The True Scope of Agriculture

Agriculture has been the primary occupation of human beings, and that too a very important one. It provides a variety of products - crops - that are essential for humankind. Agriculture not only supports humans for their subsistence, but helps a large number of industries too.

Agriculture forms the raw material for numerous farm products based industries. The basic products, resulting from agricultural activities, are processed in big factories, before the final product is marketed. As such, agriculture generates employment, both for people working in the farming sector as well as those in the industrial, agriculture-based sector.

These days, agriculture has become an important commercial activity. A variety of crops are grown, which can be classified as -

oFood crops

oCommercial crops

oFiber crops

oBeverage crops.

Agriculture has benefited a great deal from the various advancements in the field of science and technology - with modern machines making the 'field' jobs much easier than ever before. All over the world, agriculture is managed efficiently with the help of modern farm equipment. In the US, farmers rely much more on technology than on manual labor.

Machines are used for all important farm operations like - tilling, sowing, harvesting, sorting of fruits, etc. Most farmers prefer employing those laborers who are skillful, and who can operate upon their tractors, combines and harvesters. In fact, farmers are also ever so ready to try out every new development in the variety of crops, pesticides, fertilizers and the like.

The importance of agriculture also lies in the fact that it supports the export sector also - most of the farmers in the United States produce largely for exports, as the soil produce is quite fertile, and coupled with modern technology, the returns are huge. Some of the major farm products are crops like - rice, wheat, sugarcane, cotton, jute, tea, coffee and rubber - which are produced in most parts of the world.

In countries that export surplus farm output, agriculture is all the more significant, and the agricultural production is fairly high. As the farmer gets a good profit, his financial position, especially in developed countries, is better than many other entrepreneurs. He is now able to purchase the latest machinery, use latest techniques of farming, buy new and improved hybrid varieties of seeds, and use the best fertilizers to increase productivity.

Nowadays, there are improvements in wholesale marketing as well as transportation of farm products. The use of refrigeration systems and efficient rail transport has made possible the safe delivery of perishable farm products like dairy products, vegetables, and fruits. With barely 4% of total population of United States engaged in agriculture, they have huge exportable surplus.

Agriculture is not just limited to crop cultivation, dairy farming has become an indispensable part of the agricultural process. Dairy farming is the practice of farming in which cattle are kept for milk and milk products. Oftentimes, poultry is also included. In fact, the scope of agriculture has widened, with interrelated sectors over-lapping one another; and in the present scenario, each of these sectors is as important as any other!

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is one of the ancient occupations of the Indian civilization. From the ancient civilization, agriculture is the key occupation of farmers. In layman’s language, cultivation of crops from the arable land is known as agriculture. Agriculture is considered to be the basic occupation of the Indian population. Nearly 70% of the people in India are working and involved in the agricultural sector. Also the land in India is very much fertile and very much friendly for growing any fruits, crops, minerals etc.

Farmers are the ones, who do agriculture and make sure that the entire process right from sowing the seed to its harvesting is taken care of. They also make sure, that right seed is sowed at the right time and harvesting is also done at the apt time. During yesteryears, agriculture was carried on with equipments like plough, tractor, bullocks etc. but nowadays many modern techniques and equipments are invented to make agriculture easy task.

Moreover, techniques are advanced in terms of soil that is, if a particular soil is not responding to a seed to grow than through technology soil is made in such circumstances that they support the conditions. Agriculture being backbone of the Indian economy, most of the revenue is generated from this sector only. Also Indian is very advanced in terms of agriculture education. People from various places around the world come in India to study agriculture science. Looking at the growth and technologies used by India, all the countries are trying to focus on agriculture. Many experts are asked to give lectures or take seminars on agricultural studies to various places.

There are many people, places where the real essence of agriculture is not understood. Even now, there are many places in India where the agriculture is not given importance. A farmer who sows and reaps food is exploited in many ways. There are mediators who destroy the real hard work of farmers. There are still the policies of tenancy going on at many places, where farmers are exploited by the landlords and are made work on their own lands.

There are still many changes required in the agriculture sector. Government should allocate more funds in upliftment of farmers, better and better technologies should be provided. One should not neglect the sector, from where we generate the maximum revenue and maximum share in the GDP. That is AGRICULTURE!!!