INDIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR LEADING THE WAY

Agriculture was perhaps the first organized activity discovered by humans more than 10,000 years ago.

- ARMAN OZA*

Introduction

Since then the sector has been feeding the world population and therefore is a lifeline for the entire planet. Despite the ever-increasing demand for food, the agriculture sector globally has remained subdued in the past few centuries with industry and services assuming greater significance. The share of agriculture and allied sectors in global GDP dwindled from 7.6% in 1995 to 4% in 20181. A similar trend is evident in India. While the total foodgrain production has risen from 51 MT in 1950-512 to about 281.7 MT in 2018-193, the share of agriculture in our total GDP dropped from more than 50% in 1950-514 to 17.1% in 2018-195. In the last 15 years though the share of agriculture in total GDP has remained fairly steady between 17% and 20%.

Globally, India stands at the second position in terms of total wheat and rice production6. Although the rate of growth in agriculture GDP has remained modest and chequered since independence, the fact remains that the sector has expanded manifold post-independence. The agriculture GDP (at 2004-05 prices) increased from Rs 168,361 crores in 1954-55 to Rs 800,548 crores in 2014-157. As against this, the total workforce dependant on agriculture (cultivators and agricultural labourers) declined from 69.7% of the total workforce in 1951 to 54.6% in 20118, thus employing more than half of our working population even today.