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Assignment On Agriculture Sector

The document discusses the importance of agriculture in India's economy, noting that over 58% of rural households depend on agriculture and it contributes 20.4% to India's GDP. It outlines the key developments in Indian agriculture since independence, including the Green Revolution that made India self-sufficient in food grains through adoption of high-yielding varieties and improved farming practices. The summary argues that choosing a career in agriculture is worthwhile due to the growing population, job diversity, industry growth, technological advancements, increasing salaries, and the rewarding nature of the work.

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mehak
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6K views5 pages

Assignment On Agriculture Sector

The document discusses the importance of agriculture in India's economy, noting that over 58% of rural households depend on agriculture and it contributes 20.4% to India's GDP. It outlines the key developments in Indian agriculture since independence, including the Green Revolution that made India self-sufficient in food grains through adoption of high-yielding varieties and improved farming practices. The summary argues that choosing a career in agriculture is worthwhile due to the growing population, job diversity, industry growth, technological advancements, increasing salaries, and the rewarding nature of the work.

Uploaded by

mehak
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Assignment on

agriculture sector’s
external environment
analysis

Submitted to: Submitted by:


Dr. Apar Singh Mehak
16421176
M.B.A(regular)
Introduction

Agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy. Over 58 per cent of the rural households
depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood. The share of primary sectors*
(including agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishery) is estimated to be 20.4 per cent of the
Gross Value Added (GVA) during 2016-17 at current prices.
The Indian food industry is poised for huge growth, increasing its contribution to world food
trade every year due to its immense potential for value addition, particularly within the food
processing industry. The Indian food and grocery market is the world’s sixth largest, with
retail contributing 70 per cent of the sales. The Indian food processing industry accounts for
32 per cent of the country’s total food market, one of the largest industries in India and is
ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth. It contributes
around 8.80 and 8.39 per cent of Gross Value Added (GVA) in Manufacturing and
Agriculture respectively, 13 per cent of India’s exports and six per cent of total industrial
investment.

Indian agriculture after independence


In the years since its independence, India has made immense progress towards food security.
Indian population has tripled, and food-grain production more than quadrupled. There has
been a substantial increase in available food-grain per capita.
Before the mid-1960s India relied on imports and food aid to meet domestic requirements.
However, two years of severe drought in 1965 and 1966 convinced India to reform its
agricultural policy and that they could not rely on foreign aid and imports for food security.
India adopted significant policy reforms focused on the goal of food grain self-sufficiency.
This ushered in India's Green Revolution. It began with the decision to adopt superior
yielding, disease resistant wheat varieties in combination with better farming knowledge to
improve productivity. The state of Punjab led India's green revolution and earned the
distinction of being the country's bread basket.
The initial increase in production was centred on the irrigated areas of the states
of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. With the farmers and the government officials
focusing on farm productivity and knowledge transfer, India's total food grain production
soared. A hectare of Indian wheat farm that produced an average of 0.8 tonnes in 1948,
produced 4.7 tonnes of wheat in 1975 from the same land. Such rapid growth in farm
productivity enabled India to become self-sufficient by the 1970s. It also empowered the
smallholder farmers to seek further means to increase food staples produced per hectare. By
2000, Indian farms were adopting wheat varieties capable of yielding 6 tonnes of wheat per
hectare.
Men and Women at work in rice paddy fields in Tamil Nadu
With agricultural policy success in wheat, India's Green Revolution technology spread to
rice. However, since irrigation infrastructure was very poor, Indian farmers innovated with
tube-wells, to harvest ground water. When gains from the new technology reached their
limits in the states of initial adoption, the technology spread in the 1970s and 1980s to the
states of eastern India- Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal. The lasting benefits of the improved
seeds and new technology extended principally to the irrigated areas which account for about
one-third of the harvested crop area. In the 1980s, Indian agriculture policy shifted to
"evolution of a production pattern in line with the demand pattern" leading to a shift in
emphasis to other agricultural commodities like oilseed, fruit and vegetables. Farmers began
adopting improved methods and technologies in dairying, fisheries and livestock, and
meeting the diversified food needs of a growing population.
As with rice, the lasting benefits of improved seeds and improved farming technologies now
largely depends on whether India develops infrastructure such as irrigation network, flood
control systems, reliable electricity production capacity, all-season rural and urban highways,
cold storage to prevent spoilage, modern retail, and competitive buyers of produce from
Indian farmers. This is increasingly the focus of Indian agriculture policy.
India's agricultural economy is undergoing structural changes. Between 1970 and 2011, the
GDP share of agriculture has fallen from 43% to 16%. This isn't because of reduced
importance of agriculture or a consequence of agricultural policy. This is largely because of
the rapid economic growth in services, industrial output, and non-agricultural sectors in India
between 2000 and 2010.
.
Why to choose agriculture sector
While agriculture is a multi-billion dollar industry that directly affects everyone in the world
each day, employers still struggle to find qualified candidates that are enthusiastic about the
industry and need. According to the USDA, “between 2010 and 2015 there will be more jobs
available in agriculture and food systems, renewable energy, and the environment than
qualified graduates to fill them.” With the industry booming but college students being left
uninformed about the importance of agricultural careers, the numbers need to increase. Here
are 8 reasons that agriculture is needed now more than ever and to choose an agricultural
career:

1. Population is Increasing
By 2050 the world’s population is projected to hit 9 billion people. To be able to feed and
clothe the world, the population is going to rely heavily on agriculture. With that comes the
need for new technology, hard workers, creative minds, and college graduates that are ready
to get into the workforce and support this ever-changing industry.

2. “New” Generation of Agriculture


Baby boomers are in the primary agricultural leadership roles, but they are retiring at vast
rates, leaving many positions un-filled. Employers are having difficulties finding the right
talent to put into these positions and 60% of them are shifting their focus to recruiting college
graduates.

Job Diversity

Within the last 20 years, agriculture has expanded and become so diverse, giving job seekers
a wide variety of careers to choose from. There are significant jobs in production, economics,
marketing, agribusiness, technology, sales, finance, microbiology, communications, and
much more. In 2013, there were 52,862 jobs posted on AgCareers.com containing
differentiated career opportunities in every aspect of the agricultural industry!

Shortage of College Graduates in Agriculture

The truth of the matter is, there just are not enough people going into an agricultural related
program of study causing a shortage of qualified job seekers. According to the
AgCareers.com Enrollment and Employment Outlook Survey, less than 1% of college
students are in an agricultural major. In 2013 there were 56,000+ career opportunities in the
industry but only 29,000 graduates were trained to fill them.

3. Industry Growth
Since the industry is growing at such a fast pace, there is high demand for qualified job
seekers in every aspect of agriculture. The U.S. Department of Labor projects significant
growth in selected food, renewable energy, and environmental jobs from now and throughout
2018. Even more, the Agribusiness HR Review shows that 60% of employers are planning to
do more college recruiting within the next 1-5 years.

4. Technology Advancements
Agricultural technologies are constantly evolving to help improve productivity. With the new
technology, comes a need for job seekers with the right education to be able to work with and
develop the technology that will continue to shape the industry.

5. Increased Salary
To remain competitive and to secure the best talent in the industry, employers have been
consistently increasing salaries. They have also offered better benefit packages to retain
employees. Furthermore, qualified talent is being promoted now faster than any other
generation has before.

6. Rewarding
Working in an agricultural related field is rewarding. You get the peace of mind knowing that
you are making a positive impact on those around you. People that have careers in agriculture
are passionate about what they do and want to see the industry be successful and prosperous.
It’s rewarding to know that by working in an ag-related career, you are making a difference.
Plus, the industry is an easy sector to network and make lasting connections with others in
your field.
It is undeniable that the agriculture industry is one of the smartest career paths to take.
Whether you are looking for a company that you fit in with, a competitive salary, or you want
to make a difference, the agricultural sector has such a wide variety of jobs to choose from
that it is easy to find what suits you best. It’s a growing field that needs new and talented
employees to be ready to fill positions and be the next generation of agriculture.

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