3. Scope of Agriculture
• Agriculture is the most important enterprise in
the world.
• Agriculture is a production plant where the free
gifts of nature such as land, water, air, soil energy,
etc. are used as inputs and then converted into a
single primary unit that is crop plants and their
yield which are indispensable for human beings.
• Those primary units are consumed by animals
and are converted into secondary units like milk,
meat, eggs, wool, honey, silk, etc.
4. 1. Provides employment
• Agriculture has the contribution of 16% in the gross
domestic product (GDP) of the country. The agricultural
sector also provides livelihood to two-thirds of the
population. The agricultural sector is responsible for
the employment of 58% of country’s workforce.
5. 2. Significant contribution in
country’s exports
• This sector accounts for about 15% of the total
export earnings and provides raw material to
almost all the industries i.e. textiles, silk, rice,
rubber, paper, flour mills, milk products
industries.
6. 3. An important source of resource
mobilization
• As the people in rural areas are not very rich,
it proves as one of the biggest markets for
low-priced consumer goods.
7. 4.Food Security of the country
• If the agricultural sector of a country is strong,
it acts as-as a wall in maintaining food security
and in the process, national security as well.
8. 5. Important allied sectors
• There are many allied sectors of agriculture
like horticulture, silviculture, poultry, dairy,
and fisheries. They have a very important role
in the development the rural masses. So there
is a need for the balanced development of
agriculture and allied sectors.
9. BRANCHES OF AGRICULTURE
Seven branches of agriculture:
1. Agronomy
2. Horticulture
3. Forestry
4. Animal husbandry
5. Fishery science
6. Agricultural Engineering and
7. Home science
10. Agronomy
• Deals with the production of various crops
which includes food crops, fodder crops, fibre
crops, sugar, oilseeds, etc. The aim is to have
better food production and how to control the
diseases.
11. Horticulture
• Deals with the production of fruits,
vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants, spices,
condiments and beverages.
12. Forestry
• Deals with production of large scale
cultivation of perennial (life cycle lasting more
than two years )trees for supplying wood,
timber, rubber, etc. and also raw materials for
industries.
13. Animal husbandry
• Deals with agricultural practice of breeding
and raising livestock in order to provide food
for humans and to provide power (draught)
and manure for crops.
14. Fishery science
• Deals with practice of breeding and rearing
fishes including marine and inland fishes,
shrimps, prawns etc. in order to provide food,
feed and manure
15. Agricultural Engineering
• Deals with farm machinery for filed
preparation, inter-cultivation, harvesting and
post harvest processing including soil and
water conservation engineering and bio-
energy.
16. Home Science
• Deals with application and utilization of
agricultural produces in a better manner in
order to provide nutritional security, including
value addition and food preparation.
17. Contd.
On integration, all the seven branches, first
three is grouped as for crop production group
and next two animal management and last two
allied agriculture branches.
18. Importance of agriculture
1. Agricultural influence on national income:
• The contribution of agriculture during the first
two decades towards the gross domestic
product ranged between 48 and 60%. In the
year 2001-2002, this contribution declined to
only about 26%.
19. Contd.
2. Agriculture plays vital role in generating
employment:
In India at least two-thirds of the working
population earn their living through agricultural
works. In India other sectors have failed
generate much of employment opportunity the
growing working populations.
20. Contd.
3. Agriculture makes provision for food for the
ever increasing population:
Due to the excessive pressure of population labour surplus
economies like India and rapid increase in the demand for
food, food production increases at a fast rate. The existing
levels of food consumption in these countries are very low
and with a little increase in the capita income, the demand
for food rise steeply (in other words it can be stated that
the income elasticity of demand for food is very high in
developing countries).
21. Contd.
4. Contribution to capital formation:
• There is general agreement on the necessity
capital formation. Since agriculture happens
be the largest industry in developing country
like India, it can and must play an important
role in pushing up the rate of capital
formation. If it fails to do so, the whole
process economic development will suffer a
setback.
22. Contd.
5. Supply of raw material to agro-based industries:
• Agriculture supplies raw materials to various agro-based
industries like sugar, jute, cotton textile and vanaspati
industries. Food processing industries are similarly
dependent on agriculture. Therefore the development
of these industries entirely is dependent on agriculture.
6. Market for industrial products:
• Increase in rural purchasing power is very necessary for
industrial development as two- thirds of Indian
population live in villages. After green revolution the
purchasing power of the large farmers increased due to
their enhanced income and negligible tax burden.
23. Contd.
7. Influence on internal and external trade and commerce:
• Indian agriculture plays a vital role in internal and external
trade of the country. Internal trade in food-grains and other
agricultural products helps in the expansion of service sector.
8. Contribution in government budget:
• Right from the First Five Year Plan agriculture is considered as
the prime revenue collecting sector for the both central and
state budgets. However, the governments earn huge revenue
from agriculture and its allied activities like cattle rearing,
animal husbandry, poultry farming, fishing etc. Indian railway
along with the state transport system also earn a handsome
revenue as freight charges for agricultural products, both-
semi finished and finished ones.
24. Contd.
9. Need of labour force:
• A large number of skilled and unskilled labourers
are required for the construction works and in
other fields. This labour is supplied by Indian
agriculture.
10. Greater competitive advantages:
• Indian agriculture has a cost advantage in several
agricultural commodities in the export sector
because of low labour costs and self- sufficiency
in input supply.
