Improving livelihood through allied agriculture activity and formation of farmer producer organisation

Abstract

India is an agrarian economy since ages and agriculture plays most important role in India’s economy where 54.6% of the total workforce is engaged in agricultural and allied agriculture activities (Census 2011), and provides 17.1% of the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA) for the year 2017-18 (at current prices). India ranks second worldwide in farming activities, and agriculture and allied agriculture activities provide livelihood of nearly 70% of rural population. Women account for more than 47% of agriculture labour and dominate the smallscale food processing sector. It is assumed that an increased income from agriculture related activities is used to purchase high quality nutritious food that improve nutrition level of rural poor population, which in turn will solve the problem of poverty, malnutrition and employment. Indian agriculture has seen a large disparity between the per capita income in the farming sector and non-farming sector. Past initiative and policy implementation has seen focusing on raising agriculture output and improving food security by the government. This policy strategy involved (a) An increase in agriculture productivity through better technology and increased use of fertiliser, quality seed, increased irrigation and agro chemicals. (b) remunerative prises as an incentive for some crops and subsidies on farm output. (c) Increased public investment for agriculture, (d) Facilitating institutions. This policy framework performed greater good as country was able to address food shortage and reduction in death due to unavailability of food. Since the adoption of green revolution, during (1965-2015) 50- year period India’s food production multiplied 3.4 times and population growth multiplied 2.55 times. A 45 % increase in per person food production has given India a state of food selfsufficient at aggregate level, and India also became food exporting country.