New Century Publications Agricultural Inputs & Services in India

The agricultural sector occupies a key position in India's economy, providing employment to about 65% of the working population. It is therefore natural that the problems of farmers are addressed with a sense of urgency. Even though this sector may not be considered equal to the levels of developed countries, some notable developments have occurred since the country's independence in 1947. Large agricultural areas, which have suffered from repeated droughts, have received irrigation. New crops have come to occupy a significant position in India's production and trade, while agricultural and industrial economies now exert a powerful influence on one another. The problems of rural indebtedness, along with the exploitative practices of the village moneylenders, are lower, and, in the countryside, there is an awakening of a better standard of living. Low levels of yields in Indian agriculture are attributable mainly to a lack of agricultural services and the unsatisfactory spread of new technological practices. This book focuses on the quality of agricultural inputs and services in India, along with the government's policies and programs to improve them. [Subject: India Studies, Economics, Agricultural Studies, Development Studies]