Introduction
Agriculture refers to crop and livestock production along with aquaculture, fisheries, and forest products (food and non-food items). It is one of the most flourished sectors of India and ranks second on the global page among all the nations and serves as a livelihood for 55% of the country’s population.
Must Know Facts about Indian Agriculture: –
• History: Agriculture in India dates from the New Stone Age or the Neolithic Age. Ancient history provides evidence of agriculture and its evolution from the New Stone Age to the Bronze Age and to the earlier river valley civilizations. Vedic literature records show the very first steps of Indian agriculture. Rigveda describes the ploughing, irrigation, fruit, and vegetable cultivation in ancient India. An Indian Sanskrit text known as Bhumivargaha which is reported to be 2500 years old, classifies agricultural land into 12 categories-they are urvara (fertile), ushara (barren), maru (desert), aprahata (fallow), shadvala (grassy), pankikala (muddy), jalaprayah (watery), kachchaha (contiguous to water), sharkara (full of pebbles and pieces of limestone), sharkaravati (sandy), nadimatruka (watered from a river), and devamatruka (rainfed). Archaeologists have stated that most of the crops including rice, legumes, and spices started growing during the sixth millennium BC.
• Post- independence Retrieval: Even though centuries of oppression by the English stagnated the agricultural health of the nation, independent India chalked out a way to develop a comprehensive agriculture plan. After independence, the population tripled but it did not affect the food resources as the agriculture of the nation quadrupled. After the draught of 1965-66, India decided to stop relying on imports and foreign aid for its food security.
• The Green Revolution: After the draught, it was decided to create new policy reforms to attain food sufficiency inside the country itself which led to the Green Revolution. The revolution was initiated with the idea to adopt better and superior yielding varieties of crops which were disease resistant along with having a greater productivity rate supported with new and improved technology and irrigation.
• Agriculture directly proportional to Economy: Agriculture has a huge impact on the Indian economy. Over 70% of the rural population depend and earn their livelihood from this. It also contributes to about 17% of the total GDP and provides employment to a huge percentage of the population. It being one of the biggest food producers in the world, it generates huge amount of revenues by its exportation. Its supply of raw materials to agro-based industries generates revenue from different sectors as well.
Conclusion
Indian agriculture holds emotional importance and pride in the hearts of its people. Farming is shaping the future of the country. According to the reports of FAO World Agricultural Statistics, India ranked to be the largest supplier of fruits like banana, mango, guava, papaya, and lemon along with vegetables like chickpea, okra and milk. Major spices like chili pepper, ginger, fibrous crops such as jute, staples such as millets and castor oil seed. India is the second largest producer of wheat and rice which are the world’s major food staples.
