Agriculture is a main occupation and very important pillar of Indian economy. Therefore it is essential to increase agricultural productivity.
- If agricultural productivity increases then income of rural economy will increase which will force the development of industry and service sector.
- To increase productivity of agriculture following measures should be taken:
1. Industrial Measures:
Institutional measures would be favourable for economic progress of agriculture. They are as follows:
1. Land Related Reforms: Because of law to abolish Zamindari system to protect tillers and to control rent exploitation of farmers will stop and they may have big share of their crop, that may increase agriculture productivity.
2. Availability of Institutional Credit: For agriculture sector, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was set up in India in 1982.
• To provide cheap and enough credit to Indian farmers, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Land Development Banks (LDBs) were developed.
3. Improvement in Structure of Agriculture Marketing: To overcome the shortcomings of the system of agriculture marketing following steps have been taken:
- Regulated market,
- System of AGMARK,
- Starting National Warehouse Corporation and State Warehousing Corporation,
- Providing information about prices of agriculture produce and
- Fixation of bottom price.
4. Agriculture Research: NABARD does many researches on agriculture and gives knowledge and training to farmers about it. So, farmers do not cultivate only through traditional techniques but they start doing market oriented production and can earn more income.
2. Technological Measures:
Technological measures are more easy and fast to give benefits. So they are more important to increase agriculture productivity. They are as follows:
1. Improved Seeds: Improved seeds developed by scientific inventions give more production of crops. Extraordinary rise in food grains production due to improved seeds is known as ‘Seed Revolution.’
2. Use of Chemical based Fertilisers:
Use of chemical based fertilisers are very benificial to increase agriculture productivity. In India chemical based fertilisers like nitrogen, phosphate, potash, etc. are produced by public sector enterprises. Even such fertilisers are imported and distributed at subsidy rates.
3. Increase in Irrigation Facilities:
In India to expand the service of irrigation ‘Development Programme of Irrigation Sector’ and ‘Infrastructural Development Fund’ are set up.
4. Use of Machines:
Instead of using traditional equipments or machines for cultivation if tractor, trailer, thresher,
electric pump set, oil engine, pesticide sprinkler pump, etc. are used then these are very useful to have more than one crop a year which increases productivity.
To prevent crop from various diseases and to protect plants from insects, pesticides are very useful which will give high productivity.
5. Soil Testing:
By soil testing it can be known that whether land is favourable to crop or not. Such tests help to remove deficiency of land. This way land can be made favourable to crop and it become capable to give high productivity.
3. Other Factors:
- To educate farmers about new technology of cultivation
- To awaken the farmers for bad customs of rural areas
- To plan agriculture fair
- To include the farmers in agriculture allied activities like cattle rearing, poultry farming, food processing, jungle and others and
- To expand small-scale industries in rural areas.
