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9.7.2011
DEVELOPMENT S AND REFORMS IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR
Sectoral shifts are often taken to indicate economic development
I )Role of agriculture in the Indian economy
1. Share in national income-55.4% in 1950-51 to 30.9% in 1990-
91(2% in USA)
2. Share in total employment-71% in 1901, 68.8% in 1981, 66.7% in
1991(USA it is 3%)
3. Role in industrial development-
Raw material source-25% in cash crops-oilseeds, tobacco,
cotton, sugarcane, jute, tea and coffee
Food
Demand for industrial products-tractors and pump sets
4. Supply of food and fodder in general936 crs in 1951 and 101
crores in 2001)
5. Importance in exports-44% in 1960-61 and reduced to 22% in
1998-99
6. Backbone of the Indian economy-71% of population in 2000
supported by agriculture
7. Role in economic development
Rate of growth(26% of GDP). Agriculture in a year of good
monsoons grows at about 10%
Labour intensive-capital output ratio low and the size of
holdings is small
Additional employment-reclaim waste lands, terracing and
contour bunding, afforestation and rural infrastructure
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Export opportunities-fruits, vegetables and flowers
Regional imbalances can be removed by agri development
II) Agricultural productivity :
Nature centric
1970-71 green revolution-oilseeds showed remarkable
improvement and the growth of pulses has not been satisfactory
The main areas are :
1. Crop pattern changes-in 50 years area under cultivation increased
50%. The area under crop has increased for wheat and declined
for rice. Foodgrains claims 2/3rd
of area and % area is declining as
per parameters of development. Predominance of foodcrops is
due to :
Population growth
Low productivity
Low per capita productivity
Inadequate capital investment in agriculture
Out moded techniques of production
Slow pace of economic development
2. Trends in agricultural production-extensive and
intensive(fertilizer, irrigation , seed variety, and institutional
changes) Pulses stagnating and hence cause of concern
Crop 50 60 70 80 90 98
Oilseeds 5 7 9.6 9.4 18.6 18.4
Cotton 3.5 5.6 4.8 7 9.8 9.7
Jute 3.5 5.3 6.2 8.2 9.2 9.3
Sugarcane 70 110 126.4 154.2 241 299.2
The figures are in million tons/bales
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Oilseeds production made satisfactory progress in the first 20
years . Sugarcane growth consistent. Last three decades cotton,
oilseeds have shown excellent growth
UP 21.2%
Punjab 11%
MP 9.7%
WB 7.2%
Bihar 7%
Andhra 6.3%
Rajasthan 6.3%
Maharashtra 6.2%
Haryana 5.7%
Rest 19.4%
3. Growth rates in major crops
After 1967-68 the production of rice and wheat increased because
of introduction of HYV(high yielding varieties). Agricultural
productivity growth rate 1.64%. after 1965 only wheat recorded
high growth rate of 5.9%
During the pre 1964-65 period emphasis was laid on :
Land reforms
Cedit facilities
Reforming africultural marketing
Irrigation
Increased storage in warehouses
Extensive cultivation in increased gross area sown was the main reason
Green revolution of 1965
HYV
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Fertilizers and irrigation water
Pest control
Improved agricultural implements
Summary of last 60 years
-First 15 yeas due to gross area increase. Post 1965 due to
increase in land productivity
-green revolution growth sustained only for wheat
-2.6% growth rate for rice as area under HYV was limited
-Foodgrains 2.4% mainly because wheat grew at 5.9%
-The major rice growing states are WB,UP, AP& Punjab. The
major wheat growing states are UP, Punjab, Hayana, MP,
Rajasthan
-due to better irrigation coarse grains neglected as farmers
preferred foodgrains
-area doubled from 17% to 34% and still due to nature the output
kept fluctuating
4. Productivity of Indian agriculture-lowest for labour in agriculture.
The land productivity is much lower in India compared to China,
Pakistan and Indonesia. The advanced countries are much ahead
Jowar and maize impressive in first decade. Wheat, maize and
groundnut impressive in the second decade. Wheat, maize and
sugarcane have shown overall excellent performance. Groundnut
and pulses have not improved and not satisfactory
5. Causes of low productivity of Indian agriculture
Pressure of population on agriculture-fragmentation of
agriculture holdings causing diseconomies
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Unfavourable rural atmosphere-ignorant and
superstitious
Inadequacy of non-farm services-finance, technical
advice, marketing
The small size of agricultural holdings-59% below2.5
acres, 20% in 2.5 to 5 acres
Systems of land tenure-number of intermediaries
between government and tiller
Outmoded techniques of production-HYV, techniques,
methods of production
Inadequate facilities of irrigation-2/3rd
under dry
irrigation. Only one crop per year in low rainfall areas
III) Agricultural marketing in global perspective : 70% of the total
workforce of the country
A) The meaning and importance of agricultural marketing
Buyers are of three types : involves collection, storage, transportation,
distribution, final hand over to consumers
For direct consumption
Intermediaries like cotton and sugarcane
Export
Importance
1) Due to unique features
Land widespread and collection is ticklish
Wide variation in variety and hence grading is important
Bulkly
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Perishable
Seasonal production but full year consumption
Glut and low prices during peak season
2) Has significance for economic planning
Stabilize the primary sector
Targets have to be arrived at by manipulating the prices and
arrivals
57% expenditure on food
Sectoral balances
3) Sound system to safeguard interests of the farmers to get
marketable surplus
Essentials of sound marketing in global perspective :
1) Graded and standardized products-quality control
2) Adequate warehousing facilities-godown at every tehsil in 1979
3) Good means of transport and cheap
4) Market information-uptodate prices, demand, arrivals
5) Organized markets-farmers cooperatives to cater to credit,
warehousing, transportation, regulation of markets
B) Defects in marketing system in India
Transport
Credit
Middlemen
Forced sales
Incidental charges-commission , brokerage
Malpractices in buying and selling-weights, grades
Lack of grading and standardization-at mandis
Lack of organized agencies
Lack of storage facilities
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Lack of market intelligence-on prices in the secondary markets
C) Measures taken by Government to remove the defects
Improving storage facilities
Use of standard weights
Provision of credit
Grading and standardization-Agmark laboratories
Betterment of transport
Market inspection, research and training-as per WTO norms
Market information-broadcast daily from AIR
Setting up of regulated markets
Organisation of cooperative marketing-NAFED and NCDC
Special commodity boards-for many items
Future trading
Promoting exports of agricultural products-14% pulses, rice,
wheat, cashewnuts, edible oils
D) Problems of marketing in global perspective (especially in the
90s)-trade barriers reduced, free capital flow, expanding
international markets
Preservation problems
Transport problems
Standardization and gradation
Discriminatory conditionalities
Improving competitveness
Global market links through WTO
IV ) Constraints on agricultural development
A) Small size of land holding
Family
Optimum
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Economic
1) Factors influencing the size of economic holdings
The fertility of soil
Irrigation facilities
Methods of cultivation
Nature of crops
2) The size pattern of agricultural holdings
3) Factors responsible for the small size of holdings :
The pressure of population
The laws of inheritance
Decline of joint family system
Wide spread indebtedness of farmers
British system of law and judiciary
Decline of handicrafts and village industries
4) The size of the farm and its relationship with productivities and
profitability
Smaller the size the greater the productivity
Imputed value of labour holdings become unremunerative.
The family labour value should be imputed at ruling market
wage rates.
Profitability increases with the size of the holdings
5) Problems of uneconomic holdings
Mechanism for perpetuation of property
Continuance of inefficient methods, and techniques
Physical constraints ofn mechanization
Wasteful and costly
Servitude, exploitation and misery
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IV) B Adoption of new methods and mechanization
Uncertainties
Survival motive
Lack of adequate insurance
Lack of assured water supply
Lack of supplementary services
Alieness of contact
Knowledge and skills
Unemployment
Disadvantages of both markets
Social and systemic constraints
IV) C side effects of marketing maladies
Low income traps
Failures of incentives
Limited marketable surplus
Obstacle to development
IV) D Problems of agricultural credit(st, medium term, lt)
1. The nature of the problem of credit
Cheap, adequate and timely supply of credit
Small farmers and landless labourers
Uncertainty shrouding credit requirements
2. The problems of non-institiutional credit. They flourish because of
Informal business practices
Unsecured loans
Unproductive loans
No delays in granting of loans
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The problems of non institutional credit are :
Controlling malpractices-illiteracy and ignorance, advance interest,
no receipts
High cost of borrowing
Perpetuation of indebtednaess
3. The problems of institutional credit(government, cooperative and
banks)
Proper security
Procedural delays
Uncertain recovery
Benefits to big landlords
Inadequate coverage
Other factors
Indian experiment of multipurpose cooperatives
IV) E Patterns of land ownership. The forces are :
The intervention of European rule
Rise in power of money lenders
Population explosion
The constraints to land reforms :
Absentee land-lordism partly abolished
Tenancy reforms eroded by population
Cooperative farming did not succeed
Pattern of land ownership
IV) F Issues connected with other inputs
Further progress of agriculture would involve capital investment
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V Dr Swaminathan on agricultural reforms :
Dissemination of knowledge-wll and virtual university
Role of agricultural universities-land use board should be in each
university and advise on meteorological, ecological and marketing
factors
Village centres-WLL backed rural knowledge centres in every village.
To be connected to virtual university and knowledge disemminated.
Integrating various activities-water shed management, waste land
development , wate harvesting with technology mission in oilseeds,
pulses, maize and cotton.
Rural self employment-herbal and food parks, seed villages,rural
knowledge centres,rural godowns and community food banks
Self help groups for micro enterprises
Take the effort seriously-65% still live in the villages and 25% of net
domestic product
VI Agricultural income tax
Advantages :
Removal of tax system anomaly-it is a state subject
Making the system just-progressive tax on agricultural income
Resources of development-agriculture must contribute to resource
mobilization through levies
Controlling tax evasion-used as camouflage
Allowing the state to share prosperity of agriculture
Disadvantages :
Small revenue
Agriculture already burdened-rains,/administrative problems