Farminghas last the ability to be source of subsistence for majority of framers
Answers
Agriculture has important role to play in Indian economy and society. Vibrant agriculture is necessary for ensuring food security, livelihood and as raw material to agro-processing sector.
Despite it being an important sector, it continues to be ridden by problems which have hampered its growth and ability to generate remunerative livelihood. Rising population has resulted in decline in land holding by farmers. Thus India currently has significant population of small and marginal farmers who hold 2-5 ha of land. Equitable and efficient distribution and utilisation of land has been hampered by failure of land reforms. Smaller land size restricts the possibility of mechanization to increase the yield and productivity.
Most of the farmers rely on informal credit arrangement to meet their operational credit requirement due to lack of access to formal credit system caused by absence of rural banking network, lack of land titles and documents. These informal credit arrangements have high interest rates sapping all the income and most of the times pushing them into trap of indebtedness. Farmers even end up losing their land to these lenders.
Public investment in rural areas has been low and whatever is spent has not resulted in development of rural infrastructure. Almost more than half of country lacks irrigation infrastructure. Irrigation is necessary to raise the productivity of dryland farming.