, I should mention that during the colonial era famines were frequent and famine
commissions were abundant. The growth rate in food production during the 1900-1947 periods was
hardly 0.1 per cent. Most of the important institutional developments in agriculture emanated from the
recommendations of famine commissions. The great Bengal Famine of 1942- 43 provided the backdrop
to India’s Independence. The first stage 1947-64 this was the Jawaharlal Nehru era where the major
emphasis was on the development of infrastructure for scientific agriculture. The steps taken included
the establishment of fertilizer and pesticide factories, construction of large multi-purpose irrigation-cum-
power projects, organization of community development and national extension programes and, above
all, the starting of agricultural universities, beginning with the Pant Nagar University established in
1958, as well as new agricultural research institutions, as for example the Central Rice Research
Institute, Cuttack, and the Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla. During this period, the population
started increasing by over 3 per cent a year as a result of both the steps taken to strengthen public health

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care systems and advances in preventive and curative medicine. The growth in food production was
inadequate to meet the consumption needs of the growing population, and food imports became
essential. Such food imports, largely under the PL-480 programme of the United States, touched a peak
of 10 million tonnes in 1966. The second stage 1965-1985 This periods coincides with the leadership of
Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi, with Morarji Desai and Charan Singh serving as Prime Ministers
during 1977-79. The emphasis was on maximizing the benefits of infrastructure created during step-I,
particularly in the areas of irrigation and technology transfer. Major gaps in the strategies adopted during
step-I were filled, as for example the introduction of semi-dwarf high-yielding varieties of wheat and
rice, which could utilise sunlight, water, and nutrients more efficiently and yield two to three times more
than the strains included in the Intensive Agriculture District Programme (IADP) of the early 1960s.
This period also saw the reorganisation and strengthening of agricultural research, education and
extension, and the creation of institutions to provide farmers assured marketing opportunities and
remunerative prices for their produce. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD) was set up. All these steps led to a quantum jump in the productivity and production of
crops such as wheat and rice, a phenomenon christened in 1968 as the Green Revolution. C.
Subramaniam (1964-67) and Jagjivan Ram provided the necessary public policy guidance and support.
The Green Revolution generated a mood of self-confidence in our agricultural capability. The gains were
consolidated during the Sixth Five Year Plan period (1980-85) when for the first time agricultural
growth rate exceeded the general economic growth rate. Also, the growth rate in food production
exceeded that of the population. The Sixth Plan achievement illustrates the benefits arising from farmer-
centred priorities in investment and in the overall agricultural production strategy.

The third stage: 1985-2000 This was the era of Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, with several other Prime Minister serving for short periods. This phase was characterised by
greater emphasis on the production of pulses and oilseeds as well as of vegetables, fruits, and milk.
Rajiv Gandhi introduced organisational innovations like Technology Missions, which resulted in a rapid
rise in oilseed production. The Mission approach involves concurrent attention to conservation,
cultivation, consumption, and commerce. Rain-fed areas and wastelands received greater attention and a
Wasteland Development Board was set up. Wherever an end-to-end approach was introduced involving
attention to all links in the production-consumption chain, progress was steady and sometimes striking
as in the case of milk and egg production. This period ended with large grain reserves with the

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government, with the media highlighting the co-existence of “Grain Mountains and hungry millions.”
This period also saw a gradual decline in public investment in irrigation and infrastructure essential for
agricultural progress as well as a gradual collapse of the cooperative credit system.

The fourth stage: 2001 to the present day Despite the efforts of Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee
and Manmohan Singh, this phase is best described as one characterised by policy fatigue, resulting in
technology extension and production fatigues. No wonder that the farmers, who keep others alive, are
now forced to take their own lives and 40 per cent of them want to quit farming, if there is an alternative
option. The agricultural decline is taking place at a time when international prices of major foodgrains
are going up steeply, partly owing to the use of grain for ethanol production. Land for food versus fuel is
becoming a major issue. For example, the export price of wheat has risen from $197 a tonne in 2005 to
$263 a tonne in 2007. Maize price has gone up from about $100 a tonne in 2005 to $166 a tonne now.
International trade is also becoming free but not fair. Compounding these problems is the possibility of
adverse changes in rainfall, temperature, and the sea level as a result of global warming. Melting of
Himalayan ice and glaciers will result in floods of unprecedented dimensions in north India. If
agricultural production does not remain above the population growth rate and if the public distribution
system is starved of grain, there is every livelihood of our going back to the pre-Independence situation
of recurrent famines. The grain mountains have disappeared and we are today in the era of diminishing
grain reserves, escalating prices, and persistence of widespread under-nutrition.

Few problems of Indian Agriculture

Deceleration in Agricultural Growth India’s GDP grew at an annual rate of 5.8 percent from 1995-96 to
2004-05 at 1993-94 constant prices, but agricultural growth declined to about 2 percent, resulting from
stagnation/decline in productivity during the last decade. Plan-wise trends of growth of total GDP and
GDP from agriculture are presented in. It is evident from the figure that India’s agricultural sector has
grown more than targeted growth rate during the 6th, 7th and 8th Five Year Plans but fell short of
targeted growth during the 9th and 10th Plan. During the 10th Plan, agricultural GDP grew at an annual
rate of mere 2.1 percent against the targeted growth rate of 4 percent. Indian agriculture is at a
crossroads. With about 70 percent population living in rural areas and about 58 percent of its workforce
engaged in agriculture, India needs positive change in agricultural sector. Therefore, in the 11th Five

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Year Plan, the National Development Council has adopted a 14 point resolution dividing responsibilities
equally between the Central and the state governments with an aim to achieve four percent agricultural
growth by the end of 11th plan. The agricultural sector has been allocated additional Rs. 25,000 crore
from the Central government in the next four years. Declining Investment and Rising Subsidies One of
the important reasons for deceleration in agricultural growth has been declining levels of investment in
agriculture and allied sectors and irrigation. Share of agriculture and irrigation in total plan expenditure
has declined from 37.3 percent in First Five Year Plan to 10.6 percent in 10th Five Year Plan. In the 6th
Plan additional head of rural development was introduced and its share in total plan expenditure has
increased over the years from 6.4 percent in 6th Plan to 9.5 percent in 9th plan and then slightly declined
to nearly 8 percent in 10th plan.

Land Fragmentation
The agrarian structure in India has undergone significant structural transformation since the 1970s.
Recent data shows that the share of marginal and small farmers (farmers owning from 0.1 to less than 2
ha) increased from 69.7 percent in 1970-71 to approximately 82 percent in 2000-01. The share of small
and marginal farmers in total area operated also increased from about 21 percent in 1970-71 to about 39
percent in 2000-01. The average farm size has declined from 2.3 ha in 1970-71 to 1.41 ha in 1995-96
and 1.32 ha in 2000-01. The average size of land holdings in India is very small and is subject to
fragmentation, due to imposition of ceiling on land owned, population increase, inheritance laws which
have stipulated an equal division of property among sons, lack of off-farm occupations, etc. Such small
holdings are often over-manned, resulting in disguised unemployment and low productivity of labor.
Moreover, there are several tenancy restrictions in many states. These restrictions range from a complete
ban in some States to complete freedom of leasing in some States. There is growing consensus about the
need to have a re-look at current tenancy legislations, which sometimes restrict participation of private
sector in agriculture. However, under the Indian Constitution, land administration falls under the State
governments, hence large variations across states.

Agricultural Production and Productivity

The nation is striving to find ways and means to keep its burgeoning population adequately fed. On the
one hand it is facing the problem of declining productivity and on the other, challenges posed by

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liberalization. In such a scenario, leveraging the available natural resources and existing infrastructure is
the only way to make the ends meet. Management of the already built infrastructure in harmony with
natural systems is the clarion call of the day. Knowledge of the extent of existing infrastructure and
natural resources is one of the most basic pre-requisites to utilize them effectively and in a sustainable
manner. The discipline of agricultural engineering endeavours to develop technologies for enhancing
productivity and 4 reducing the cost of cultivation. Traditionally animate power was used for field
operations and processing activities. As a result of introduction of mechanical power, agricultural
engineering activities have expanded considerably. To sustain the project population of 1.363 billion by
2025 the productivity has to be increased by 100 per cent from the present level by intensification of
agriculture.

Importance to be given for Agriculture to be efficient in India

Farm mechanization
Mechanization is viewed as package of technology to (i) ensure timely field operations to increase
productivity, reduce crop losses and improve quality of agroproduce (ii) increase land utilization and
input use efficiency (iii) increase labour productivity using labour saving and drudgery reducing devices
besides, being cost effective and eco-friendly. Appropriate machinery have been adapted by farmers for
ensuring timely field operations and effective application of various crop production inputs utilizing
human, animal and mechanical power sources. Diverse farm mechanization scenario prevails in the
country due to size of farm holdings (average farm holding size 1.6 ha) and socio-economic disparities.
Indian agriculture continues to be dependent upon human (agricultural workers population
234.10million in 2000- 01) and draught animal power (27 million pairs). Hand tools and animal drawn
implements are extensively used which involve a great amount of drudgery. Adoption of tractors has
been on the increase. Sale of tractors during 2005-06 touched 292000 nos. Mechanization indicator is
one of the measures of modernization of agriculture of a country (Table 4). The availability of farm
power or energy per unit area (kW/ha) has been considered as one of the parameters for expressing level

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of mechanization. Ratio of machine work and sum of manual and machine work has also been
considered to estimate the level of mechanization. The unit farm power available from all sources
(animate and mechanical power) increased from 0.20 to 0.90 kW/ha (on the basis of net cropped area)
from 1950-51 to 1996-97. The ratio of tractive power to total farm power has increased from 0.82 to
32.25 per cent. Modernization requires sophistication in mechanization, which is possible at relatively
large scales of operations with capital and management constraints overcome. Marginal and small
farmers are increasingly becoming part time, with absentee farmers, periurban farmers, wage earners on
a part or full time basis. Industry and service sectors, trade and commerce unable to reduce land based
livelihoods compel rural people to remain on land based livelihoods, forcing a steady increase in the
number of land holdings but with average land holdings going down making mechanization more
challenging and difficult. Scaling down of farm machines reduces mechanical advantages. Instead of
owning farm machinery other than hand tools, such marginal farms can meet their needs through custom
servicing.

Farm Power Availability

India has made remarkable progress in agricultural mechanization technology. The country evolved a
selective mechanization model using a power mix based on animate and inanimate power sources. The
mix of power sources includes human beings, animals, power tillers, tractors, engines and electric
motors. One of the globally used Index of Agriculture Mechanization (IAM) is power availability per
unit area. The power availability is computed by taking both animals and inanimate power sources.
Nearly 80 per cent of the power in agriculture is contributed by inanimate power sources. Table 6 shows
the farm power availability and density of different power sources in India. Table 8 shows the farm
power availability versus food grain production. It is apparent from these tables that agricultural
productivity is directly related to farm power availability. States with higher power per unit area also
have higher food production (Table 7). It is evident that higher power availability will have to be
ensured in the states with lower power availability. This is also true for rain fed areas, where the power
availability is barely 0.54 kW /ha. The power availability in hilly areas is also quite low. The increasing
use of tractors and irrigation pumps operated by electric motors and diesel engines are the indictors of
the fact that use of mechanical power in India has increased many fold during the last two decades.

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Power availability was 0.32 kW/ha in 1965-66 and increased to 1.34 kW/ha in 2005-06 and needs to be
increased to 2 kW/ha. The cultivable area per tractor was 2162 ha in 1965-66 and has come down to
about 50 ha per tractor in 2005-06 with the addition of a large number of tractors.

Irrigation

Water is an essential natural resource for the survival of life, a key input for plant growth and is
instrumental in the upkeep of the environment. Although water is a renewable source, it is quite dynamic
and scarce. The source of all water is annual precipitation/rainfall and it is affected by a number of
factors. As a result, rainfall in India is highly variable, irregular and undependable with widespread
variation among various meteorological sub-divisions in terms of distribution and amount. The highest
and lowest annual average rainfall in India is 10,000 mm (Khasi-Jaintia Hill, Meghalaya) and 100 mm in
Rajasthan, respectively. The distribution of water is highly skewed and to make it better the technical
feasibility of inter basin transfer of water by linking Himalayan and Peninsular rivers has been
investigated and the proposal is under consideration of the Government of India. It is estimated that after
the development of full irrigation potential of 140 million ha as against the cropped area of 200 million
ha by the year 2010, about 60 million ha will be left as rain fed. It, therefore, demands that every drop of
rainfall should be conserved and it can be done by in-situ and ex-situ harvesting of rainfall. Significant
progress has been made in the development of water harvesting, conservation and utilization technology.
For better water use efficiency, it is necessary to adapt efficient irrigation methods that are technically
feasible, economically viable and socially acceptable. Drip and micro irrigation systems need to be
adopted and popularized for row crops, horticulture and especially for widely spaced high value crops in
undulating terrains, shallow and porous soils and in water scarce areas. However, the associated
issues/problems of 12 high initial cost, clogging of drippers, cracking of pipes, lack of adequate
technical inputs and insufficient extension efforts need to be addressed on a priority basis. This may
require an integrated approach involving local R&D and extension agencies, manufacturers and end
users/farmers. Although, the average water availability in the country remains more or less fixed
according to the natural hydrological cycle, the per capita water availability is progressively reduced due
to increasing population. The per capita water availability is reducing with time, 5300 m3 during year
1955 to 2200 m3 as of now. It is projected that during 2025 this availability will be 1500m3, which is at

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stress level and during year 2050 it will be scarce with availability of less than 1000 m3. The average
annual precipitation including snowfall is estimated to be of the order of 4,000 billion cubic meters
(bcm). Out of this 1500 bcm flows into sea due to floods (Abdul Kalam, 2005). Floods normally affect 8
major river valleys spread over 40 million hectares of area in the entire country affecting nearly 260
million people. Similarly drought affects 86 million people who are spread in 14 states covering a total
of 116 districts. If we have to prevent the damage due to the flood and reduce the severity of drought, we
have to harness this 1500 bcm of water and distribute it to the drought affected areas. Therefore,
National Water Grid (NWG) needs to be developed by interlinking of the country’s major river basins.
In India, major water resources are from rivers, lakes, canal, reservoirs, tanks and ground water.
Globally, fresh water at a tune of 3,240 m km3 is being utilized. Of this, 69 per cent is being used in
agriculture sector, 8 per cent in domestic, 23 per cent in industrial and other sectors.

Globally, fresh water at a tune of 3,240 m km3 is being utilized. Of this, 69 per cent is being used in
agriculture sector, 8 per cent in domestic, 23 per cent in industrial and other sectors. In India, around 88
per cent water is being used in 13 agriculture sector, covering around 80 M ha area under irrigation. Due
to liberalization of industrial policies and other developmental activities, the demand for water in
industrial and domestic sectors is increasing day by day, which forces the reduction of the percentage
area under irrigation in the agriculture sector. Thus, pressure lies on agriculture sector to reduce the
share of water and increase the production, which could be achieved by enhancing increased water use
efficiency. Water is drawn either from a dug well or a shallow tube well fitted with a pumpset. In both
cases a horizontal centrifugal pumpset is commonly used. It was estimated that there are about 16.0
million electric motors and 9.0 million diesel engine pumpsets for lifting water from various sources
(Table 10) as of 2003-04. These consume about 100 billion kWh of electricity and 4.0 billion litres of
diesel annually. Several field studies revealed that most of the agricultural pumpsets selected and
installed operated at much lower efficiency than achievable. The standing committee (Government of
India) on the study of operational efficiency of irrigation pumps clearly observed that overall efficiency
in diesel operated pump sets was 12.7 per cent and 31.1 per cent in electrically operated pump sets. The
efficiency can be increased by selection of appropriate pump, proper installation of system, selection of
prime mover, selection of proper couplings, and selection of proper size of suction and delivery pipes
and regular maintenance. Because of improper management of the systems, lack of clear cut guidelines
and lack of emphasis on water management at farm level, the overall efficiency of these systems

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continued to remain low. It is reported that, a farmer can save up to Rs. 3300 per year over his present
expenses for pumpset operation if his pumping system is properly selected. Such correct selection would
not only salvage the farmer from his avoidable yearly financial loss but would also save the nation a few
hundred crores worth of power by way of savings in diesel oil consumption and electric power.

Agricultural Drainage

Drainage has become the part of integrated water management, removing or conserving water as
required and also being much concerned about water quality and environmental values. The Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) assessment (FAO 1996) puts the developed world
cropland as 1500 million ha (Mha) of which about 1200-1250 Mha are used for rain fed cropping while
about 270 Mha (about 18 per cent of the total cropland) have irrigation facilities. The area provided with
improved drainage is estimated to be of the order of 150-200 Mha (10- 14 per cent of the total crop
land). Land drainage and irrigation are complementary to 14 each other for maintaining sustainable
agricultural productivity. Large areas have been degraded in the country due to the problem of water-
logging and salinity, especially in the irrigated alluvial tracts in north-west India (Haryana, Punjab,
Gujarat etc.). In India about 4.528 Mha and 7.006 Mha land is having water-logging and salinity
problems respectively. A survey conducted for assessing drainage problems in Madhya Pradesh,
revealed that at present, 14.06 per cent, 1.20 per cent and 0.90 per cent of command areas are affected
due to water-logging in Chambal, Tava and Barna respectively. Farmers of temporary water-logged
lands and low lying areas are not able to remove excess water from their fields due to lack of natural or
manmade drainage network /grid. Farmers in adjoining areas of natural drains are often using open
ditches for excess water removal from their fields. Therefore, farmers either leave the fields fallow
during monsoon season or they get very low yield from their crops. In order to restore these degraded
lands drainage becomes an essential measure. Drainage measures consist of mainly to evacuate salts and
water from the crop root zone. The National Water Policy (2002) emphasized adoption of drainage
systems and reclamation measures for water-logged areas for sustainable development. Good drainage
absorbs and stores more rainfall reducing runoff from the soil surface that causes soil erosion, reduces
the chances of water-borne diseases, allows plant roots to receive enough oxygen to mature properly,

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improves seeds germination due to increased soil surface temperature and increases the number of days
available for planting and harvesting crops. Land drainage thus increases crop yields and land value.

CONCLUSION

From agricultural point of view, India is a unique country. It has vast expanse of level land, rich soils,
wild climatic variations suited for various types of crops, ample sunshine and a long growing season.
The net sown area in India today is about 143 million hectares. India has the highest percentage of land
under cultivation in the world. In spite of the fact that large areas in India, after independence, have been
brought under irrigation, only one-third of the cropped area is actually irrigated. The productivity of
agriculture is very low. Farming depends mainly upon monsoon rain. Most of the production comprises
food crops. About one-third of the land holdings are small, less than one hectare in size. Farmers own
their own small prices of land and grow crops primarily for consumption. Even storage facilities for
crops are inadequate. Now use of pesticides and fertilizers has increased and large areas have been
brought under high yielding variety of seeds. This led to green revolution in several parts of India. This
has helped in increasing yields per hectare as well as total production of different crops.

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There are many reasons responsible for the low productivity of agriculture. About one-third of land
holdings are very small less than one hectare in size. Due to small size of land holdings we cannot use
modern way of cultivation. Even today the farmers are using very old methods, tools and implements for
fanning. Farmers are not using artificial ways of cultivation. Inputs like-better quality of seeds,
fertilizers and pesticides are also not used by most of the farmers. Exploitation of marginal farmers is
also responsible. There is also low productivity because of increasing pressure on land and absence of
bank credit.

Agriculture is the backbone of our Indian economy. Agricultural development is a precondition of our
national prosperity. It is the main source of earning livelihood of the people. Nearly two-thirds of its
population depends directly on agriculture. Agriculture provides direct employment to 70 percent of
working people in the country. It is the main stay of India’s economy.

Apart from those who are directly involved in the agrarian sector, a large number of the population is
also engaged in agro-based activities. Agriculture meets the foods requirements of large population of
India. It ensures food security for the country. Substantial increase in the production of food grain like-
rice, wheat etc. and non-food grains like-tea, coffee, spices, fruits and vegetables, sugar, cotton etc. has
made India self-sufficient. Agriculture also contributes to the national income of our country. It accounts
for 26 percent of the gross domestic product. The growth of most of the industries depends on
agriculture. It produces several materials for industries. It forms the basis of many industries of India
like-cotton, textile, jute, sugar industries etc. by providing cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds etc. People
engaged in agriculture also buy the products of industries like-tractors, pesticides, fertilizers, pump-set
etc. Agriculture contributes in foreign exchange of our country. India exports agricultural products like
tea, coffee, sugar, tobacco, spices etc. and earns foreign currency. Exports from the agricultural sector
have helped India in earning valuable foreign exchange and thereby boosting economic development.
From above mentioned facts it is very clear that in spite of industrial development still agriculture is the
backbone of the Indian economy.

The Five-year Plans accorded priority to the agricultural sector. In the past 50 years the food grain
production in the country increased substantially from 51 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 209 million
tonnes in 1999-2000. Inspite of the constant rise of population, we have been able to build a food stock

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of 44.7 million tonnes in 2001. This is because of the technological and institutional reforms in our
country. The Indian government took several steps to improve the agricultural condition in the country.
The government has encouraged consolidation of land holdings to promote use of modern farm
machines. Land reforms were introduced. The government took lands of big land owners away and
redistributed to landless labourers. The government abolished the Zamindari System. Modern methods
of cultivation were introduced in the country. The government provided better infrastructure facilities
such as— irrigation, electricity and transportation. Agricultural equipment’s such as— tractors, pump
harvesters, fertilizers, pesticides were made available to farmers. Getting finance from banks was made
easier for the farmers. The crop insurance was another step to protect the farmers against losses caused
by crop failure on account of natural calamities like drought, flood cyclone etc. High-yielding varieties
of seeds, fertilizers and irrigation gave birth to Green Revolution. All these led to tremendous increase in
the production of crops.

The country on an average has enough in stock to meet the food requirements of its citizens. India has
emerged as the largest producer of coconut, ginger, cashew nut, and black-peeper and as the second
largest producers of fruits and vegetables. The productivity of the land has increased through the years,
but has not reached international productivity levels. Indian agriculture has diversified into various
sectors and contributes significantly to the nation’s economy. But this situation is not likely to remain so
easy in the years to come. The population of India is likely to be around 1300 million. This would
require a huge amount of food grains along with non-food grains. India has to use its vast potential of
agriculture in a systematic and planned manner. We have to develop some of the techniques which the
developed countries have been using.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY AND WEBBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.studymode.com/subjects/Problems-of-role-and-agriculture-in-india-page1.html
https://www.boundless.com/law/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/agriculture-and-the-agro-
113/characteristics-of-the-state627-6712/
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and-practice
http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/501/economics/advantages-of-rolr-and-agriculture/
https://www.google.co.in/?gfe_rd=cr&terqU-
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http://www.studymode.com/subjects/scope-of-agriculture-in-india-page1.html
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Per-Pro/Agriculture.html
https://www.princeton.edu/star/articles80-89/Starr-MeaningAgriculture-88.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role/Agriculture
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/agriculture

Reference

Kodrzycki, Yolanda. “Role of Agriculture in Indian economy: Lessons for New England” (New England
Economic Review, 1994).
Schine, Eric. “Concept of Agriculture, its role and importance”. (Business week, 1994)

Boycko, Maxim. “Agriculture in India” (Cambridge MA: MIT Press).

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