Author: Dr. Shrabanti Mondal
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/02110009
Abstract: Agriculture is crucial for ensuring food, nutrition and livelihood securities for India and it engages almost two-third of the workforce in gainful employment. On account of its close linkages with other economic sectors, agricultural growth has a multiplier effect on the entire economy of the country. Although in the past years, Indian agriculture had made a significant progress, but currently it faces many challenges. Stagnation of net sown area, plateauing yield level, and deterioration of soil quality, reduction in per capita land availability and the adverse effect of climate change are the major challenges to Indian agriculture. Moreover, the increased rate of population is pressurizing the agricultural sector for enhanced food production. The task is very challenging because, about 60% of the net cultivated area is rained and exposed to biotic and abiotic stresses arising from climatic variability and climate change. More than 80% of Indian farmers are marginal farmers, having cultivable land of less than one hectare or small farmers with cultivable land area of one to two hectares, with poor coping capacity. Additionally, the Indian farmers are heterogeneous and unorganized in nature. Climate change and its variability are likely to aggravate the problem of future food security by putting pressure on agriculture affecting its sustainability.
Keywords: Agriculture, Unorganized, Food, Farmer, Sustainability
Page No: 82-88