Problems and Solutions to Low Agricultural Productivity in India

Abstract

  Problems and Solutions to Low Agricultural Productivity in India

 ¹ Dr. Manjula Upadhyay

¹ Associate  Professor  Economics, A.P. Sen Memorial Girls Degree College, Lucknow, India

         In India large numbers of people still live in extreme poverty and suffer from malnutrition, therefore, focus should be on to increase productivity in agriculture and allied sectors which take care of the benefits of all farmers. High agriculture growth is needed for overall growth of the economy and also to provide employment and food security to majority population. Boosting agricultural sector is important as Indian economy is predominantly agrarian. The farmers were using inorganic methods of cultivation and were replacing food crops with cash crops. Thus organic cultivation methods and technologies of stability and sustainability which will increase productivity of small farms should be promoted. For improving new income generation avenues of tribal/rural farmers’ appropriate agro-techniques for on farm value addition to agricultural products, by products and wastes for greater economic returns are being implemented. Capacities of individual farmers and farmer's group are exposed to various composting techniques, new cultivation practices, increased usage of manure, screening of bio-pesticide plants and preparation of bio-pesticides. Azolla, spawn and mushroom, vermin-compost production is adopted for income generation. Training is imparted to prepare panchagavya – a traditional plant tonic for organic farming, 'trichoderma' a bio-control agent and vermin-compost for market production.

      Everything as inputs was exogenously arranged by farmers who adopted Green Revolution which increased disparities as those farmers adopted it who could afford these technologies. The demand for credit increased to meet input costs which led to indebtedness of farmers. The Green Revolution adopted in 1960s has increased productivity and production but started showing stagnation and has number of limitations such as interpersonal, inter-crop and inter-regional inequalities. The planners have realised to assure income to the farmers, soil conservation water management, remove health hazards of the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, sustainable means to be explored from traditions and innovations through research and development. Traditional farming systems in India have received a major boost at a time when Indian agriculture is struggling to come to terms with modern technologies.  The crop insurance can be made better targeted and more effective. Newer path has to be explored to tackle the above problems and adopt sustainable practices. Thus, this paper analyzes the problems of low agricultural productivity and ways to increase it sustainably.

Keywords: agriculture production, agriculture productivity, sustainable practices, agriculture inputs, agriculture extension services