Question

why is agricultural diversification necessary in india

Answer 1

In the agricultural context, diversification can be regarded as the re-allocation of some of a farm's productive resources, such as land, capital, farm equipment and pices to other farmers and, particularly in richer countries, non-farming activities such as restaurants and shops. Factors leading to decisions to diversify are many, but include; reducing risk, responding to changing consumer demands or changing government policy, responding to external shocks and, more recently, as a consequence of climate change.While most definitions of diversification in developing countries do work on the assumption that diversification primarily involves a substitution of one crop or other agricultural product for another, or an increase in the number of enterprises, or activities, carried out by a particular farm, the definition used in developed countries sometimes relates more to the development of activities on the farm that do not involve agricultural production. For example, one section of the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) defines diversification as “the entrepreneurial use of farm resources for a non-agricultural purpose for commercial gain”. Using this definition DEFRA found that 56% of UK farms had diversified in 2003. The great majority of diversification activities simply involved the renting out of farm buildings for non-farming use, but 9% of farms had become involved with processing or retailing, 3% with provision of tourist accommodation or catering, and 7% with sport or recreational activities.Others adopt a broader definition, which may include development of new marketing opportunities.

In developing countries such as India, which has been one of the leaders in promoting diversification, the concept is applied both to individual farmers and to different regions, with government programmes being aimed at promoting widespread diversification. The concept in India is seen as referring to the “shift from the regional dominance of one crop to regional production of a number of crops ...... (which takes into account)..... the economic returns from different value-added crops... with complementary marketing opportunities”.

Diversification can be a response to both opportunities and threats.

Answer 2

A large number of children suffer from malnutrition and they belong to places where poverty is widespread and/or the vagaries of weather affect agricultural production of food crops. It is, therefore, necessary that the right kind of easy to grow crops are cultivated in those regions, which are rich in food value and can withstand extremities of weather.
Sometimes the soil in certain places are not conducive to the cultivation of certain crops. Alternative crops should be developed through research and/or procured from elsewhere and grown in such places. We must introduce drip irrigation and such other techniques as the Israelis have developed in arid and semi-arid regions.
High-yielding cash crops should also be developed to replace the existing low-yielding varieties.
Another area of agricultural research should be to develop fruits, vegetables and crops that can withstand to a higher extent attacks by pests. In addition to this, more research should be carried out in developing green fertiliser to replace some of the chemical fertilisers and in the development of less toxic pesticides.