essay on agriculture development in india

Essay on Agriculture for Students and Children

500+ words essay on agriculture.

Agriculture is one of the major sectors of the Indian economy. It is present in the country for thousands of years. Over the years it has developed and the use of new technologies and equipment replaced almost all the traditional methods of farming. Besides, in India, there are still some small farmers that use the old traditional methods of agriculture because they lack the resources to use modern methods. Furthermore, this is the only sector that contributed to the growth of not only itself but also of the other sector of the country.

Growth and Development of the Agriculture Sector

India largely depends on the agriculture sector. Besides, agriculture is not just a mean of livelihood but a way of living life in India. Moreover, the government is continuously making efforts to develop this sector as the whole nation depends on it for food.

For thousands of years, we are practicing agriculture but still, it remained underdeveloped for a long time. Moreover, after independence, we use to import food grains from other countries to fulfill our demand. But, after the green revolution, we become self-sufficient and started exporting our surplus to other countries.

Besides, these earlier we use to depend completely on monsoon for the cultivation of food grains but now we have constructed dams, canals, tube-wells, and pump-sets. Also, we now have a better variety of fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds, which help us to grow more food in comparison to what we produce during old times.

With the advancement of technology, advanced equipment, better irrigation facility and the specialized knowledge of agriculture started improving.

Furthermore, our agriculture sector has grown stronger than many countries and we are the largest exporter of many food grains.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Significance of Agriculture

It is not wrong to say that the food we eat is the gift of agriculture activities and Indian farmers who work their sweat to provide us this food.

In addition, the agricultural sector is one of the major contributors to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national income of the country.

Also, it requires a large labor force and employees around 80% of the total employed people. The agriculture sector not only employees directly but also indirectly.

Moreover, agriculture forms around 70% of our total exports. The main export items are tea, cotton, textiles, tobacco, sugar, jute products, spices, rice, and many other items.

Negative Impacts of Agriculture

Although agriculture is very beneficial for the economy and the people there are some negative impacts too. These impacts are harmful to both environments as the people involved in this sector.

Deforestation is the first negative impact of agriculture as many forests have been cut downed to turn them into agricultural land. Also, the use of river water for irrigation causes many small rivers and ponds to dry off which disturb the natural habitat.

Moreover, most of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides contaminate the land as well as water bodies nearby. Ultimately it leads to topsoil depletion and contamination of groundwater.

In conclusion, Agriculture has given so much to society. But it has its own pros and cons that we can’t overlook. Furthermore, the government is doing his every bit to help in the growth and development of agriculture; still, it needs to do something for the negative impacts of agriculture. To save the environment and the people involved in it.

FAQs about Essay on Agriculture

Q.1 Name the four types of agriculture? A.1 The four types of agriculture are nomadic herding, shifting cultivation, commercial plantation, and intensive subsistence farming.

Q.2 What are the components of the agriculture revolution? A.2 The agriculture revolution has five components namely, machinery, land under cultivation, fertilizers, and pesticides, irrigation, and high-yielding variety of seeds.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

Travelling Essay
Picnic Essay
Our Country Essay
My Parents Essay
Essay on Favourite Personality
Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
Essay on Knowledge is Power
Essay on Gurpurab
Essay on My Favourite Season
Essay on Types of Sports

Download the App

Agriculture

The future of indian agriculture.

There is a need for work on cost-effective technologies with environmental protection and on conserving our natural resources

By Madhu Sharma

Published: thursday 04 february 2021.

Agriculture in India is livelihood for a majority of the population and can never be underestimated.

Although its contribution in the gross domestic product (GDP) has reduced to less than 20 per cent and contribution of other sectors increased at a faster rate, agricultural production has grown. This has made us self-sufficient and taken us from being a begging bowl for food after independence to a net exporter of agriculture and allied products.

Total foodgrain production in the country is estimated to be a record 291.95 million tonnes, according to the second advance estimates for 2019-20. This is news to be happy about but as per the estimates of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), demand for foodgrain would increase to 345 million tonnes by 2030.

Increasing population, increasing average income and globalisation effects in India will increase demand for quantity, quality and nutritious food, and variety of food. Therefore, pressure on decreasing available cultivable land to produce more quantity, variety and quality of food will keep on increasing.

India is blessed with large arable land with 15 agro-climatic zones as defined by ICAR, having almost all types of weather conditions, soil types and capable of growing a variety of crops. India is the top producer of milk, spices, pulses, tea, cashew and jute, and the second-largest producer of rice, wheat, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, sugarcane and cotton.

In spite of all these facts, the average productivity of many crops in India is quite low. The country’s population in the next decade is expected to become the largest in the world and providing food for them will be a very prime issue. Farmers are still not able to earn respectable earnings.

Even after over seven decades of planning since the independence, majority of the farmers are still facing problems of poor production and/or poor returns. Major constraints in Indian agriculture are:

According to 2010-11 Agriculture Census, the total number of operational holdings was 138.35 million with average size of 1.15 hectares (ha). Of the total holdings, 85 per cent are in marginal and small farm categories of less than 2 ha (GOI, 2014).
Farming for subsistence which makes scale of economy in question with majority of small holdings.
Low-access of credit and prominent role of unorganised creditors affecting decisions of farmers in purchasing of inputs and selling of outputs
Less use of technology, mechanisation and poor productivity for which first two points are of major concern
Very less value addition as compared to developed countries and negligible primary-level processing at farmers level.
Poor infrastructure for farming making more dependence on weather, marketing and supply chain suitable for high value crops.

Future of agriculture is a very important question for the planners and all other stakeholders. Government and other organisations are trying to address the key challenges of agriculture in India, including small holdings of farmers, primary and secondary processing, supply chain, infrastructure supporting the efficient use of resources and marketing, reducing intermediaries in the market. There is a need for work on cost-effective technologies with environmental protection and on conserving our natural resources.

The reforms towards privatisation, liberalisation and globalisation affected inputs market at a faster pace. Agricultural marketing reforms after 2003 made changes in marketing of agricultural outputs by permitting private investment in developing markets, contract farming and futures trading, etc. These amendments in marketing acts have brought about some changes but the rate is less.

Along with this, the information technology revolution in India, new technologies in agriculture, private investments especially on research and development, government efforts to rejuvenate the cooperative movement to address the problems of small holdings and small produce etc are changing face of agriculture in India.

Many startups in agriculture by highly educated young ones show that they are able to understand the high potential of putting money and efforts in this sector. Cumulative effects of technology over the next decade will change the face of agriculture.

All the constraints in agriculture make the productivity and returns complex but still a high untapped potential is there in India’s agriculture sector.

Advantageous weather and soil conditions, high demand for food, untapped opportunities, various fiscal incentives given by the government for inputs, production infrastructure, availability of cheap credit facilities and for marketing and export promotion are attracting many individuals, big companies, startups and entrepreneurial ventures to do a lot of investments on innovations, inventions, research and development and on other aspects of business.

The efforts are being done to convert all the challenges in agriculture into opportunities and this process is the future of agriculture.

Key trends expected

1. Changing demand due to increase in incomes, globalisation and health consciousness is affecting and going to affect more the production in future. Demand for fruits and vegetables, dairy products, fish and meat is going to increase in future.

2. Researches, technology improvements, protected cultivation of high value greens and other vegetables will be more. There will be more demand of processed and affordable quality products.

3. More competition will be there among private companies giving innovative products, better seeds, fertilisers, plant protection chemicals, customised farm machinery and feed for animals etc in cost effective ways at competitive prices giving more returns on investment by farmers. Use of biotechnology and breeding will be very important in developing eco-friendly and disease resistant, climate resilient, more nutritious and tastier crop varieties.

4. Some technologies will be frequently and widely used in future and some will become common in a short time while some will take time to mature. For producing the same products in other way so as to use resources judiciously and using new resources also like hydroponics, use of plastics and bio-plastics in production. There will be more of vertical and urban farming and there will also be efforts in long term to find new areas for production like barren deserts and seawater.

5. Precision farming with soil testing-based decisions, automation using artificial intelligence will be focused for precise application inputs in agriculture. Sensors and drones will be used for precision, quality, environment in cost effective manner.

Small and marginal farmers will also be using these technologies with the help of private players, government or farmer producer organisations (FPO). Use of GPS technology, drones, robots etc controlled by smart phones etc can make life of farmers easy and exciting with good results. These advanced devices will make agriculture be more profitable, easy and environmentally friendly.

6. Use nano-technology for enhancement of food quality and safety, efficient use of inputs will be in near future. Nano-materials in agriculture will reduce the wastage in use of chemicals, minimise nutrient losses in fertilisation and will be used to increase yield through pest and nutrient management. IFFCO has already done successful tests in nano-fertilisers.

7. India has improved remarkably in its digital connectivity and market access has become very easy. The number of internet users is projected to reach 666.4 million in 2025. Farmers will be behaving more smartly with mobiles in hands and would be able to be more aware and connected with different stake holders. Government will be making wide use of digital technology for generating awareness among farmers, information sharing, government schemes using digital technology for direct transfers of money.

8. There will certainly be more work by government, village communities, agri startups and private players in conserving sharply depleting water resource. Use of digital technology can make revolution in this direction. There will be use of satellites, IoT, drones for better collection of data regarding soil health, crop area and yield which will make cost for insurers less with better estimations and system will be more exact and effective.

9. There will be more of niche marketers in operations, area, and crop specific small equipments which will make operations even at small farms easier and efficient. Food wastage will be less and better use of waste materials in agriculture will be more. Number of warehouses in private sector will be more and linkages between government and private warehouses will be increasing. This will help in balancing supply with demand and stabilisation of prices of agri-outputs in the market.

10. Retailing in agriculture will largely be digitalised. A study estimates that over 90 per cent of kirana stores across the country will be digitalised by 2025 with modern traceable logistics and transparent supply chain. Many players have already taking kiranastores to the door steps of consumers like Amazon and Jio Mart.

Question arises whether farmers will be able to make use of modern technologies in a country where education, holding size, infrastructure, low level of technology adoption and many other constraints are there.

Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth

We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.

Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.

Win up to 100% Scholarship

UPSC Online
UPSC offline and Hybrid
UPSC Optional Coaching
UPPCS Online
BPSC Online
MPSC Online
MPPSC Online
WBPSC Online
OPSC Online
UPPCS Offline Coaching
BPSC Offline Coaching
UPSC Test Series
State PSC Test Series
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS
SUBJECT WISE CURRENT AFFAIRS
DAILY EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ
Daily Prelims(MCQs) Practice
Daily Mains Answer Writing
Free Resources

Offline Centers
NCERT Notes
UDAAN Notes
UPSC Syllabus
UPSC Prelims PYQs
UPSC Mains PYQs
Prelims Preparation

NCERT NOTES

Elevate your upsc preparation with ncert notes – because every word matters on your journey to success..

Indian Economy
Physical Geography
Indian Society
Science & Tech
Human Geography
Art & Culture

Development of Agriculture in India: Evolution, Modern Reform and Challenges

Exploring the Dynamics of Development of Agriculture in India Worldwide

Agricultural development in India aims to increase farm production to meet rising population demands . It involves expanding cropped areas, crop diversity, irrigation, fertilizers, and mechanization.

Agriculture has developed at different places in different parts of the world. Developing countries with large populations usually practice intensive agriculture where crops are grown on small holdings mostly for subsistence

Sowing Progress: The Evolution of Indian Agriculture from Independence to Green Revolution

Pre-Independence Challenges: Indian agriculture was primarily subsistence-based before Independence and faced challenges like droughts and famines in the first half of the 20th century.
Partition Impact: During partition, a significant portion of irrigated land went to Pakistan, reducing the proportion of irrigated land in Independent India.
Post-Independence Agricultural Strategy: After Independence, the government focused on increasing foodgrain production by switching from cash crops to food crops , intensifying cropping on existing land, and bringing fallow land under cultivation.
To address this, Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Area Programme (IAAP) were launched, but two consecutive mid-1960s droughts led to a food crisis.
This helped India to achieve self sufficiency in foodgrain production.
However, the Green Revolution was initially limited to irrigated areas, creating regional disparities.
Agricultural Diversification: Government promoted development of dairy farming, poultry, horticulture, livestock rearing, and aquaculture.
The policy of liberalization and a free-market economy in the 1990s influenced the direction of Indian agricultural development.

Harvesting Progress: Advancements in Agricultural Output and Technology in India

Crops like rice, wheat, sugarcane, oilseeds, and cotton have seen substantial production and yield growth.
It paved the way for modern agricultural practices , including the adoption of high-yielding seed varieties, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and farm machinery.
The net irrigated area in the country has also expanded.
The use of chemical fertilizers has increased 15-fold since the mid-1960s, contributing to enhanced agricultural productivity.

Nurturing Growth: Overcoming Challenges for Sustainable Development of Indian Agriculture

Indian agriculture is adversely affected by various issues impacting development of agriculture in India and livelihood of farmers.

Poor monsoons and fluctuations in rainfall patterns in regions like Rajasthan result in both droughts and floods, impacting crop production.
Rainfed areas, especially drylands, face low yields.
As a result, many turn to credit from institutions and moneylenders, leading to indebtedness.
Among the three revenue systems operational during the British period, i.e., Mahalwari, Ryotwari, and Zamindari , the last one was most exploitative for the peasants.
Land holdings are often fragmented , making them economically unviable.
Commercialization and modernization are more prevalent in irrigated regions.
Vast Underemployment: The agricultural sector in India experiences substantial underemployment, especially in unirrigated areas, leading to seasonal unemployment.
Issues like alkalization, salinization, waterlogging, and excessive chemical use have compromised soil fertility.
Rainfed areas also face soil erosion and degradation due to human activities.

Tacking all these issues will surely contribute to development of agriculture in India.

Revitalizing Indian Agriculture through Technological and Institutional Reforms

To address the above problems comprehensively, various technological and Institutional measures has been initiated by the government.

Collectivization: Efforts were made to consolidate land holdings and foster cooperation among farmers.
Abolition of Zamindari : The zamindari system was abolished to ensure equitable land distribution.
Land Reforms : Land reform laws were enacted, though their implementation varied.
Green Revolution : The Green Revolution, driven by technology adoption, aimed to boost agricultural productivity.
White Revolution : The White Revolution, or Operation Flood, focused on dairy production and distribution.

Comprehensive Land Development : In the 1980s and 1990s, a comprehensive land development program was initiated, combining institutional and technical reforms.
Crop Insurance: Crop insurance against natural disasters was introduced.
Grameen Banks: Grameen banks and cooperative societies provided farmers with access to loans at lower interest rates.
Kisan Credit Card (KCC) : The KCC scheme aimed to provide credit to farmers.
Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) which aimed to offer insurance coverage to farmers.
Weather Bulletins and Agricultural Programs: These were introduced on radio and television for better dissemination of information.
Minimum Support Price (MSP) : The government announced MSPs for important crops to protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen and ensure sustainable development of Agriculture in India.
Primary activities like hunting , gathering, pastoralism, mining, and mainly agriculture play a crucial role in meeting the demands of a growing population.
As the majority of the population in the world is dependent on agriculture, the ongoing development of agriculture in India is essential for ensuring food security and fostering sustainable economic growth in both developing and developed regions.

Also Read: Diverse Types of Agriculture: Understanding Forms and Practices Worldwide

UPDATED :

Recommended For You

Latest comments, the most learning platform.

Learn From India's Best Faculty

Our Courses

Our initiatives, beginner’s roadmap, quick links.

PW-Only IAS came together specifically to carry their individual visions in a mission mode. Infusing affordability with quality and building a team where maximum members represent their experiences of Mains and Interview Stage and hence, their reliability to better understand and solve student issues.

Subscribe our Newsletter

Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.

Contact Details

G-Floor,4-B Pusha Road, New Delhi, 110060

+91 9920613613
[email protected]

Download Our App

Biginner's roadmap, suscribe now form, fill the required details to get early access of quality content..

Join Us Now

(Promise! We Will Not Spam You.)

CURRENT AF.

Select centre Online Mode Hybrid Mode PWonlyIAS Delhi (ORN) PWonlyIAS Delhi (MN) PWonlyIAS Lucknow PWonlyIAS Patna Other

Select course UPSC Online PSC ONline UPSC + PSC ONLINE UPSC Offline PSC Offline UPSC+PSC Offline UPSC Hybrid PSC Hybrid UPSC+PSC Hybrid Other

</div>

Screen Reader
Skip to main content
Text Size A
Language: English
Case Studies
EXIM Procedure

Media & Events

Image Gallery
Media Coverage

INDIA ADDA – Perspectives On India

IBEF works with a network of stakeholders - domestic and international - to promote Brand India.

Agriculture (20)
Automobiles (16)
Banking and Financial services (22)
Consumer Markets (27)
Defence (5)
Ecommerce (18)
Economy (55)
Education (10)
Engineering (5)
Exports (18)
Healthcare (19)
India Inc. (6)
Infrastructure (21)
Manufacturing (17)
Media and Entertainment (5)
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) (14)
Miscellaneous (29)
Perspectives from India (29)
Pharmaceuticals (3)
Railways (4)
Real Estate (11)
Renewable Energy (12)
Research and Development (2)
Services (4)
Startups (15)
Technology (41)
Textiles (4)
Tourism (9)

Agriculture 4.0: Future of Indian Agriculture

Mar 23, 2023, 14:35
Agriculture

Overview of Agriculture in India Agriculture plays a significant role in India’s growing economy. With around 54.6% of the total workforce involved in agriculture and allied sector activities, the sector contributes to 17.8% of the country’s gross value added (GVA). During 2021-22, the country recorded US$ 50.2 billion in total agriculture exports with a 20% increase from US$ 41.3 billion in 2020-21. It is projected that the Indian agriculture sector will grow by 3.5% in FY23.

With the use of conventional farming methods, there’s comparatively less improvement in efficiency and agricultural yields which resulted in lower productivity. Due to this concern, the government initiated the fourth wave of revolution in the agricultural sector to introduce technological advancement in these activities to improve yields and promote the involvement of the population in this sector.

Agriculture 4.0 is a considerably advanced version of precision farming methods. It has the potential to transform the existing methods of farming. Precision farming focuses on a comprehensive approach towards maintaining the field and soil well-being with a focus on improving the quality and quantity of yield with minimum environmental harm. The idea of revolution in agriculture involves the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, and robotics to accelerate and improve the efficiency of activities throughout the entire production chain. It has the potential to transform the conventional farming industry. Conventional farming practices control crop watering and spraying pesticides or fertilisers uniformly across the field. Instead, the farmers will need to be more targeted and data-driven in the context of farming. Future farms will be more productive owing to the employment of robotics, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial photos, and GPS technology. These cutting-edge methods will improve farm profitability, efficiency, safety, and environmental friendliness. They are together referred to as advanced or high-tech precision farming.

Around one-third of food produced for consumption which is worth over US$ 1 trillion is lost or wasted in transit. This leads to millions of people sleeping hungry every night. The UN World Food Programme reports state that the primary cause of rising hunger around the globe is food wastage or loss due to uneven handling of food.

The concern about food wastage gave rise to the involvement of technology in agriculture to improve productivity and reduce wastage by proper handling of food. The data analytics and AI will help farmers to monitor the activities of seeds to the final crop. This will result in better yield and as a result, people will be involved in agriculture and eventually, the nation will target the least hunger issues. These challenges led to the introduction of Agriculture 4.0 wherein farmers won’t be dependent on water facilities, fertilizers, and pesticides uniformly across entire fields. Instead, farmers will be suggested to use minimum quantities and target specific areas for different crops to get better productivity.

Prospects of Indian Agriculture The continuous technological innovation in the Indian agriculture sector plays a critical role in the growth and development of the Indian agriculture system. It will be crucial for ensuring agricultural production, generating employment, and reducing poverty to promoting equitable and sustainable growth. Constraints include diminishing and degraded land and water resources, drought, flooding, and global warming generating unpredictable weather patterns that present a significant barrier for India's agriculture to grow sustainably and profitably. The future of agriculture seems to involve much-developed technologies like robotics, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial images, and GPS technology. Farms will be able to be more productive, efficient, safe, and environmentally sustainable owing to this cutting-edge equipment, robotic systems, and precision agriculture.

Various factors such as data analysis matrix and technological advancement in the existing agricultural machinery contribute to the production of food grains for consumption and commercial needs. The production of commercial food grain support the economy and improves the GDP.

Hence, the future growth of Indian agriculture appears to be growing with an upward graph which is backed by technological advancements and government initiatives.

Recent Trends in Agriculture India’s agriculture mainly depends on nature, however changing climate and global warming are making farming unpredictable. The need to use modern technologies to increase productivity and profitability led to the emergence of Agriculture 4.0 in India. There have been significant changes in India in the context of agriculture over the decades and many new technologies have been developed. Several new-age farmers are using soil mapping software as well to determine the optimum level of fertilizers used in the farms. These emerging technologies in farming and agriculture pave the way for more opportunities. The aggrotech start-ups and traditional farmers are also using the latest solutions and trends to improve production in the food value chain. It includes the adoption of new technologies such as cloud-based solutions and other relevant advanced agricultural management techniques to increase farmer efficiency and produce more crops.

Grape farmers in India who have begun spotting and geo-locating crop diseases or pestilence, allowing them to control infestations earlier and in a more precise manner. This also leads to lower use of harmful pesticides on the crop. Soil mapping software is used by several new farmers to determine the optimum level of fertiliser use in their farms. They are also using drones which allow spraying pesticides in a more targeted manner.
Sugarcane farmers in India have started using technology to gauge the most appropriate time to harvest their crops, which allows them to better plan their harvest and maximise output. Several Indian farmers have also begun to use AI/ML-powered technologies to forecast crop yield, weather conditions and price trends in mandis. A few farmers have also begun testing self-driving tractors and seed-planting robots to free their farms from the vagaries of labour shortages.

Emerging trends in the agricultural sector that are quite prominent in the post-liberalization era include increased production, increased investment, diversification of the sector, use of modern techniques, development of horticulture and floriculture, increasing volume of exports and development of the food processing industry.

Some of the recent trends in agricultural technology:

Agricultural Drone Technology-

Drones are used widely for medical delivery to protection assistance and are used in agriculture to improve the growth of crops, maintenance, and cultivation methods. For example, these ariel carriers are used to access crop conditions and execute better fertilization strategies for more yields. Even the accessibility of hovering robots help farmers through a survey of large areas and data collection to generate better insights about their farms. Using drones in agriculture has provided more frequent, cost-effective remote monitoring of crops and livestock. It also helps analyse field conditions and determine appropriate interventions such as fertilizers, nutrients, and pesticides.

Diversification of Agriculture-

The agricultural sector produces generic consumption needs as well as crops like fruits, vegetables, spices, cashews, areca nuts, coconuts, and floral products such as flowers, orchids, etc. With the increasing demand for these products, there’s a huge potential in terms of production and trade of these products. This shows how the agricultural sector is being transformed into a dynamic and commercial sector by shifting the mix of traditional agricultural products towards higher quality products, with a high potential to accelerate production rates.

The diversification in agriculture is being supported by changes in technology or consumer demand, trade or government policy, transportation, irrigation, and other infrastructure developments.

Increasing Trend in Horticulture Production-

The availability of diverse physiographic, climatic, and soil characteristics enables India to grow various horticulture crops. It includes fruits, vegetables, spices, cashew, coconut, cocoa, areca etc. The total horticulture production in FY22 is estimated at 342.333 million tonnes which is an increase of about 7.03 million tonnes (2.10% increase) from 2020-21.

Development of Agriculture in Backward Areas-

In the post-green revolution era, the introduction of new agricultural strategies, research, and technology was mostly limited to producing specific food grains, i.e., wheat and rice. However, under the wave of liberalization, with the growing demand for agricultural exports, many new sectors of agricultural activities have become favourable and profitable.

In some agriculturally backward areas with no irrigation system and access to fewer resources, dryland farming has been introduced. Other activities were also encouraged such as horticulture, floriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, etc. To support the development in those areas, various modern techniques have been installed in the backward areas.

Ariel Imaging-

Ariel imaging involves the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology to analyse the potential of irrigation projects and their impact on land degradation, erosion, and drainage. The visuals of this technology allow assessment of an individual plant’s foliage. These visuals are actively used to detect pests and diseases to protect crops from environmental threats. It mostly helps farmers to monitor the soil conditions of farms and is useful in the summer season when there is the least availability of water.

Hydroponics and Vertical Farming

The concept of hydroponics farming focus towards better yields, texture, and taste of the final product with less water consumption. Plants which are grown hydroponically do not need extensive root systems and it allows them to contribute more energy towards the production of leaves and fruits. Because of indoor cultivation, these plants mature quickly and possess better immunity against pests and other diseases. In the context of sustainability, vertical farming allows farms to be located near or within areas of high population density which reduces the need for transportation and any harmful emissions. Vertical farming provides the ability to grow crops in urban environments and contributes to the availability of fresh foods conveniently. This farming significantly reduces the amount of land space required to grow crops compared to conventional farming methods.

Various farm sensors such as autonomous vehicles, wearables, button cameras, robotics, control systems, etc help in the collection of data to analyse the performance of the farm.
Use of aerial and ground-based drones for crop health assessment, irrigation, monitoring and field analysis.
Use of tools to predict rainfall, temperature, soil, humidity, and other forecasted natural calamities.

Government Initiatives The government has taken various initiatives to enable the potential digitalization of the agricultural sector in India. It focuses on promoting Agri-tech businesses which are working towards boosting productivity.

The government has finalised an India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA) framework that will establish the architecture for the federated database of farmers. This database is being built by taking the publicly available data as existing in various schemes and linking them with the digitalized land records. The IDEA would serve as a foundation to build innovative Agri-focused solutions leveraging emerging technologies to contribute effectively to creating a better Ecosystem for Agriculture in India. This Ecosystem shall help the Government in effective planning towards increasing the income of farmers and improving the efficiency of the agriculture sector.
To facilitate agricultural engineering research, operations, and technology diffusion, the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal (ICAR-CIAE) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has created the Krishi Yantra App. A web portal has been made available by ICAR-CIAE on their website to guarantee that businesses choose the proper mechanisation technology. This aids current and potential business owners in choosing machines and purchasing options. The portal also offers the option of user and specialist engagement.
Farm Safety app was developed by ICAR-CIAE which provides information about safety guidelines and Safety Gadgets to avoid accidents while using different types of agricultural machinery.
A smartphone app called Water Balance Simulation Model for Roof Water Harvesting assists decision-makers in recommending design criteria. It provides that where the implementation of a roof water harvesting system may result in water savings and water security.

Conclusion Agriculture is an important sector of the country. It is one of the market-driven industries that employ a large segment of the country’s population. The new changes over the last few years have been enormously helpful to contribute more towards economic growth. Recent advancements such as drones, and data-driven facilities help to monitor the process of farming. It has been supporting farmers to increase productivity and contribute more towards the agricultural economy.

The future of Indian agriculture seems bright and promising with the advent of new technologies. The government has increased its focus on the sector, implementing various policies and initiatives to boost productivity and growth. India’s vast and diverse agricultural landscape, coupled with advancements in technology, provides immense opportunities for farmers to harness their potential and increase yield. In addition, start-ups in the agricultural sector are working towards providing innovative solutions to farmers in terms of supporting them with better productivity, measuring tools and other data-driven strategies.

Not a member

Essay On Agriculture

Essay on Agriculture

500+ words essay on agriculture.

In India, agriculture is considered a primary livelihood for most of the population, which can never be underestimated. Agriculture has existed for thousands of years in our country and has developed with new technologies and equipment that have replaced traditional farming methods. In India, few farmers still use the traditional farming method because they lack the resources to use modern techniques. Agriculture is the only sector that contributes to itself and other country sectors. India is the second-largest wheat, rice, cotton, fruit, vegetables, and tea producer. It is also a global powerhouse of agricultural production. It is the world’s largest producer of spices, milk, wheat, rice and cotton.

Role of Agricultural in Economic Development

The population of India largely depends on agriculture, and it is not only just a means of livelihood but a way of living. The Government of India is continuously developing the agricultural sector by framing new laws, implementing modern technology, etc. In India, the entire nation depends on agriculture for food. In earlier times, agriculture was mainly dependent on the monsoon, but dams, canals, pump sets, and tube wells are now being constructed.

Agriculture plays a crucial role in the economic development of India as 3/4th of the population is based on agriculture. It is one of the largest sources of livelihood for the country. The country was dependent on agriculture for a thousand years.

The agricultural sector also benefits the industries in getting their raw materials, which clearly states that a large part of the economy will freeze without a flourishing agriculture sector. It leads to the expansion of the industrial sector. Indian agriculture provides employment opportunities to most people, and 70% of the population, especially in rural areas, earn their livelihood from cultivation.

In India, agriculture plays an imperative role in enhancing foreign exchange. To other nations, India exports commodities such as coffee, spices, tea, vegetables, tobacco, etc. Agriculture contributes to Indian exports. With the invention of organic farming, exports have also increased in the last few decades.

Agriculture is the Indian economy’s most important sector, and India’s farm sector is the largest industry. With constant changes and developments happening and introduced policies, it will only go upwards. It will always remain a significant factor in the nation’s economic growth.

An essay on Agriculture is crucial that can be asked during the exam. Students can also access CBSE Essays from our BYJU’S website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Agriculture Essay

Where was agriculture originally developed.

Agriculture was developed in modern-day Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, parts of Turkey and Iran which was also known as the Fertile Crescent.

What are the main types of agriculture?

The four main types of agricultural activities include livestock production, crop production, agricultural economics and agricultural engineering.

What are agricultural methods which are famous in India?

The majority of Indian farmers practice subsistence farming which involves the cultivation of crops on small pieces of land.

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Counselling

Essay on Agriculture in India

Students are often asked to write an essay on Agriculture in India in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Agriculture in India

Introduction.

Agriculture in India is a significant part of its economy, providing employment to millions. It includes growing crops, raising livestock, and producing goods like wool, eggs, and milk.

Major Crops

Rice, wheat, and pulses are the main crops. India is the world’s largest producer of spices and the second-largest producer of rice and wheat.

Role in Economy

Agriculture contributes significantly to India’s GDP and provides raw materials for many industries. It also plays a crucial role in food security.

Despite its importance, Indian agriculture faces issues like low productivity, lack of modern technology, and climate change impacts.

Though facing challenges, agriculture remains a vital part of India’s economy and culture. Efforts are being made to modernize it and make it sustainable.

250 Words Essay on Agriculture in India

Historical overview.

Agriculture in India dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization era. Over millennia, it has evolved, shaping the country’s economy, society, and culture. Today, India’s agricultural sector employs over 50% of the nation’s workforce, highlighting its significance.

Modern Agriculture

In the modern era, Indian agriculture has witnessed a substantial transformation. The advent of Green Revolution in the 1960s, characterized by the introduction of high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation facilities, revolutionized the sector. This led to a significant increase in the production of major crops such as wheat and rice.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite its strides, the sector faces numerous challenges. These include dependency on unpredictable monsoon rains, small landholding sizes, outdated farming practices, and lack of access to credit and modern technology. However, these challenges also present opportunities for growth and innovation.

The future of Indian agriculture lies in sustainable and technology-driven practices. Precision agriculture, using AI and IoT, can optimize inputs and increase crop yield. Moreover, the government’s focus on doubling farmers’ income by 2022 can act as a catalyst for the adoption of modern farming techniques.

In conclusion, agriculture in India, with its rich history and potential for growth, remains a vital sector. By overcoming challenges and embracing technology, it can ensure food security and contribute significantly to the nation’s economic growth.

500 Words Essay on Agriculture in India

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, contributing significantly to the country’s GDP and providing employment to over half of the population. India’s diverse climate and topography have made it possible to cultivate a variety of crops, making it one of the world’s largest agricultural producers.

The Significance of Agriculture in India

India’s agriculture sector plays a pivotal role in its socio-economic fabric. It is not only the largest employment sector but also a significant contributor to the national GDP. The sector is instrumental in achieving food security, providing raw materials for various industries, and contributing to export earnings.

Types of Crops Cultivated

India’s climate diversity allows for the cultivation of a wide range of crops. The country is a leading producer of staples like wheat and rice. Other major crops include pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton, jute, and tea. India also has a thriving horticulture sector, producing fruits, vegetables, and spices in abundance.

Challenges in Indian Agriculture

Despite its significance, the Indian agriculture sector faces numerous challenges. Small and fragmented landholdings lead to inefficiencies and lower yields. Farmers often lack access to modern technology and best farming practices. Climate change, erratic monsoons, and depletion of water resources further exacerbate these issues. Additionally, the lack of proper storage and transportation infrastructure results in significant post-harvest losses.

Government Initiatives for Agricultural Development

The Indian government has undertaken various initiatives to boost agricultural productivity and improve farmers’ livelihoods. These include the Green Revolution, which significantly increased food grain production, and the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, providing income support to small and marginal farmers. Additionally, the government has introduced several schemes for crop insurance, irrigation, and soil health improvement.

Future of Agriculture in India

The future of Indian agriculture lies in sustainable and technology-driven practices. Precision agriculture, using AI and IoT, can optimize resource use and boost yields. Biotechnology can offer solutions to pest control and climate resilience. Furthermore, strengthening the agri-supply chain and improving market linkages can ensure better price realization for farmers.

Agriculture in India is a sector of vast potential. Despite the challenges, with the right policy interventions, technological adoption, and sustainable practices, it can usher in a new era of growth and prosperity. The sector’s transformation will not only ensure food security but also significantly improve the livelihoods of millions of farmers across the country.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on India in 2047: The Global Power House
Essay on Clean India
Essay on Terrorism in India

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

AGRICULTURE SECTOR AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

The present research paper has focused on the role of the agriculture sector in rural development of India. The secondary data were used and it was obtained from various sources like annual reports of agriculture and farmers welfare department, ministry of rural development, census reports, and NSSO data. Agriculture sector significantly contributes to the positive improvement of the economy generally and rural development particularly. India is an agricultural country with 195 million hectares is gross cropped area, 141 million hectares of land as net sown area, the highest percentage of land under cultivation in the world. The country accounts for 17.7 percent of the world's population and ranks in the second largest populated country. The country has about 68.8 percent of the population living in its rural areas and the only source of their livelihood is agriculture and allied activities. The total production of food grains was increased from 259.29 million tonnes in 2011-12 to 284.95 million tonnes in 2018-19. The contribution of agriculture in gross value added at basic prices has continuously fallen in India from 17.72 percent in 2012-13 to 14.09 percent in 2019-20. The share of agriculture in employment declined from about 69.7 percent in 1951 to about 54.6 percent by 2011. The amount of agricultural credits are very much insufficient and the private non-institutional sources still remained a significant contribution in supplying credit to the farmers and rural peoples. To achieve sustainable rural International Research Journal of Human Resource and Social Sciences ISSN(O): (2349-4085) ISSN(P): (2394-4218) Impact Factor 5. development through agricultural practices, it needed the more than four percent growth rate in agriculture, provision of quality and adequate quantum of inputs such as quality seeds, fertilisers, and their timely supply besides electricity, socioeconomic inclusion policy and participation of the rural people in development strategies are the key concerns of the policy.

Related Papers

Academia Medicine

Thomas C Varkey

This case study focuses on the evaluation of a patient with both upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) complaints in the outpatient setting, that is, how the evaluation skipped over several crucial diagnostic steps, and how this impacted the patient. Special care is given to the patient’s perspective, differential diagnosis, recommended laboratory testing, and their corresponding costs, taking on a patient-centered approach to the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of illness. In this case, sufficient medication history was not obtained, causing the patient to undergo an expensive and unnecessary procedure. Acquiring this information is the cornerstone of an effective patient-physician relationship. Based on the history, a standardized diagnostic approach can be employed, given the likelihood of certain diagnoses. Often, the workup should start with less invasive and expensive tests. However, it is important to consider each isolated case, as a more aggressive approach may be indicated in certain instances. Special attention to communication between the patient and provider is key in ensuring that the patient understands what is happening in their medical care, which improves their communication with relevant information to the care provider, and through such understanding, our patients are better able to provide informed consent.

victor hugo sanchez jaime

Linguistik Online

Erica Autelli

Phraseological studies are prospering, as there have been many important publications over the last years. However, while most researchers date phraseology studies back to Charles Bally (1909), they have a long tradition that has been ignored for years. Indeed, the term phraseology has been found in lots of works dating back centuries, even in the title of works going back to the 16th century (cf. also Autelli 2021a, 2021b). The main goals of this paper are to illustrate the concept of phraseology throughout the years and to investigate some of the works found, as they do not all look alike and still play an important role for terminology, phraseography and phraseodidactics. In particular, some of the most significant bilingual works (from the 19th and 20th century) based on French and Italian so-called “phraseologiae” (that contain terms such as “phraséologie” or “fraseologia” in the title of the works) will be analysed, as there are significantly more of them than in other languag...

gender/sexuality/italy

Alice Parrinello

Piazza dei Cinquecento, in Rome, is dedicated to five hundred Italian colonising soldiers who died in nineteenth-century Eritrea. Contributing to the national narrative, the piazza constructs them as mere heroic victims. Simultaneously, the piazza is central in two novels that challenge normative discourses on Italianness: L’aurora delle trans cattive (2018) by Porpora Marcasciano and La linea del colore (2020) by Igiaba Scego. Marcasciano’s memoir contributes to the queer Italian archive by painting a picture of the 1980s through her experiences as a trans woman. Starting from her own arrest in the piazza, Marcasciano challenges the place’s history, describing it as a “luna park” of cruising. Similarly, Scego unearths the often-forgotten colonial Italian past connected to the piazza and brings it to the forefront. The piazza is the introduction to a narrative that intermixes the life of a black woman painter in the nineteenth century and a black writer in the twenty-first century. The paper focuses on Piazza dei Cinquecento as a de-normativised lieu de mémoire—a site not of national memory, but of memory of queer trauma and racialisation, not a monument to national unity, but a space for (post)national intersectionality.

Ricit Revista Turismo Desarrollo Y Buen Vivir

Sylvia Herrera

BIBLOS : Revista do Instituto de Ciências Humanas e da Informação

Olívia Pereira Tavares

O presente artigo visa a analisar o processo de mudança de regime político no Brasil, no final do século XIX – o advento da República. As fontes utilizadas da análise são um fragmento da primeira Constituição republicana e os programas dos partidos Republicano Federal e Republicano Conservador. Visou-se a buscar os limites entre o discurso encontrado nesses documentos e a prática política realizada no Brasil da República Velha. Para melhor extrair o teor do documento foi utilizada a técnica metodológica de análise de conteúdo quantitativa, nomeando unidades referenciais mais incidentes nos respectivos textos, seguida da análise qualitativa aplicada a estas.

Vernachlässigtes Verfassungsrecht

Alexander Balthasar

https://www.jan-sramek-verlag.at/Buchdetails.399.0.html?buchID=472&cHash=b6537ba88a

História Questões & Debates

Peter Johann Mainka

O sistema dos Estados na Europa, nos Tempos Modernos e Contemporâneos, até o fim da Segunda Guerra Mundial, era caracterizado pelo antagonismo entre o Império Romano-Germânico, e mais tarde a Alemanha, por um lado, e a França, por outro. Esse artigo tem como objetivo principal apresentar as origens desse conflito na virada da Idade Média para os Tempos Modernos, quando os Habsburgos lutaram contra os reis franceses pela herança de Borgonha (1477-1493), a extensão dessas lutas à Itália, em que a França e a Espanha eram os verdadeiros adversários (1494-1516) e, acumulando os antagonismos antigos entre a Borgonha e a França, assim como entre a Espanha e a França, as cinco guerras entre Carlos V e Francisco I, inclusive os seus filhos herdeiros e sucessores Felipe II e Henrique II, pela hegemonia da Itália e do mundo (1521-1559). The European struggle between the Habsgurg and Valois dynasties for Burgundy and Italy The system of states in Europe in the early Modern and Contemporary time...

Journal of the Neurological Sciences

Mehdi Mehdizadeh

Nusantara Science and Technology Proceedings

Aryan Torrido

RELATED PAPERS

Roberto Zenhei Nakazato

Revista Facultad de Ciencias Económicas

Jesus verastegui

SSRN Electronic Journal

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution

Catrina: The International Journal of Environmental Sciences

Fouad Mohamed Ali

Nonlinearity

Daniel Maxin

International Journal of Reconfigurable Computing

José Hiroki Saito

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Genie Bailey

arXiv: Computation

Soleiman Khazaei

Technology and Culture

William TeBrake

실시간카지노 토토사이트

Indian journal of marine …

N Unnikrishnan Nair

Goa Darling

Sustainability transition for Indian agriculture

Bino Paul 1 ,
Kamal Kumar Murari 1 ,
Unmesh Patnaik 1 ,
Chandra Sekhar Bahinipati 2 &
Subash Sasidharan 3

Scientific Reports volume 13 , Article number: 7290 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

5501 Accesses

4 Citations

7 Altmetric

Metrics details

Environmental sciences
Environmental social sciences

Farming in India faces a sustainability challenge due to its overreliance on chemical inputs. For every US$ 1,000 investment in sustainable farming, a US$ 100,000 subsidy is allocated for chemical fertilizers. Indian farming system is far off the optimal nitrogen efficiency, calling for substantial reforms in policy towards the transition to sustainable inputs. We examine the propensity of Indian farmers to adopt biofertilizers and other sustainable inputs. While small farmers are inclined towards chemical inputs, sustainable inputs are costly. Here we show that less than 5 per cent of the farming population contributes to the 95 per cent usage of the bio-fertilizer in India. However, small and marginal farmers contribute substantially to food security. Shifting from chemical to sustainable inputs calls for autonomous investment by the state to augment the capacity and improve affordability. We illustrate the transition to sustainability through a framework that includes scale, affordability, and sustainable inputs.

The carbon dioxide removal gap

Severe decline in large farmland trees in India over the past decade

A unifying modelling of multiple land degradation pathways in Europe

Introduction.

India’s progress in crossing the threshold towards a sustainable linkage between farming and food security is slow. It failed to move from the Sustainable Nitrogen Management Index (SNMI) precarious zone to a safer zone 1 , 2 . Although the share of agriculture in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been declining over the decades, it still generates close to two-fifth of employment while its share in the national income is nearly one-fifth 3 , 4 . Most Indian farms (85%) are marginal and small, relying on the monsoon 5 . Fertilizer is a crucial input in farming 6 . Broadly, fertilizers are of two types: chemical and bio. However, the relationship between fertilizer and soil health is not unidirectional but non-linear 7 , 8 , 9 . Although the scientific literature posits improvements in yield due to chemical fertilizers, there is no dearth of inferences pointing to emerging disadvantages 7 , 10 , 11 . The question of optimal fertilizer use is rather difficult for an individual farmer to answer unless they have access to knowledge inputs 12 , 13 , 14 . Although the advocacy for the chemical regime emerges from an angle of food security, it is now increasingly regarded as a threat to sustainability. Sustainability in agriculture refers to increasing yield per unit without negatively affecting soil and water, and non-agricultural sectors 15 . Society encounters two types of challenges: (1) adopting sustainable agricultural practices to feed people now and in the foreseeable future and (2) doubling food production to meet the required demand across the world by 2050 16 . A pertinent question is the pace of transition. The path is not linear. Instead, it requires resources and public goods. A discrete transition from chemical to bio inputs may debilitate the region’s ability to coordinate the public distribution system. Hence, the challenge is to have a balanced transition which is inclusive. Therefore, in this paper, we examine the propensity of Indian farmers to adopt bio-fertilizers and other sustainable inputs.

Although bio inputs are associated with efficiency and return, there are capacity constraints in production, distribution, storage and quality 17 , 18 . Fundamentally, the problem involves two dimensions: capacity and usage. In India, capacity is yet to come up for a balanced transition that absorbs marginal to medium land holdings 17 , 19 , 20 , 21 . Compared to the large subsidy for chemical inputs, the public investment in bio inputs is much lower than the threshold. The chemical fertilizer subsidy in India is worth Rs. 1,400 billion (US$ 18 billion), whereas the total allocation for organic inputs is only Rs. 13.2 billion (US$ 0.17 billion) 3 , 22 . In other words, for every US$ 1,000 investment in sustainable farming, a US$ 100,000 subsidy is allocated for chemical fertilizers. However, recent policy initiatives like the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) aim to promote farming units to use bio inputs and provide financial support and provisioning of inputs. Such policy interventions may be helpful in terms of cost reduction, even though they may induce a slight revenue decline. Studies have shown that compared to conventional techniques, farms which adopt organic inputs yield better efficiency 23 , 24 . However, significant challenges emanate from inordinate delays in provisioning financial resources, inadequate training, and lack of scientific facilities 25 .

Although the capacity side generated considerable scholarly interest, studies on the usage of bio inputs in India's context are nascent 25 , 26 . Therefore, exploring the relationship between scale heterogeneity and the propensity to use bio inputs is crucial. For this purpose, we structure farming units into bins, bagging small, medium and large units in distinctive groups, to gauge the variation in chemical inputs and the adoption of bio inputs using nationally representative farmer-level microdata 27 . Our empirical analysis examines four farming systems focusing on sustainability and scale. Further, we discuss the transition in input usage across the systems. An example is transitioning from low-scale and low-sustainable input to low-scale and high-sustainable input usage.

The burden of inputs on farming households

The performance of the farms in the Indian agriculture sector is sensitive to the scale of value and quality of inputs and gross value of outputs (GVO). GVO is a measure of sales or revenue from products and by-products. To examine GVO across production classes, we split the farming households into four quartiles based on GVO per unit of land cultivated. Box-whisker plots in Fig. 1 visualize each quartile for input and GVO.

Box and whiskers plot for input and output value (defined in terms of Gross Value Outputs-GVO) values for per unit land cultivated across 58,035 farming households in NSS 77th round survey. The vertical axis in panels ( a ), ( b ), ( c ), and ( d ) are values (in INR) of input and GVO per unit hectare of land. The quartiles in panels ( a ), ( b ), ( c ) ,and ( d ) are based on GVO per unit land.

Figure 1 shows the input and output distribution per land across four quartiles of farming households based on GVO per ha of land. For the first quartile (Fig. 1 a), the distribution of unit input is free of outliers, although the upper bound is high. Most of the area in the box is above the median, implying a marked variability within it. However, the unit output distribution is compact. The median value of GVO is substantially lower than that of the unit input, which implies that the visible variation in the input box coexists with a fixed lower output margin. It is typical of Indian agriculture, which describes the precarious incomes of small farm households in India 28 . The second quartile is not discernibly different from the previous one (Fig. 1 b), but the median values of both inputs and output are higher than the first quartile (Fig. 1 a). The third quartile turns out to be a changed scenario (Fig. 1 c). It features a positive margin between unit output and input per unit of land. While some data points in the input box are outliers, most of the box is above the median. There are no outliers for the unit output, and the above-median area is higher than the lower part. The fourth quartile is entirely different from the rest. The GVO is visibly higher than the input, suggesting positive returns for larger farmers (Fig. 1 d). It also confirms the extent of the agrarian crisis in India, as widely acknowledged by various studies 29 . Therefore, in order to overcome the agrarian crisis, the key is lower input costs, sustainable farming methods, and livelihood security for farmers. Further, we observe a similar trend for inputs and GVO in absolute terms across farming classes (Fig. S1 ).

A comparative analysis of farm sustainability across household classes

An important dimension is the composition of inputs (both in quality and quantity) used in agriculture. The expenditure on agricultural inputs in India consists of improved seeds, fertilizers, crop protection (chemical and biological), machinery, irrigation, land rent, payments for extension, crop insurance premiums, and other miscellaneous expenditures. We reinvestigate the input cost in terms of chemical fertilizer, pesticide, biofertilizer, manure, biopesticide, labour, irrigation and crop insurance by inscribing it in the deciles of the GVO (Fig. 2 a). Interestingly, we observe a divergence between chemical inputs and green inputs. In the case of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, we observe a consistent decline in their share as the decile increases. However, the pattern reverses for green components that consist of biofertilizer, manure and biopesticide. It implies that large farmers are more inclined towards green inputs than smaller ones. An intuitive explanation is that large farmers have more proximity to knowledge channels like formal and informal extension services 30 . The labour share is increasing from the lowest to the highest decile. However, irrigation shows a reverse pattern. It indicates that the large farming units engage in intensive farming. A similar pattern prevails for all inputs for the unit value (output per land) across deciles (Fig. S2 ).

Sustainability component for the input used in Indian farming. The sustainability component is defined as the cost of the ratio of the organic form of input (bio-fertilizer, bio-pesticide, and manure) to the total organic and chemical inputs (fertilizer and pesticides). Panel ( a ) shows the relative cost of different components of input costs per unit area. Note that the cost in panel ( a ) shows only the cost of inputs, labour, crop insurance, and irrigation. The Figure does not consider other inputs such as seeds, machines, land rent, and miscellaneous costs. The value indicates the median values of the farming households in the NSS 77th round. Panels ( b ) and ( c ) shows the sustainability component arranged in deciles of households according to the GVO (panel b ) and GVO per unit of land (panel c ). The bar in panels ( b ) and ( c ) shows the average values, and the error bar in the panels shows the minimum and maximum range of values.

Among the inputs, the cost of fertilizer and labour are the principal ones, varying across deciles. The area of the decile depicts the share of fertilizer to the total value of inputs. We divide each decile in Fig. ( S3 ) by the first decile. The ratio for fertilizer cost tends to decline over the first to tenth decile range. It implies that marginal farmers rely more on chemical fertilizer in production, which is the reverse for large farmers. A plausible explanation is that the knowledge of soil health through channels like formal and informal extension may not reach marginal farmers 30 . The Government of India's recently launched soil health card scheme aimed to cover all sections of the farming category. While the awareness for the scheme is high, indicating the benefits for high fertilizer-consuming crops such as paddy or cotton, careful planning is needed to obtain widespread benefits to agriculture and the environment in the country 31 . These include specially designed pilot projects, use of technology, reduction in the subsidy of nitrogenous fertilizers, doorstep delivery of micro-nutrients, and prioritized funding for the development of supply chain infrastructure 31 .

Regarding labour expenditure, deciles show a consistent increase except for a slight dip in the last decile (Fig. 2 a). Higher deciles are likely to provide more scope for scaling up the operations that require more labour. On the other hand, for the lower deciles, hired labour perhaps is unaffordable. Hence, they resort to their own account work (self-labour) for farming 32 , 33 . It is crucial to assess the outcomes if we divide these inputs by land (Fig. 2 c). For these indices, however, the pattern remains the same (Fig. 2 b, c). It means more land productivity and lesser use of chemical fertilizers, while the amount of labour tends to increase.

Further, we define the aggregate usage of green inputs (biofertilizers, manure and biopesticides) to the total value of inputs as the sustainability component (SC). We compute the deciles of either the value of the output or its unit value (Fig. 2 b, c). Across deciles, the confidence interval (at 95 per cent) of the mean is of homogeneous width, and its statistically significant, explaining a consistent and systematic variation across deciles. The ratio consistently rises for the first set of deciles, and the same behaviour is also valid for the second set. It is an important pattern that unravels the link between affordability and sustainability. A relevant issue is why the green ratio is lowest for the lower strata, even after standardizing it for the land size (Fig. 2 c). Plausibly, switching over to green inputs relies on affordability and awareness. Therefore, a natural question is whether the agricultural extension service caters to marginal farmers. Further, a significant policy issue is how to provide green inputs to the lower strata at affordable prices.

Affordability of inputs across farming households

Regarding affordability, it is crucial to know if the SC varies across the economic strata, measured by the deciles of per capita monthly consumption expenditure (MPCE). For every decile, we compute the average of SC at a 95% confidence interval (Fig. 3 a). There is a direct relationship between the economic strata of the farming unit and the SC adopted for farming, despite small dips at the third and ninth decile. The SC for the eighth decile is twice the first. It implies that adopting sustainability in farming is sensitive to the affordability of the farmers. Small and marginal farmers may find switching to green inputs difficult unless it is appropriately priced and supplemented by knowledge inputs. Considering that small and marginal farmers, in aggregate, substantially contribute to food production, the adoption of SC by them requires a comprehensive policy framework that considers affordability. On the other hand, an umbrella policy for SC that does not explicitly account for affordability may impact food security in the long run.

Distribution of sustainability component and measures of expenditure inequality on chemical and bio-inputs. Panel ( a ) shows the sustainability component arranged in deciles based on the MPCE (Monthly Per Capita Expenditure) values. The bar in panel ( a ) shows the average value, and the error bar shows the 95% confidence interval. Panel ( b ) shows the Lorenz curve for the expenditure on chemical fertilizer for the households with the bottom ten percentile (green dashed line), all households (solid blue line), and top 10 percentile (red dashed line) according to MPCE values. The legends in panel ( c ) and ( d ) are the same as in panel ( b ), except it shows the households’ expenditure on bio-fertilizers. Panel ( d ) is the zoomed portion of the panel ( c ) for better visualization of the legends. In panels ( b ), ( c ), and ( d ), the solid black straight line shows the one-to-one relationship of the cumulative rank and the cumulative values, which indicates the line of equality as per the description of the Lorenz curve. The Gini values in panels ( b ), ( c ), and ( d ) indicate the measure of inequality. The higher is Gini, the higher the inequality of distribution of a variable.

Further, to understand the distribution of expenditure on chemical and biological fertilizers in Indian farms, we used the Gini inequality index and the Lorenz curve 34 . Gini and Lorenz get widely adopted in literature to examine the income and wealth distribution in society. The Gini index takes values between 0 and 1. The closer the index is to 0, the more equal the distribution is and vice-versa 34 . The Lorenz curve shows the graphical distribution of income by the proportion of the society. We use Gini and Lorenz curve for the distribution of expenditure used on fertilizer (Fig. 3 b) and io-fertilizer (Fig. 3 c, d) per unit of land.

Interestingly, the expenditure distribution on chemical and bio-fertilizer is significantly differ (Figs. 3 b–d). The results indicate that all MPCE-class farmers in India use chemical fertilizers. Although the inequality in expenditure in chemical fertilizer is high, the distribution of expense in chemical fertilizer is more homogenous among the lower MPCE class (poorest class of the farmers) compared to the wealthiest class of the farmers (Fig. 3 b). These results confirm the findings of the village-level surveys, which indicate that the application of chemical fertilizer among poor farmers is quite prominent 35 . Field studies indicate that small farmers use high doses of fertilizer for cultivation, which often generates negligible returns subjected to climatic and market conditions 36 . Our results point out that a reduction in government subsidy on chemical fertilizer may have a detrimental economic impact on small farmers since their share in the use of chemical fertilizer is substantial and more homogenously distributed across households (Fig. 3 b).

The distribution of biofertilizer looks sensitive to the tail of the distribution (Fig. 3 c, d). The distribution is markedly skewed. It indicates that only the extremely rich farmers can afford and apply biofertilizers. Figure 3 (panels c and d) indicates that less than 5% of the farming population contributes to the 95% usage of bio-fertilizer in India. To ensure the long-term sustainability of Indian agriculture, bio-fertilizer distribution (Fig. 3 c,d) needs to attain more equality across all sections of the farming population.

It is crucial to evaluate the Indian farming system from two dimensions: scale and sustainable inputs (Fig. 4 ). The system consists of units that vary in the scale of operations. It ranges from highly marginal land holding to larger ones 37 , 38 . And the scale also corresponds to the order of the economic strata. The second dimension is the usage of sustainable inputs 39 . It also varies from low to high intensity. Juxtaposing these two generates ideas about the linkage between farming performance and the use of sustainable inputs. We slice the space into four quadrants called systems. The system I is a situation of medium to large-scale farming units and medium to high usage of sustainable inputs. What characterizes system II are small to medium-scale of farming and medium to high intensity of sustainable inputs. We get system III by combining small to medium scale and low to medium sustainable input usage. Finally, system IV consists of medium to large-scale operations and low to medium-intensity of sustainable inputs.

Systems of interaction between sustainable inputs in agriculture and scale of farming. The system refers to the way of organizing sustainable inputs given the scale of the land. System III is the baseline which characterizes the prevalent scenario, i.e., low use of sustainable inputs and fragmented lands, while the system I is the desired state depicting the upgrading. While system II is a more realistic outcome for countries like India owing to institutional constraints, system IV represents large-scale farming with low SC. Arrows represent the transition from one system to another. The shaded boxes depict the state of agriculture in each system, while the plain boxes convey the prerequisites for transformation.

Each system has its specific features. System I is numerically small in Indian farm sector. What is highly probable in the current scenario is the positive link between scale and sustainable input usage. Induced investment and knowledge capital contribute to this 40 . Investment in technology is likely to generate better returns, considering the historically lower capital formation in Indian agriculture 41 , 42 . And large farming units may resort to it, contributing to efficiency gains 43 . It is crucial that knowledge capital, especially extension services, may go along with the propensity to adopt sustainable practices 30 . A major variant of this behaviour is the adoption of bio inputs over chemical inputs 44 . System II is less likely to exist and is futuristic. System III is the more common and numerically most significant category in India 45 , 46 . This system consists of the sub-optimal performance of production units 47 . Although a micro-unit in the system is of lower economic significance, the system as an aggregate is too crucial for the supply chain of food grain and food security. Moreover, it is the principal source of employment in the country. System IV is a less likely scenario.

There are three transition scenarios. First is the change from system III to II. Alternately, the second trajectory is from system III to I. The third transition is from IV to I. Although the second transition looks like a logical option, institutional constraints impede the journey, particularly in India 48 . Landholdings in India is not just a property right in the market 49 , 50 , it is also embedded with diverse social contexts such as joint family. Any initiative to unitize the land and consolidate is likely to meet with resistance from social forces and formal and informal institutions 51 , 52 . Therefore, the first trajectory is the feasible one. It implies that the transition involves the same scale of farming with more sustainable inputs, like prioritising organic inputs in rainfed and hilly regions that tend to use fewer chemical inputs.

Given that most farming units are marginal, they will require more capacity for investing in the transition to sustainable inputs. It calls for investments autonomous of returns by agencies like the state. A blanket policy on adopting sustainable inputs that is neutral on the scale may not work for the transition 53 , 54 , 55 . It is crucial to note that the above-discussed dynamics is a scenario of upgrading but not upscaling. However, the transition from system III to I, is a case of upscaling through institutional arrangements like a contract or corporate farming. Its political economy is a contentious issue in contemporary India 56 . An interesting scenario is a transition from IV to I. It involves motivating medium to large units to use sustainable inputs, primarily through induced investment, with a clear expectation of future return.

More succinctly, these transition paths depict heterogeneous contexts that call for appropriate policies to promote the use of sustainable inputs in farming. The transition to sustainability is sensitive to the social structure of knowledge creation and diffusion in farming systems. In India, the formal channel of knowledge consisting of government agencies and universities is less efficacious in impacting the decision to reduce chemical fertilizer. On the other hand, the private channel, including progressive farmers, commercial agents, and non-governmental organizations, are impactful in decisions to reduce the use of chemical fertilizer 30 . Without understanding the heterogeneity of transition, a policy favouring wide adoption as a standard template may trigger undesirable outcomes, especially food security 55 . If the policy confides in induced investment by the units and the scaling up as a route to promote sustainable input use, it is unlikely to motivate the marginal units. From a micro perspective, it is merely a decision problem by the producer. However, its macro dimension is rather complex since the aggregate of these units translates to significant stakes in the public distribution system and livelihoods.

Data and methods

We use the microdata from the National Sample Survey 77th round (NSS 77th round) survey on the theme of “land and livestock holding of households and situation assessment of agricultural households”. National Statistical Office conducts the survey, Government of India. The data was collected during 2018–2019, which captured the information for two cropping seasons. There were separate visits for both seasons. While the first round captured the data for July to December 2018 (monsoon season), the second round was from January to June 2019 (post-monsoon season). Since Indian agriculture is predominantly rainfed, we examine only the data from the monsoon season. The farming household is the unit of analysis. Either the head of the household or a key informant (a representative of the household familiar with farming details) is the respondent. Samples were drawn from 5940 first-stage units (hamlet groups). Our sample comprises 58,035 households across India (except for the union territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands).

Fundamentally the analysis examines the monetary value of output and input used in agriculture. Further, these measures are also divided by the area of land operated for farming (in ha). The value of output refers to the monetary value of the output produced. The value of the input is the sum of the monetary value of diverse components. These components include chemical fertilizers, manure, biofertilizers, chemical pesticides, biopesticides, labour, irrigation, crop insurance, and other inputs. Chemical fertilizers are either inorganic materials or synthetic ones. It supplies nutrients to the growth of plants. For example, ammonium sulphate, nitrate, phosphate, and urea are chemical fertilizers. Biofertilizers have living microorganisms that contribute to the growth of the crop, for example, Rhizobium , Bacillus sp., and Mycorrhiza . Manure is a natural substance that emerges from the waste of plants and animals, for example, cow dung. Pesticide refers to chemical plant protection material like Copper Sulphate or Lime-Sulphur. Biopesticides are non-chemical plant protection materials like Azadirachta indica (Neem oil), Brassica napus (Rapeseed oil) and Mentha piperita (Mint oil).

Labour costs are the value of payments to the hired labour irrespective of the nature of the contract (be it regular or casual employment). Irrigation, crop insurance, and other inputs are valued per actual expenses incurred. Apart from the value of inputs and output, we analyse the monthly consumption expenditure of the household. It is divided by the size of the households to arrive at monthly per-capita consumption expenditure. This variable captures regular spending on durables and non-durables incurred by the household. And it is a proxy for the economic well-being of the household.

We deploy a descriptive approach to dissect the variables of interest. It includes the comparison across quartiles and deciles. In quartiles, three values split the sorted data into four parts, each with an equal number of observations. The lowest quartile is the bottommost strata (lowest 25% of the data), while the highest quartile is the topmost strata (highest 25%). To visualize the quartile, the box plot is used. If an observation lies outside the box, it is called an outlier, situating in either extreme. Within the box, the median is the crucial indicator of central tendency used for comparison across quartiles. It is crucial to analyze the deciles for incisive data slicing. Decile implies that data is split into ten equal-sized bins with nine cut points. Its utility lies in a more microscopic assessment of tails. We compute the median for every decile and divide ith decile ${D}_{i}\left(\overline{x }\right)$ by the first decile ${D}_{1}\left(\overline{x }\right)$ , called the multiplier ( ${M}_{i}$ ). Equations ( 1 )–( 3 ) describe computing.

where $i$ is the order of the decile (1 to 10); $n$ is the number of sorted and ungrouped observations, and $D$ is a particular decile. D ( $\overline{x }$ ) is the average of the decile. The purpose of the multiplier is to convey the volume of growth or contraction in the average across the distribution, taking the first decile as the reference point. For example, suppose it is a case of growth; the multiplier informs about the particular decile at which the first decile doubles, trebles, or quadruples. It is valid for contraction as well. We also compute a sustainability component (SC) indicator. SC is the expenditure on biofertilizer, manure and biopesticide as a proportion of the total input expenditure. The higher the decile average value { ${D}_{i}\left(\overline{x }\right)\}$ of SC, the greater the orientation towards environmental sustainability and vice versa. Here, we use the average instead of the median because the mode is closer to zero. Another crucial reason for using the average is to examine if the variation is consistent across deciles. It can be gauged by computing the confidence interval at a suitable level.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Sachs, J., Lafortune, G., Kroll, C., Fuller, G. & Woelm, F. From Crisis to Sustainable Development: the SDGs as Road Map to 2030 and Beyond . Sustainable development report (Cambridge University Press, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009210058

Zhang, X. & Davidson, E. Sustainable Nitrogen Management Index (SNMI): Methodology (University of Maryland Centre for Environmental Science, 2016) , Available from: https://www.umces.edu/sites/default/files/profiles/files/Ranking%20Method_submit_to_SDSN_SNMI_20160705_0.pdf .

Economic Survey. Economic Survey 2021–22 (New Delhi: Government of India, 2022)

Chand, R. & Singh, J. Workforce changes and employment, NITI Aayog Discussion Paper , (NITI Aayog, Government of India, 2022), Available from: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-04/Discussion_Paper_on_Workforce_05042022.pdf

Tripathy, S. Farmers, climate change and people centric disaster management in India in (eds Malhotra, V. K., Fernando, R. L. S. & Haran, N. P.). Disaster Management for 2030 Agenda of the SDG. Disaster Research and Management Series on the Global South 181–195 (Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore, 2020) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4324-1_13

Foster, A. D. & Rosenzweig, M. R. Microeconomics of technology adoption. Annu. Rev. Econ. 2 , 395–424. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.economics.102308.124433 (2010).

Article Google Scholar

Pahalvi, H. N., Rafiya, L., Rashid, S., Nisar, B. & Kamili, A. N. Chemical fertilizers and their impact on soil health. In Microbiota and Biofertilizers . (eds. Dar, G. H., Bhat, R. A., Mehmood, M. A. & Hakeem, K. R.), 2 (Springer, Cham, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61010-4_1

Tahat, M., Alananbeh, M. K. & Othman, A. Soil health and sustainable agriculture. Sustainability 12 , 4859. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124859 (2020).

Article CAS Google Scholar

Laishram, J., Saxena, K. G., Maikhuri, R. K. & Rao, K. S. Soil quality and soil health: A review. Int. J. Ecol. Environ. Sci. 38 , 19–37 (2012).

Google Scholar

Bai, Y. C. et al. Soil chemical and microbiological properties are changed by long-term chemical fertilizers that limit ecosystem functioning. Microorganisms 8 , 694. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8050694 (2020).

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Li, D. P. & Wu, Z. J. Impact of chemical fertilizers application on soil ecological environment. J. Appl. Ecol. 19 , 1158–1165 (2008).

CAS Google Scholar

Ferroni, M. & Zhou, Y. Achievements and challenges in agricultural extension in India. Glob. J. Emerg. Mark. Econ. 4 , 319–346. https://doi.org/10.1177/0974910112460435 (2012).

Vandendriessche, H., Bries, J. & Geypens, M. Experience with fertilizer expert systems for balanced fertilizer recommendations. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 27 , 1199–1209. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103629609369626 (1996).

Ramaswami, B. Production risk and optimal input decisions. Am. J. Agric. Econ. 74 , 860–869. https://doi.org/10.2307/1243183 (1992).

Cassman, K. G. & Grassini, P. A global perspective on sustainable intensification research. Nat. Sustain. 3 , 262–268. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0507-8 (2020).

Cui, Z. et al. Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers. Nature 555 , 363–366. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25785 (2018).

Article ADS CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Atieno, M. et al. Assessment of biofertilizer use for sustainable agriculture in the Great Mekong Region. J. Environ. Manag. 275 , 111300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111300 (2020).

Brahmaprakash, G. P. & Sahu, P. K. Biofertilizers for sustainability. J. Indian Inst. Sci. 92 , 37–62 (2012).

Joshi, N. S., Parmar, V. S., Prajapati, P. J., Kachhadiya, N. M. & Hadiya, N. J. Constraints faced by farmers in adoption of bio fertilizer. J. Pharmacogn. Phytochem. 8 , 943–945 (2019).

Bagyaraj, D. J. Quality control and constraints in biofertilizer production technology. In Biofertilizers Technology (eds. Kannaiyan, S., Kumar, K. & Govindarajan, K.) 401–408 (Scientific Publishing, India, 2004)

Ghosh, T. K., Singh, R. P., Duhan, J. S. & Yadav, D. S. A review on quality control of biofertilizer in India. Fertil. Mark. News 32 , 1–9 (2001).

DAFM. in Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Annual Report 2021–22, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (Government of India, New Delhi, 2022)

Reddy, A. A. Impact study of Paramparagath Krishi Vikas Yojana ( Organic Agriculture) (MANAGE), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad–500030. Telangana State, I. 81 pp. Preprint Available from: https://www.manage.gov.in/publications/reports/pkvy.pdf

Seufert, V., Ramankutty, N. & Foley, J. A. Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture. Nature 485 , 229–232. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11069 (2012).

Barman, M., Paul, S., Choudhury, A. G., Roy, P. & Sen, J. Biofertilizer as prospective input for sustainable agriculture in India. Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. Appl. Sci. 6 , 1177–1186. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.611.141 (2017).

Khurana, A. & Kumar, V. State of biofertilizers and organic fertilizers in India (New Delhi: Centre for Science and Environment, 2022), Available from: https://www.cseindia.org/state-of-biofertilizers-and-organic-fertilizers-in-india-11235

NSSO. in Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land and Holdings of Households in Rural India, 2019 (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, New Delhi, 2021)

Jayaraman, T. & Murari, K. K. Climate change and agriculture: Current and future trends, and implications for India. Rev. Agrar. Stud. 4 , 1–50 (2014).

Swaminathan, M. S. et al. Serving farmers and saving farming 2006: Year of agricultural renewable, fifth and final report (National Commission of Farmers, Government of India, 2006), Available from: https://agricoop.nic.in/sites/default/files/NCF5%20Vol.-1%20%281%29.pdf

Paul, B., Patnaik, U., Sasidharan, S., Murari, K. K. & Bahinipati, C. S. Fertilizer use, value, and knowledge capital: A case of Indian farming. Sustainability 14 , 12491. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912491 (2022).

Reddy, A. A. The soil health card Scheme in India: Lessons learned and challenges for replication in other developing countries. J. Nat. Resour. Policy Res. 9 , 124–156. https://doi.org/10.5325/naturesopolirese.9.2.0124 (2019).

Patnaik, U. & Das, P. K. Do development interventions confer adaptive capacity? Insights From rural India. World Dev. 97 , 298–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.04.017 (2017).

Sen, A. Market failure and control of labour power: Towards an explanation of structure and change in Indian agriculture. Part 1. Camb. J. Econ. 5 , 201–228. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.cje.a035482 (1981).

Sitthiyot, T. & Holasut, K. A simple method for estimating the Lorenz curve. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Commun. 8 , 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00948-x (2021).

Murari, K. K., Jayaraman, T. & Swaminathan, M. Climate change and agricultural suicides in India. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 115 , E115. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1714747115 (2018).

Murari, K. K. Fertilizer use in West Bengal: a case study of three villages in Socio-economic Survey. In: Three Villages of West Bengal: A Study of Agrarian Relationship (eds Bakshi, A. & Modak, T.S.), 171–195 (Tulika Books, New Delhi, 2022)

Kumar, S., Rao, D. U. M., Thombare, P. & Kale, P. Small and marginal farmers of Indian agriculture: Prospects and extension strategies. Indian Res. J. Ext. Educ. 20 , 35–41 (2020).

Chand, R., Prasanna, P. L. & Singh, A. Farm size and productivity: Understanding the strengths of smallholders and improving their livelihoods. Econ. Pol. Wkly. 46 , 5–11 (2011).

Patil, S., Reidsma, P., Shah, P., Purushothaman, S. & Wolf, J. Comparing conventional and organic agriculture in Karnataka, India: Where and when can organic farming be sustainable?. Land Use Policy 37 , 40–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.01.006 (2014).

Bharucha, Z. P., Mitjans, S. B. & Pretty, J. Towards redesign at scale through zero budget natural farming in Andhra Pradesh. India. Int. J. Agric. Sustain. 18 , 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2019.1694465 (2020).

Dwivedi, S., Sharma, P. & Bhat, A. An analytical study of capital formation in India: With special reference to Indian agriculture. Econ. Aff. 56 , 359–363 (2011).

Chand, R. & Kumar, P. Determinants of capital formation and agriculture growth: Some new explorations. Econ. Pol. Wkly. 46 , 5611–5616 (2004).

Mishra, S. N. Capital formation and accumulation in Indian agriculture since independence. Indian J. Agric. Econ. 51 , 193–208 (1996).

Reddy, G. C. et al. Biofertilizers toward sustainable agricultural development. In Plant Microbe Symbiosis (eds. Varma, A., Tripathi, S. & Prasad, R.), (Springer, Cham, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36248-5_7

Dev, M. S. (2014). Small farmers in India: Challenges and opportunities. Available from: http://www.igidr.ac.in/pdf/publication/WP-2012-014.pdf

Bardhan, P. K. Size, productivity, and returns to scale: An analysis of farm-level data in Indian agriculture. J. Pol. Econ. 81 , 1370–1386. https://doi.org/10.1086/260132 (1973).

Cornia, G. A. Farm size, land yields and the agricultural production function: An analysis for fifteen developing countries. World Dev. 13 , 513–534. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(85)90054-3 (1985).

Kalirajan, K. P. & Shand, R. T. Sources of output growth in Indian agriculture. Indian J. Agric. Econ. 52 , 693–706 (1997).

Rao, N. Land rights, gender equality and household food security: Exploring the conceptual links in the case of India. Food Policy 31 , 180–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2005.10.006 (2006).

Patnaik, U. Class differentiation within the peasantry: An approach to analysis of Indian agriculture. Econ. Pol. Wkly. 11 , A82–A101 (1976).

Albertus, M. Land reform and civil conflict: Theory and evidence from Peru. Am. J. Pol. Sci. 64 , 256–274. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12466 (2020).

Alston, L. J., Libecap, G. D. & Mueller, B. Land reform policies, the sources of violent conflict, and implications for deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 39 , 162–188. https://doi.org/10.1006/jeem.1999.1103 (2000).

Article MATH Google Scholar

Chand, R. Indian agriculture towards 2030-need for a transformative vision in (eds. Chand, R., Joshi, P. & Khadka, S.) Indian Agriculture Towards 2030 India 1–8 (Springer, Singapore, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0763-0_1

Gulati, A. & Juneja, R. Transforming Indian agriculture. In Indian Agriculture Towards 2030 (eds. Chand, R., Joshi, P. & Khadka, S.), 9–37 (Springer, Singapore, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0763-0_2

Reddy, A. A. et al. Economic impact of organic agriculture: evidence from a Pan-India survey. Sustainability 14 , 15057. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215057 (2022).

Singh, S. Contract farming for agricultural development: Review of theory and practice with special reference to India. In Reforming Indian Agriculture: Towards Employment Generation and Poverty. Reduction essays in honour of GK Chadha (ed. Bhaumik, S.K.) . 191–230 (SAGE, New Delhi, 2008).

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India

Bino Paul, Kamal Kumar Murari & Unmesh Patnaik

Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, Chindepalle, India

Chandra Sekhar Bahinipati

Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India

Subash Sasidharan

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization, B.P., U.P. and K.K.M.; Formal analysis, K.K.M., B.P. and U.P.; Methodology, B.P., U.P. K.K.M ; Writing—original draft, BP, U.P., K.K.M., C.S.B, and S. S.; Writing—review & editing, S.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bino Paul .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Supplementary information., rights and permissions.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Paul, B., Murari, K.K., Patnaik, U. et al. Sustainability transition for Indian agriculture. Sci Rep 13 , 7290 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34092-0

Download citation

Received : 26 January 2023

Accepted : 24 April 2023

Published : 05 May 2023

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34092-0

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines . If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Quick links

Explore articles by subject
Guide to authors
Editorial policies

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Anthropocene newsletter — what matters in anthropocene research, free to your inbox weekly.

30,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

School Education /

Essay on Agriculture: Short Essay, 100 and 250 Words

Updated on
May 18, 2024

Agriculture is one of the major sectors in India that provide livelihood to the people. The majority of the Indian population depends on agriculture as it is the major source of income and contributes to around 18.3% of India’s GDP. It provides food, raw materials, and employment to billions of people across the world. As common people, most of us anticipate that agriculture is just the cultivation of crops.

However, it is much more than that, it includes fishery , livestock, forestry , and crop production . It is the backbone of the civilization. Read this blog and get to know how to write an essay on agriculture with the help of examples!

Table of Contents

1 Short Essay on Agriculture
2 Essay on Agriculture 100 Words
3.1 Significance of Agriculture
3.2 Challenges for Agriculture
3.3 Sustainable agriculture

Short Essay on Agriculture

India is also referred to as agricultural land because a major part of India is covered by agricultural activities. The entire world has been practising agriculture for thousands of years from the nomadic times to date.

Agriculture started during the Neolithic Revolution for the production of food. Nowadays, the scenario has been completely changed with the application of AI tools and Machinery in the world of Agriculture. New technologies and equipment are being developed to replace the traditional methods of farming. Some of the AI technologies are integrated sensors, weathering forecasting, IoT-powered agriculture drones, smart spraying, etc.

Millions of people across the world depend on agriculture, even animals are also dependent on agriculture for their fodder and habitat. Besides that, agriculture also plays a key role in the economic development of the country because 3/4th of the population depends on agriculture.

Also Read: Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

Essay on Agriculture 100 Words

Agriculture is the main source of life on earth. Animals and humans depend on agriculture for a living. It is the oldest practice in the history of mankind. There has been tremendous growth and evolution in the field of agriculture.

The use of AI-based technology and modern techniques in farming is helping the sector to generate high yields with better quality.

Now, our country is able to produce surplus food crops which is enough to satisfy domestic needs. It also helps to eradicate malnutrition and address hunger issues in various parts of the world. Thus, agriculture will always remain the cornerstone of human existence and continue to fulfil the demands of the changing world.

Also Read: Essay on Population Explosion

Essay on Agriculture 250 Words

Agriculture can be termed as the global powerhouse of the world. It is feeding billions of people across the world. Every individual directly or indirectly depends on agriculture.

Significance of Agriculture

The significance of agriculture is listed below:

The food we consume is a gift of the agriculture sector. Farmers are working day and night to cultivate food crops for the entire human population.
It also adds value to the Gross Domestic Product as well as the national income of the country.
As it is one of the largest sectors, there is a huge need for a labor force and employees. Thus, it imparts employment to 80% of the people in this world.
70% of the total food crop production of India is used for the purpose of exports. Some of the main items of export are rice, spices, wheat, cotton, tea, tobacco, jute products, and many more.

Challenges for Agriculture

Every year, the agriculture sector has to face difficult challenges. It includes harsh weather conditions be it drought or flood or extreme heat waves and cold breezes. Soil degradation is also one of the major threats to agriculture due to soil erosion and soil pollution. All these conditions create the need to generate sustainable practices in the agriculture sector.

Sustainable agriculture

Advancement in technology helps to create sustainable agriculture. The use of technology in the field of agriculture like weather forecasts, automated sowing, drones, AI-driven sensors, pest control, etc. helps in developing sustainable agriculture.

Besides that, farmers are adopting new farming practices such as crop rotation reduced chemicals, organic farming, etc. for sustainable agriculture.

Kajal Thareja

Hi, I am Kajal, a pharmacy graduate, currently pursuing management and is an experienced content writer. I have 2-years of writing experience in Ed-tech (digital marketing) company. I am passionate towards writing blogs and am on the path of discovering true potential professionally in the field of content marketing. I am engaged in writing creative content for students which is simple yet creative and engaging and leaves an impact on the reader's mind.

Connect With Us

30,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today.

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

Don't Miss Out

Your Article Library

Essay on the development of indian agriculture (2759 words).

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Here is your essay on the development of Indian Agriculture!

The agriculture sector continues to be the backbone of Indian economy contributing approximately 27.4% to the gross domestic product (GDP), and accounts for about 18% share, of total value of country’s export. The agricultural production has kept pace with the popular growth rate of 21 % per annum.

Image Courtesy : info.lushin.com/Portals/219307/images/AgricultureBusiness.JPG

Today we are second largest producer of wheat, rice, fruits, vegetables, and fresh water aquaculture; and largest exporter of spices and cashew. The late sixties and seventies were the years of Green Revolution. During Yellow Revolution oilseeds production reached up to 24.4 million tonnes.

Per capita availability of food grains went up to 528.77 g per day in 1996-97 when compared to 395 g in early fifties. Fertilizers consumption has also increased and India has become fourth in the world after USA, USSR and China. Pulse crops are grown on the largest Indian area in the world and India is the first to evolve a cotton hybrid.

Cropping pattern is changing and commercial crops and non-traditional (moong, soya bean, summer groundnut, sunflower etc.) are gradually growing more importance in line with domestic demands and export requirements. Short duration varieties have been introduced to use the residual moisture available from post-kharif and post-rabi cultivation.

The index of agricultural production base T E 1981-82 = 100, recorded following trend

A fall of 2%: 1991-92

An increase of 4. 1 %: 1992-93

An increase of 3.8%: 1993-94

An increase of 4.9%: 1994-95

A fall of 0.4%: 1995-96

Food grain production was quite low after Independence because high-yielding area of Punjab went to Pakistan after division of India. In 1950-51 the food grain production was 51 million tonnes but it was 193.01 million tonnes during 1999-2000 resulting in a buffer stock of 35 million tonnes.

Land utilization statistics revealed that net sown area increased from 1,187.5 lakh in 1950-51 to 1,424.2 ha in 1998-99. The relative share of food grains and non-food grains in gross increased from 404.8 lakh ha to 682.8 lakh ha in the same duration.

The 3 main crop seasons are – kharif, rabi and jayad. Major crops are rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton, sesame, soya bean and groundnut. Major rabi crops are wheat, jowar, barley, gram, linseed, rapeseed and mustard. Rice, maize and groundnlit are grown in the summer also.

Three types of seeds, namely, breeder, foundation and certified, are recognized by the system. Indian seed programme include central and state ICAR, SAU system, Public sector, co-operate sector and private sector institutions.

National Seeds Corporation (NSC), State Farms Corporation of India (SFCI), 13 state seed corporation (SSC) and about 100 major private sector seed companies are the main components of Indian Seed, State Seed Certification Agencies (SSCAs) and 19 State Seed Testing Laboratories (SSTLs) looks after quality control and certification. The Seeds Act, 1966, provides

(1) Legislative framework for regulation of quality of seeds sold in the country.

(2) System of certification of seeds sold in India.

(3) Notification of varieties, a pre-requisite certification Administration of the Act and quality control of seeds to look after by control solved committee and its various sub-committees and Central Seed Certification Board.

Seed has been declared an essential commodity under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The Seed (Control) Order 1983, was promulgated to control and regulate the seed production and distribution. The new seed policy on seed development has been in operation since 1988.

The main aim of seed policy is to makes available the best quality seed planting material “to farmer” anywhere in the world. Plants, fruits and seeds (Regulation of import into India) Order, 1989, regulates the plant quarantine clearance. Export of seeds is liberally allowed, only certain categories of seeds and planting material are in list of restricted climate for which a license is required.

National Seeds Project III (NSP III) aimed at overall important in seed quality programme. Since 1969, the Central Seed Committee has verified 2,385 varieties of agricultural and horticultural crops.

Fertilizer :

The consumption of chemical fertilizer during 1999-2000 is estimated to be more than 14.93 million tonnes. Sharp increase in prices and introduction of bio fertilizers result in its lower consumption.

The Government of India is implementing two Sponsored schemes: (i) balanced and use of fertilizers to popularize the use of organic sources of nutrients (compost, green manure, bio fertilizers; etc., and (ii) National Project and Technology Mission on Development and Use of Bio fertilizers – to give adequate thrust to bio fertilizer production and promotion under Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

The government has issued Fertilizer Control Order, 1985. The government has been implementing a Central Sector Scheme on strengthening of Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institute since Fourth Plan.

Soil and Water Conservation :

Soil and water conservation measures were launched in First Five-Year Plan. Till the end of 1995- 96, 15.22% of the treatable area had been treated in the area catchment of River Valley Project. Under Flood Prone River Scheme 10.25% area of the total treatable area had been treated till the end of 1995- 96.

Under the Seventh Five-Year Plan, a centrally-sponsored scheme of reclamation of alkali user soils was initiated in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. It was extended to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

During 8th Plan Watershed Development Project in Shifting Cultivation Areas (V/DPSCA) has been initiated in north-eastern states. It was in accordance with the guideline of the on-going centrally scheme of National Watershed Development Project Rainfed Area (NWDPRA).

Agricultural Implements and Machinery :

Farmers have been provided assistance for owning agricultural machinery including tractors. Besides this farm machines are exhausted for their characteristics and betterment. Five states agricultural universities are being aided for farm machinery testing, training and human resources development. In spite of the efforts the improvement in farm machinery use has been mainly northern states and in few areas where irrigation facilities have been developed.

Sale of tractors (220.937) and power-tillers (11,000) touched the all time high work in 1996-97, and because of this at farm available power in 1.10 hp/ha in 1996 compared to 0.35 hp/ha in early 70’s. During the Ninth Plan, the main emphasis was on improving and popularizing animal/power driven implements and small farms.

Water saving devices like sprinkles and drip irrigation were given main importance. During Eighth plan, centrally-sponsored scheme, promotion of agricultural mechanization, small farmers was launched and under it 30% subsidy limited to Rs. 30,000 was given to farmers, then groups, etc.

During Ninth plan two schemes, viz. (a) promoting/popularization of agricultural equipments in north- eastern states, (b) conducting studies and formulating long-term mechanization strategies for each agro-climatic zone, were started. State Agro-Industries Corporation (SAICSs) act as catalyst for providing to the farmers access to various industrial inputs for agriculture. Power threshers has been brought under Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Act because of increasing awareness on safety measure among users.

Plant Protection :

Integrated Pest Management (IPM), in eco-friendly approach, was adopted as a major thrust area of crop protection during 8th plan. IPM aims at minimal use of hazardous chemical pesticides by using alternate pest control methods and technique. The surveillance for pests and diseases on economically important crop was carried out and about 1,603 million bio-agents were released.

Bacillus neem-based bio-pesticides are being granted regular registration status under the Insecticides Act, 1968. BHC, Aldirin, cheorclane, Heptachlor were banned with effect from April 1997 and 20 September, 1996, respectively.

The plant guarantee activities aim at presenting introduction of exotic pests and diseases into the country by adopting domestic plant qurantine regulation. It also works for controlling / containing of those exotic diseases/pests already introduced in the country.

Destructive Insecticides and Pests Act (DIP Act) and Plants, Fruits and Seeds (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 1989 (PFS order) are implanted under this scheme. Phytosanitary certificate (PC) as per provisions of International Protection Convention (IPC), 1951 of FAO, is also supplied under these activities.

The post-entry quarantine stations located at 10 international airports, seaports, and 7 land frontiers. National Plant Protection Training Institute, Hyderabad, provides training in various airports of Plant Protection.

Dry land/Rainfed Farming :

Total net sown area in the country is about 142 million ha and out of it 92.6 million ha is rainfed. Production has wide fluctuation due to variation in rainfall as whole farming depends upon rainfall which is often erratic and unpredictable. Jowar, bajra other millets pulses, oilseeds and cotton are grown.

Increase and stability in their productivity is of crucial importance. In the 8th plan holistic approach was adopted under the National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Area (N WDPRA). It aimed at development of integrated farming system on watershed basin in shifted areas.

The NWDPRA was launched in 1990-91, with the objective of restoration of ecological balances in rainfed areas and sustainable bio-mass production. It also works for generating employment opportunities for rural manner in rainfed areas by developing self-help groups.

Under this project the target is of treating 28 million ha area. The Integrated Watershed Development Project (Hills) and Integrated Watershed Development Project (Plains) are underway and their main aim is slow down and reverse degradation of natural environment and improve potential of the areas.

Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) with the assistance of World Bank are being implemented to (i) enhance long-time sustainability in agriculture, and (ii) create infrastructure in rural area.

DANIDAG (Government of Denmark), EEC (European Economic Community) and SDC (Swiss Development Corporation) are playing vital role in aided agricultural development programmes.

Technology Mission :

The Technology Mission on oilseeds provided the necessary breakthrough in oilseeds production. Oilseeds sector has now become to major foreign exchange earner. The oilseed production was doubled in decade (12.6 mt in 1987-88 to 24.4 mt 1996-97).

Time is popularly famous as Yellow Revolution. Pulses and maize were also brought under the ambit of Technology Mission. Centrally-sponsored Oilseeds Production Programme (OPP), National Pulses Development Project (NPDP), and Accelerated Maize Development Programme (AMDP) are being continued in 9th Plan also.

Horticulture :

The production of fruits and vegetables was 38.3 and 67.24 million tonnes respectively. India attained second position in coconut production. Above 10% of coconut production is from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. India is the worlds, leading producer and exporter of cashew accounting for nearly world’s 50% demand.

Animal Husbandry :

The gross value of output from livestock sector, at current price, was about Rs. 827 billion in 1995- 96 about 26% of value of total output agricultural sector excluding animal draught buffaloes, 50.8 million sheep, 115.3 million goats, 12.8 million pigs, 3 million pack animals and 307 million poultry.

The Operation Flood Programme, the world’s, largest integrated dairy development programmes, completed its III phase in 1996. By September 1990, about 73,300 dairy cooperatives were organized including about 9.4 million farmers.

The average milk procurement in July 1997 was 107.3 lakh litre milk/day and average milk marketed per day was 112 lakh litre milk per day. More than 62% milk procurement was from marginal, small and landless farmers.

The milk production was almost stagnant between 1947 and 1978 with an annual growth rate of merely 1%, but after that Operation Flood Programme a growth rate 4.5% per annum was observed.

In 1996-97, the milk production was 69 million ml tonnes. In 1969-70 the milk availability per capita was only 107 ml/day which increased to 202 ml/day in 1996-97, which is still under the recommended nutritional requirement of 220 ml/day as per Indian Council of Medical Research.

The Government of India launched Technology Mission on Dairy Development (TMDD) in August 1988 to accelerate the pace of Dairy Development in country and reached to first position in the world. Father of White Revolution is Prof. (Dr.) V. Kurien.

Fisheries :

Blue Revolution by enhancing fish production from 0.75 million mt in 1951 to 5.4 million mt in 1997 put India as second largest fish producing country in the world in fresh water aquaculture. Fish production increased at an average rate of 4.4% 1 year during the five years of 8th Five-Year Plan.

Fish Farmers’ Development Agencies (FFDAs), an important programme, was launched by the government to improve overall production of inland fisheries in India. These agencies brought about 3.87 lakh ha water area under intensive fish culture.

There are 6 major fishing harbours viz. Cochin, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Roychowk and Paradip, and 41 minor fishing harbours and fish landing centres. Brackish-water Fish Fanners. Development agencies are trying to improve the country’s’ vast brackish-water area for shrimp culture.

Guidelines have also been issued for mitigating the adverse impact if any, of farming on the coastal eco-system. The government of India started two important schemes for the welfare of traditional fishermen. These are – (i) Group Accident Insurance Scheme, and (ii) Development of Model Fisherman Villages.

Agricultural Census :

As a part of the World United Nations Agricultural Census Programme in pursuance of the recommendation of the FAO, the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation has organized census on quinquennial basis since 1970-71 (1970-71, 1980-81, 1985-86, 1991-92, 2000-01). Sixth agricultural census with reference 1995-96 is in operation.

According to report of 1990-91, operational holdings in the country has increased from 972 million in 1985-86 to 1,066 million in 1990-91 and operated area has risen by 0.6%. The press of population on land with average size sure of holding decreased from 1. 69 ha in 1985-86 to 1.55 ha in 1990-91.

Holdings operated by scheduled castes has increased by 11. 5% and by scheduled tribes by 4.2% from 1985-86 to 1990-91. In 1901 the population in rural area was 89.2% while in 1991 it reduced 74.3%. In 1991 the total number of villages was 580,781 out which 1, 12,803 are in Uttar Pradesh only.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was launched on 12 July, 1982. It was established for promotion of agriculture, rural-side industries, village industries, handicrafts and other activities in rural areas to promote rural development.

Social Security Group Scheme :

Landless Agriculture Labourers Group Insurance (LALGI) Scheme is in operation since 1987. It takes care of heads of families in the age group of 18-60 years and who are not land holders. Under IRDP a Group Life Insurance Scheme is being separated for which entire premium is paid by the central government.

Farm and Home Programmes :

The average duration of farm and home broadcast 60-100 min. Farm schools as method of communicating distant education on fanning have been adopted by All India Radio stations located in different regions. Akashvani Annual Award is given away to best Farm and Home Programmes of the year.

Agricultural Extension :

The Directorate of Extension (DoE) undertake agricultural extension programme of the Government of India.

The National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) at Hyderabad, looks after the human resource development activities of Directorate of Extension (DoE). DANIDA is helping agricultural training.

Agricultural Research and Education :

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is directly involved in undertaking fundamental as well as applied research in traditional and frontier areas to offer solution to problems relating to agriculture.

The research is carried out through a chain of 45 institutes and 4 national bureaux, 30 national research centres, 10 project directorates, 80 All India Coordinated Research Projects, 4 National Institutes and Deemed-to-be university status, 31 State Agricultural Universities and 200 zonal research stations.

The whole country has been divided into 120 district agro-climatic zones. Large network of front-line ICAR-SAU extension system consists of 261 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, 8 Trainers., Training centres (TTC) and 42 Institutions Village-Linkage Programme (IVLP). The 1VLP was started for technology assessment and refinement.

The ICAR has established Agricultural Information System (ARIS). A WAN connecting SAUs, ICAR institutes/headquarters has been established. Connectivity is provided through dial-up, leased line, RF links and VSAT (100). It allows E-mail, Internet browsing- file transfer etc.

National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) :

The NATP was jointly prepared by the ICAR and Department of Agricultural Cooperation (DOAC), and for this the World Bank assured assistance of Rs 200 million. Its main aim is technology generation and its transfer. Its three major components are – Agro-ecosystem Research, innovations in technology dissemination, organization and management system.

Future Plan :

The perspective plans Vision 2020 formulated up to 2020 AD for sustainable growth of Indian agriculture. The required per cent growth in production of various commodities over the 1994-96 average to meet the demand of by 2020 and is very high.

India’s Intensive Agriculture Development Programme (IADP)
Agriculture: Development of Agriculture in India

Agriculture

No comments yet.

Leave a reply click here to cancel reply..

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Role of Agriculture in Economic Development in India

The role of agriculture in economic development in India has been exhaustively studied from different viewpoints. It has often been approached from the point of view of the intersectoral transfer of resources, mainly agricultural surplus. Even more commonly, it has been viewed within the dualistic models, based on surplus labour but supplemented by a set of dynamic laws leading to the break-out point and to the disappearance of dualism.

For a long time, economists have debated on the relative importance of agriculture and industry in economic development of a country. Accordingly, different priorities have been assigned to these two key sectors of the economy in developmental planning. But the real issue is now whether agriculture should be accorded maximum priority in planning or, industrial development.

The truth is that agricultural development is possible without industry but the converse is not true, as industrial development is impossible without agriculture. History amply demonstrates that industrial revolution was preceded by agricultural revolution.

In 1953, Ragnar Nurkse first highlighted the importance of agriculture-industry interdependence in his balanced growth thesis. He argued that the two sectors of the economy should develop simultaneously by assisting one another on a reciprocal basis.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

And any plan for industrialisation in particular and economic development in general must recognise this agriculture-industry interdependence.

Facts of Economic Life:

This point becomes very clear from the following facts of economic life:

1. Agriculture not only supplies food to a country’s growing population, it also supplies raw materials to a large number of industries. In truth, most of India’s traditional industries such as sugar, tea, jute, textiles, etc. are agro-based in nature. So a setback on the agricultural front adversely affects the growth of such industries. This is known as the supply linkage of agriculture with industry.

2. Agriculture has also demand linkage with industry. Agriculture creates demand for basic inputs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc., but also for capital goods, like tractors, pump sets, etc., and for light consumer goods such as two wheelers, radios, mobiles, TV sets etc., more so after the recent trend towards rural electrification.

With transformation of traditional agriculture, there is specialisation which leads to production for exports. If, at the same time, industry develops under the impact of agricultural growth, the two sectors become highly interdependent.

The industrial sector adds to demand for agricultural goods, and absorbs surplus labour which may raise yield per hectare. In turn, the agricultural sector provides a market for industrial goods out of rising real income, and makes a further contribution to development, through the release of resources—if productivity rises faster than the demand for commodities.

Thus, agricultural development is so much important for reducing urban unemployment and income inequality. Moreover, understanding the interactions between agriculture and the other sectors of the economy is crucial for shaping appropriate developmental policies.

Although agriculture is the dominant sector of the economy, it is characterised by low productivity and low supply elasticity. The low productivity per worker implies that the major proportion of the output is absorbed within agriculture itself, i.e., self-consumption is high. So, little surplus is left for use in industry and other sectors.

Thus, the larger the proportion of agricultural output absorbed by the industrial sector, the greater is the market for industrial goods. Agricultural growth—along with growth in exports and public investment—could lead to an external increase in demand for industrial goods.

In Fig. 1, OL represents the level of employment in agricultural sector. At any level of employment, levels of total agricultural output and consumption within the agricultural sector are OQ and OC, respectively. When the level of employment is OL 1 , output is L 1 Q 1, consumption is L 1 C 1 . So there is a surplus of C 1 Q 1 , for use outside agriculture. This surplus- can be utilised to maintain a level of employment in the industrial sector, which, in turn, results in an output level of L 2 Q 2 .

The slope of the curve OQ is positive but decreasing, implying the operation of the law of diminishing return in traditional agriculture. This arises due to fixity of land (as a factor of production) and other natural resources, yielding diminishing returns as there is an increase in the usage of other (complementary) inputs.

Technological progress, however, could avert the operation of the law, at least temporarily, by shifting the output (OQ) curve upward. In that case, for any given level of employment, output would be higher. This, in its turn, would result in large surplus, enabling a larger level of employment to be maintained in the industrial (and other) sectors.

The interactions between agriculture and non-agriculture change significantly over time in the process of economic development. In the early stages, agriculture is of crucial importance as the employer of 50% to 75% of the labour force and also as the source of more than half of the GDP. As development gains momentum, however, the relative importance of agriculture declines sharply while that of industry increases.

The secular decline in the relative importance of agriculture and the secular increase in the relative importance of industry can be explained by a number of factors:

1. Changes in the Pattern of Demand:

First and foremost is the role of changes in the composition of demand. According to Engel’s law, the income elasticity of demand for food is generally less than one and it declines as income grows, while the income elasticity of demand for industrial product is considerably larger than one.

2. Input and Output Substitutions :

Secondly, various types of input and output substitution take place in the problem of development. Specifically, certain farm outputs are substituted by manufacturing outputs while others undergo increasing degrees of processing in the non-agricultural sectors. Industrial inputs, on the other hand, substitute for farm inputs to an increasing degree as income rises. For example, chemical fertilizers substitute for manure and capital goods for human labour and animal power.

3. Monetisation and Market Expansion :

Finally, while the size of the market in a country expands as a result of population growth, rising PCI and monetisation, changes in factor cost tip the balance in favour of manufacturing.

4. Growth Stage Models and Dual Economy Models :

Attempts to systematize the discussion of the changing role of agriculture in the process of development have led to the formulation of a number of growth stage models and of dual economy models. These dual economy models treat the contribution of agriculture in terms of supply of surplus labour or provision of investable capital as if there strictly one-way transfers.

These models failed to appreciate the full extent of the complementarities between agriculture and industry. In order to comprehend better the interactions between the two sectors, we have to capture both the intersectoral transfer of surplus and the sectoral market contributions.

The latter refers to the linkages that connect agriculture and industry by providing outlet for each other’s products and factors. In this essay, we analyse the roles of agriculture and industry in economic development through the interaction of the two sectors.

First, we discuss the investable agricultural surplus that may be transferred and utilised in the development of the industrial sector. This transfer can take place through the outflow of capital from agriculture, the outflow of labours agricultural taxation and the terms of trade. Next, we focus on the interdependence between agriculture and industry.

This approach emphasises the production function relationship and the output flows between the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. More specifically the development of agriculture may increase that sector’s demand for the intermediate inputs, such as insecticides, and machinery, provided by industry. It may also increase the supply of agricultural raw materials to the industrial sector.

These two aspects will be studied through the backward and the forward inter-industry linkage effect. The development of agriculture also provides employment for agricultural workers and, as their incomes rise, an increased demand for consumer goods produced in the industrial sector.

The availability of such goods often acts as an incentive to greater work effort, savings and productivity in the agricultural sector. These factors will be studied through the employment and income-generation linkage effect. This process of increasing interdependence of the sectors is called “sectoral articulation”.

Sectoral Capital Flows :

According to the Marxian thesis, the burden of providing surplus funds and surplus resources for the purpose of industrial capital formation in the early stages of development falls upon agriculture. Modern economists have challenged this orthodox view on the grounds that modern, chemical-biological agriculture requires heavy investments on irrigation, and water control. It,’ therefore, becomes necessary to stem or even reverse the resource outflow from agriculture if agricultural production is to keep up with the explosive population growth in many parts of the world.

Double Developmental Squeeze of Agriculture :

The logic of extracting the agricultural surplus can be described in terms of the double developmental squeeze of agriculture. This has two aspects, viz —the production squeeze, and the expenditure squeeze.

(i) The Production Squeeze :

The production squeeze can assume different forms. In the Marxist-Leninist approach, output can be extracted directly through compulsory delivery at low prices to the non-agricultural sector. Alternatively, it can be extracted through a combination of high farm prices and high farm taxes.

The production squeeze can also assume an indirect form and operate through the market mechanism. Within a market-oriented and relatively perfectly competitive set up the commercial family farmer operates like a capitalist. Farmers use new technologies to keep cost down. This enables the industrial sector to get more and more supplies of food at lower and lower prices.

(ii) The Expenditure Squeeze :

The deterioration of the terms of trade is one reason for the relative decline of the agricultural sector. The pressure of a competitive system and a rapidly advancing technology is the other. Farmers who do not adopt and exploit new methods or technologies will either have to drift to the city to join the ranks of the urban employed and the slum-dwellers or become the people who were left behind and descend into the lost world of non-commercial (subsistence) farming. This constitutes the basis of what W.F. Owen calls “the expenditure squeeze”.

The drift to the city is not costless for the agricultural sector. Indeed, the cost of rearing and educating that part of the nonfarm labour supply which originates in the farm sector represents a ‘capital’ transfer from agriculture to industry.

This can amount to a substantial outflow of capital. Second, in serving as the residual employer, the agricultural sector maintains at its own expense redundant quantities of labour until they are able to get alternative employment opportunities in the industrial sector.

This is especially true for countries where the extended family system is a prevalent as an institutional arrangement. In such countries, the agricultural sector operates as an informal unemployment insurance and social welfare system.

Thus there are three aspects to the double developmental squeeze on agriculture. First, the sector is squeezed for the direct flow of capital, represented by the net balance of purchases and sales of the agricultural sector.

The capital flow from agriculture is measured by the difference between the total sales of agricultural products and total purchases of industrial products. Second, it is squeezed by the deteriorating domestic terms of trade. Third, it is squeezed by the transfer of human capital through migration. So the total contribution of agriculture to capital formation in industry includes the invisible as well as visible real capital flows.

Sectoral Articulation :

The supply of purchased inputs and the demand for agricultural output shows the linkages between agriculture and industry and thus show the interactions between the two broad sectors of the economy.

The sectoral articulation, that is, the interdependence between agriculture and industry, gets reflected in three linkage effects:

(1) The inter-industry linkage effect which refers to the effect of a one-unit increase in autonomous portion of final demand on the level of production in each sector;

(2) The employment linkage effect, which, as one part of the more general concept of the primary factor linkage effect, measures the total use of labour in any one sector as a result of a one-unit change in the autonomous portion of final demand and

(3) The income generation linkage effect, defined as an effect on income of the exogenous change in final demand.

An autonomous increase in one unit of final demand increases the level of production within each sector through the inter-industry linkage effect and the level of employment through the employment linkage effect. The increase in output and employment arising from these labour incomes, which through the income generation linkage, lead to increased demand for consumer goods, including more output and employment.

Inter-Industry Employment and Income-Generation Linkage Effect :

The inter-industry linkage has three components: the backward linkage effect, the forward linkage effect and the total linkage effect. The two former describe the direct effect (backward to the sectors providing inputs for the sectors and forward to the sectors utilizing the output of the sector) that result from a one-unit increase in final demand in one sector.

The direct linkages, backward and forward, capture only part of the interactions between industries. They measure only the first round of effects of the interrelationships. The total inter-industry linkage effects are those which combine both the direct and indirect repercussions of an increase in final demand. The inter-industry linkage effect of agriculture is relatively low compared to that in industry.

Besides final demand, another element reflected in the market contribution of the sectoral articulation approach, is the interaction through the market for intermediate products. In this regard, one should consider the demands of agricultural sector for intermediate capital goods, for manufactured inputs and for raw materials. The sectoral articulation approach is especially relevant when the employment and income distribution aspects of economic development are emphasised.

No doubt the policy implication from computing linkages effect and linkage potentials would vary, depending on the circumstances of the country to which the analysis is applied. If employment creation is important, agriculture should command special interest in development planning.

A high-income-generation potential is consistent with policies that promote income distribution. On the other hand, high-income generation linkage depends on high marginal propensities to consume, which may result in low rates of growth.

Finally, since linkage potential does not account for possible supply constraints and, since supply shortages may be more chronic than deficiencies of demand in LDCs, high-income-generation potential may lead to excess demand and inflation—an increases in prices instead of increases in real output.

No doubt today’s developing countries have access to foreign capital. In spite of this, they have to rely heavily on extracting the surplus from agriculture to finance industrialisation. If farmers are unable to save much to make adequate funds available for financing industrialisation it becomes necessary for a government to extract savings compulsorily from the agricultural sector by taxation, without impairing the incentive to produce or slowing down productivity growth upon which a growing agricultural surplus depends.

In the Lewis model, anything which raises the productivity of the subsistence sector (average product per person) will raise real wages in the capitalist sector, and will, therefore, reduce the capitalist surplus and the rate of capital accumulation, unless it, at the same time, more than correspondingly moves the terms of trade against the subsistence sector.

Lewis holds the view that the expansion of the capitalist sector is held in check by a shortage of capital. This means that an increase in prices and purchasing power is not stimulus to industrialisation but an obstacle to the expansion of the capitalist sector.

It is not possible to reconcile this view with the common sense view that the agricultural sector provides a market for industrial goods as also the expert view of the World Bank (the World Bank Development Report 1979) that a stagnant rural economy with low purchasing power holds back industrial growth in many developing countries.

Even in 1961, Johnson and Mellor recognised this worrying feature of the Lewis model when they perceptively remarked that “there is clearly a conflict between emphasis on agriculture’s essential contribution to the capital requirement for overall development and emphasis on increased farm purchasing power as a stimulus to industrialisation.”

One possible way of resolving the conflict is to recognise the complementarity between the two sectors from the outset. In addition, there has to be an equilibrium terms of trade that balances supply and demand in both sectors.

Agriculture provides the potential for capital accumulation in industry by providing a marketable surplus. The greater the surplus, the cheaper can industry obtain food and higher the rate of saving and capital formation. This is the supply side. But industry also needs a market for its product, which, in the early stages of development, has to come largely from agriculture.

This is the demand side, and the higher the price of agricultural goods, the larger will be agricultural purchasing power. Given this conflict between low food prices being good for industrial supply and high food prices being good for industrial demand, what is required is a general equilibrium framework, where the terms of trade between agriculture and industry provide the balancing mechanism ensuring that supply and demand grow at the same rate in each sector.

Need for a General Equilibrium Approach :

There is the need to approach development within an integrated and general equilibrium framework, rather than in terms of partial analysis. General equilibrium approach shows that the increase in the price of output, for example, leads to an increase in output supplied and labour demanded at the household level. An increase in the price of output leads to a decrease in the equilibrium level of both output and employment.

Limitation of Our Approach :

Our analysis of the interdependence between agriculture and industry is, however, not without its shortcomings. Most notably, the analysis has been overly static, and the treatment of the industrial sector has been cursory.

Role of Agriculture in the Economic Development of a Country
Role of Agriculture in Economic Development
Industrialisation and India’s Economic Development
Contribution of Agriculture to Economic Development

Bibliometric Analysis of Edible Insects from Entomology Category Based on Web of Science

Published: 16 May 2024

Cite this article

Bao-Zhong Yuan ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2353-3873 1 &
Jie Sun 2

11 Accesses

Explore all metrics

Based on Web of Science database and using the bibliometric analysis method, the 3591 papers were analyzed in the field of edible insects topic research from Entomology category during of 1942 to December 18, 2022. All papers written most in English (98.134%), were from 11,742 authors, 2841 affiliation and 132 countries or territories, and published in 127 journals and book series. The top five journals are Insects (290, 8.076%), Journal of Insects as Food and Feed (285, 7.853%), Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (194, 5.402%), Journal of Economic Entomology (172, 4.79%) and Journal of Stored Products Research (159, 4.428%), each journal published more than 159 papers. Top five countries were USA, Peoples R China, Brazil, Germany, England. Top four organizations were United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), State University System of Florida, Wageningen University Research, Kansas State University, each with more than 73 papers. The top five authors were Arthur FH, Athanassiou CG, Phillips TW, Campbell JF, Subramanyam B, each published more than 18 papers. All keywords were separated into seven clusters for different research topics. Based on ESI database, there were twenty-eight top papers both twenty-eight highly cited paper and two front papers. Visualizations offer exploratory information on the current state in a scientific field or discipline as well as indicate possible developments in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Edible insects: A bibliometric analysis and current trends of published studies (1953–2021)

Bibliometric analysis of the species Anacardium occidentale L. associated with scientometric networks

Interdisciplinary Uses of Some Edible Species

Aguilar-Toalá JE, Cruz-Monterrosa RG, Liceaga AM (2022) Beyond human nutrition of edible insects: health benefits and safety aspects. Insects 13(11):1007. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13111007

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Alarcon-Elbal PM, Suarez-Balseiro C, Holguino-Borda J, Riggio-Olivares G (2022) Research on medical and veterinary entomology in the insular Caribbean: a bibliometric analysis. Int J Trop Insect Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-022-00929-w

Article Google Scholar

Behmer ST (2009) Insect herbivore nutrient regulation. Annu Rev Entomol 54:165–187. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.54.110807.090537

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Clarivate, 2022: Journal Citation Reports ™ 2021 https://jcr.clarivate.com/jcr/browse-journals .

Douglas AE (2015) Multiorganismal insects: diversity and function of resident microorganisms. Annu Rev Entomol 60:17–34. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-010814-020822

Giora D, Marchetti G, Cappellozza S, Assirelli A, Saviane A, Sartori L, Marinello F (2022) Bibliometric analysis of trends in mulberry and silkworm research on the production of silk and its by-products. Insects 13(7):568. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13070568

Hahn DA, Denlinger DL (2011) Energetics of insect diapause. Annu Rev Entomol 56:103–121. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-112408-085436

Isman MB (2006) Botanical insecticides, deterrents, and repellents in modern agriculture and an increasingly regulated world. Annu Rev Entomol 51:45–66. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.51.110104.151146

Kavle RR, Pritchard ETM, Bekhit AEDA, Carne A, Agyei D (2022) Edible insects: a bibliometric analysis and current trends of published studies (1953–2021). Int J Trop Insect Sci 42(5):3335–3355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-022-00814-6

Lacey LA, Frutos R, Kaya HK, Vail P (2001) Insect pathogens as biological control agents: do they have a future? Biol Control 21(3):230–248. https://doi.org/10.1006/bcon.2001.0938

Lehane MJ (1997) Peritrophic matrix structure and function. Annu Rev Entomol 42:525–550. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.42.1.525

Linsley EG (1942) Insect food caches as reservoirs and original sources of some stored products pests. J Econ Entomol 35(3):434–439

Lumanlan JC, Williams M, Jayasena V (2022) Edible insects: environmentally friendly sustainable future food source. Int J Food Sci Technol 57(10):6317–6325. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.16006

Article CAS Google Scholar

Mabelebele M, Kolobe SD, Malematja E, Sebola NA, Manyelo TG (2022) A comprehensive review of the importance of selected trace elements present in edible insects. Biol Trace Elem Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03423-z

Matandirotya NR, Filho WL, Mahed G, Maseko B, Murandu CV (2022) Edible insects consumption in Africa towards environmental health and sustainable food systems: a bibliometric study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 19(22):14823. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214823

Moshobane MC, Khoza TT, Niassy S (2022) The period of insect research in the tropics: a bibliometric analysis. Int J Trop Insect Sci 42(1):989–998. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-021-00616-2

Piña-Domínguez IA, Ruiz-May E, Hernández-Rodríguez D, Zepeda RC, Melgar-Lalanne G (2022) Environmental effects of harvesting some Mexican wild edible insects: an overview. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 6:1021861. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.1021861

Rajendran S, Sriranjini V (2008) Plant products as fumigants for stored-product insect control. J Stored Prod Res 44(2):126–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2007.08.003

Schulz AN, Lucardi RD, Marsico TD (2021) Strengthening the ties that bind: an evaluation of cross-disciplinary communication between invasion ecologists and biological control researchers in entomology. Ann Entomol Soc Am 114(2):163–174. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saaa052

Shelton AM, Zhao JZ, Roush RT (2002) Economic, ecological, food safety, and social consequences of the deployment of Bt transgenic plants. Annu Rev Entomol 47:845–881. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.47.091201.145309

Stopar K, Trdan S, Bartol T, Arthur FH, Athanassiou CG (2022) Research on stored products: a bibliometric analysis of the leading journal of the field for the years 1965–2020. J Stored Prod Res 98:101980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2022.101980

Struelens Q, Silvie P (2020) Orienting insecticide research in the tropics to meet the sustainable development goals. Curr Opin Insect Sci 1(40):24–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2020.05.015

Valente-Neto F, Piovezan-Borges AC, Urbieta GL, Samways MJ, Roque FD (2022) Research networks should improve connectivity for halting freshwater insect extinctions. Ecol Entomol 47(1):63–75. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13091

van Eck NJ, Waltman L (2022) Manual for VOSviewer version 1.6.18. Leiden University, Leiden

Google Scholar

van Huis A (2013) Potential of insects as food and feed in assuring food security. Annu Rev Entomol 58:563–583. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153704

VOSviewer (version 1.6.18, 2022, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands)

Wallace JB, Webster JR (1996) The role of macroinvertebrates in stream ecosystem function. Annu Rev Entomol 41:115–139. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.en.41.010196.000555

Yuan BZ, Sun J (2022) Bibliometric analysis of rice and climate change publications based on Web of Science. Theoret Appl Climatol 150(1–2):347–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-022-04169-3

Yuan BZ, Sun J (2023) Research trend of rice and greenhouse gases based on Web of Science: a bibliometric analysis. All Earth 35(1):16–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/27669645.2022.2164412

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Shizishan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430070, China

Bao-Zhong Yuan

Library, Huazhong Agricultural University, Shizishan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430070, China

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bao-Zhong Yuan .

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The present study reports the bibliometric analysis of edible insects from entomology category based on web of science during of 1942 to December 18, 2022. All papers written most in English (98.134 %), were from 11,742 authors, 2841 affiliation and 132 countries or territories, and published in 127 journals and book series. All keywords were separated into seven clusters for different research topics. The recent or front research topic were edible insects. Visualizations offer exploratory information on the current state in a scientific field or discipline as well as indicate possible developments in the future. We expect the results of this study to help researchers and communities better align their present and future work.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Yuan, BZ., Sun, J. Bibliometric Analysis of Edible Insects from Entomology Category Based on Web of Science. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-024-01570-y

Download citation

Received : 14 February 2023

Revised : 15 May 2023

Accepted : 08 March 2024

Published : 16 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-024-01570-y

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Bibliometric analysis
Edible insects
Web of science (WoS)
Find a journal
Publish with us
Track your research

IMAGES

Agriculture in India Essay Free Essay Example
Agriculture in India Essay
Agricultural Development In India
Agriculture In India Essay
Agriculture in India Essay
Challenges for Sustainable Agriculture in India Free Essay Example

VIDEO

Rural & Agriculture development plan in India
TOP 5 AGRICULTURE COLLEGE IN CHHATTISGARH 2024
Agriculture in nepal
English Essay on Agriculture
Write an essay on Indian Farmer
Essay on Agriculture is The Backbone of India's Economy #india

COMMENTS

Essay on Agriculture for Students and Children
Growth and Development of the Agriculture Sector. India largely depends on the agriculture sector. Besides, agriculture is not just a mean of livelihood but a way of living life in India. Moreover, the government is continuously making efforts to develop this sector as the whole nation depends on it for food.
Agricultural Development and Land Use Change in India: A Scenario
1 Introduction. By area, India is the world's seventh largest country along with a population of about 1.3 billion people in 2015 (FAO, 2017a; UN-Pop, 2017).India is characterized by an immense diversity in climate, topography, flora, fauna, land use, and socioeconomic conditions (FAO, 2017b).During the past 140 years, India has experienced remarkable land use and land-cover changes including ...
The future of Indian agriculture
1. Changing demand due to increase in incomes, globalisation and health consciousness is affecting and going to affect more the production in future. Demand for fruits and vegetables, dairy products, fish and meat is going to increase in future. 2. Researches, technology improvements, protected cultivation of high value greens and other ...
Development Of Agriculture In India: Evolution, Modern Reform And
Agricultural development in India aims to increase farm production to meet rising population demands. It involves expanding cropped areas, crop diversity, irrigation, fertilizers, and mechanization. Agriculture has developed at different places in different parts of the world. Developing countries with large populations usually practice ...
Agriculture in India Essay
10 Lines On Agriculture in India Essay. Agriculture contributes to more than 15% of India's GDP and has provided employment to millions of people in the country. India is the second-highest producer of agricultural products in the world. Agriculture forms over more than 70% of India's export capacity.
Agriculture 4.0: Future of Indian Agriculture
During 2021-22, the country ...
PDF The Role of Agriculture in Economic Development: An Indian Perspective
Agriculture is the most important source of national income for many developing countries. Direct contribution of agriculture in economic development of a country can be reflected through its contributions in total value added in the economy. Agriculture share of GDP in India was 29 percent in 1990 but in recent its share has come down.
Essay on Agriculture For Students In English
Agriculture plays a crucial role in the economic development of India as 3/4th of the population is based on agriculture. It is one of the largest sources of livelihood for the country. The country was dependent on agriculture for a thousand years. The agricultural sector also benefits the industries in getting their raw materials, which ...
ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
Lone, R. A., and Vinod, S., "Centrality of Agriculture to Inclusive Growth in India", Asian Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities,Vol. 4, No. 5, pp 127-147, 2014. Trade-offs and ...
PDF Agricultural Development in India
Keywords: Agricultural development, Need, objectives, Conclusion. 1. Introduction. The Indian government's commitment to agriculture is a global success story. Since Independence in 1947, India has succeeded in significantly reducing the number of people living in poverty. In the early 1960s, India introduced "Green Revolution ...
Essay on Agriculture in India
250 Words Essay on Agriculture in India Historical Overview. Agriculture in India dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization era. Over millennia, it has evolved, shaping the country's economy, society, and culture. Today, India's agricultural sector employs over 50% of the nation's workforce, highlighting its significance. Modern Agriculture
Agricultural Development
Agricultural development. The agricultural sector is a central pillar of the Indian economy, employing 60 percent of the nation's workforce and contributing to about 17 percent of its GDP. Productivity remains a challenge, however, and poverty and malnutrition in rural areas remain high. Water shortages, a changing climate, and fragmented ...
(PDF) Agricultural Production and Economic Growth in India: An
Abstract. Despite increasing contribution of services sector to. India's economic growth helping the country to grow at a. rate of 7.1 per cent annually, the fact that agriculture is. still ...
Agriculture Development in India: A State Level Analysis
ISSN: 2581-821X. Agriculture Development in Ind ia: A State. Level A nalysis. Surendra Singh. 1*. ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi, India. Author ...
(Pdf) Agriculture Sector and Rural Development in India: an Empirical
The present research paper has focused on the role of the agriculture sector in rural development of India. The secondary data were used and it was obtained from various sources like annual reports of agriculture and farmers welfare department, ministry of rural development, census reports, and NSSO data.
Sustainability transition for Indian agriculture
The chemical fertilizer subsidy in India is worth Rs. 1,400 billion (US$ 18 billion), whereas the total allocation for organic inputs is only Rs. 13.2 billion (US$ 0.17 billion) 3, 22. In other ...
Essay on Agriculture: Short Essay, 100 and 250 Words
Agriculture is one of the major sectors in India that provide livelihood to the people. The majority of the Indian population depends on agriculture as it is the major source of income and contributes to around 18.3% of India's GDP. It provides food, raw materials, and employment to billions of people across the world.
Essay on Agriculture and It's Significance
Agriculture is the main occupation in India. Two-third of population is dependent on agriculture directly or indirectly. It is not merely a source of livelihood but a way of life. It is the main source of food, fodder and fuel. It is the basic foundation of economic development. Agriculture provides highest contribution to national income. "Agriculture needed top most priority because the Govt ...
Essay on the Development of Indian Agriculture (2759 Words)
ADVERTISEMENTS: Here is your essay on the development of Indian Agriculture! The agriculture sector continues to be the backbone of Indian economy contributing approximately 27.4% to the gross domestic product (GDP), and accounts for about 18% share, of total value of country's export. The agricultural production has kept pace with the popular growth rate of […]
PDF Agricultural Challenges and Policies for the 21st Century
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mumbai. 2 ... for future papers on the themes of interest to NABARD. ... 7 Changes in Cultivators and Agricultural Labour in Rural India 19 8 Child and Women Health Indicators at All-India Level: 2015-16 21 and 2019-20
Role of Agriculture in Economic Development in India
The role of agriculture in economic development in India has been exhaustively studied from different viewpoints. It has often been approached from the point of view of the intersectoral transfer of resources, mainly agricultural surplus. Even more commonly, it has been viewed within the dualistic models, based on surplus labour but supplemented by a set of dynamic laws leading to the break ...
(PDF) Agricultural Sector: Status, Challenges and it's Role in Indian
Abstract. The Indian agricultural sector accounts for 13.9% of India's gross domestic. product (GDP) and employs just a little less than 54.6% of the country's. workforce. The Department of ...
Essay on Sustainable Agricultural Development in India
Essay on Sustainable Agricultural Development in India. This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. Over the world growing population is becoming more day by day, the most important challenges have been to produce enough food for the growing ...
Identification of Various Constraints Faced by Farmers in Adopting
Government schemes in agriculture are essential for fostering sectoral development, providing financial support, and implementing strategic initiatives to enhance the overall well-being and productivity of farmers. The current research was conducted during the fiscal year 2021-22, involving the collection of data from a sample of 480 farmers in the state of Rajasthan. The purpose of the study ...
Bibliometric Analysis of Edible Insects from Entomology ...
Based on Web of Science database and using the bibliometric analysis method, the 3591 papers were analyzed in the field of edible insects topic research from Entomology category during of 1942 to December 18, 2022. All papers written most in English (98.134%), were from 11,742 authors, 2841 affiliation and 132 countries or territories, and published in 127 journals and book series. The top ...
Top 10+ IoT Development Companies in India 2024
4. iMOBDEV Technologies. iMOBDEV Technologies helps businesses transform by offering innovative solutions. The company has been offering various solutions, which include IoT development, app ...

Essay on Agriculture for Students and Children

Growth and Development of the Agriculture Sector

Significance of Agriculture

Negative Impacts of Agriculture

FAQs about Essay on Agriculture

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Download the App

Agriculture

By Madhu Sharma

NCERT NOTES

Development of Agriculture in India: Evolution, Modern Reform and Challenges

Exploring the Dynamics of Development of Agriculture in India Worldwide

Sowing Progress: The Evolution of Indian Agriculture from Independence to Green Revolution

Nurturing Growth: Overcoming Challenges for Sustainable Development of Indian Agriculture

Revitalizing Indian Agriculture through Technological and Institutional Reforms

Recommended For You

Our Courses

Subscribe our Newsletter

Contact Details

Download Our App

Media & Events

Other Links

INDIA ADDA – Perspectives On India

RECENT POSTS

Agriculture 4.0: Future of Indian Agriculture

Essay on Agriculture

Role of Agricultural in Economic Development

Frequently Asked Questions on Agriculture Essay

What are the main types of agriculture?

What are agricultural methods which are famous in India?

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Essay on Agriculture in India

100 Words Essay on Agriculture in India

Major Crops

Role in Economy

250 Words Essay on Agriculture in India

Modern Agriculture

Challenges and Opportunities

500 Words Essay on Agriculture in India

The Significance of Agriculture in India

Types of Crops Cultivated

Challenges in Indian Agriculture

Government Initiatives for Agricultural Development

Future of Agriculture in India

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

AGRICULTURE SECTOR AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

Related Papers

RELATED PAPERS

RELATED TOPICS

Sustainability transition for Indian agriculture

Similar content being viewed by others

The carbon dioxide removal gap

Severe decline in large farmland trees in India over the past decade

A unifying modelling of multiple land degradation pathways in Europe

The burden of inputs on farming households

A comparative analysis of farm sustainability across household classes

Affordability of inputs across farming households

Data and methods

Data availability

Author information

Contributions

Corresponding author

Ethics declarations

Additional information

Supplementary Information

About this article

Share this article

Quick links

30,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Essay on Agriculture: Short Essay, 100 and 250 Words

Short Essay on Agriculture

Essay on Agriculture 100 Words

Essay on Agriculture 250 Words

Significance of Agriculture

Challenges for Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture

Kajal Thareja

Connect With Us