Traditional Agriculture and its issues; the changing facets

[Campus]

Even today more than 65% of our people are depending on agriculture and what it produces. Since most of the farmers are uneducated and custom-bound they follow traditional methods of agriculture. Agricultural operations such a ploughing, planting, putting chemicals and fertilizers, taking out seeds, cutting crops, separating, seeds from the plants, cleaning the grains—are carried on through human or animal power. The farmers are not able to follow the modern scientific mode of cultivation and this is reflected in the relatively poor agricultural production. A large number of farmers still depend on the monsoon. In many places dams and tanks are built and the canal water facility is provided but this is not in tune with the demand thus the farmers face a lack of irrigation facilities and have to rely upon the Nature. Then there are landholding issues with the farmers, the average size of land holdings in India is very low. It is often said that the Indian farmer born in debt lives in debt and dies in debts. The poor conditions of the Indian farmer compel him to borrow money from the local money lenders who charge exorbitant interests and squeeze their clients to the maximum. It is a kind of a vicious circle. Small farmers, landless laborers and bonded laborers are in too much pathetic condition. And ultimately there is a defective marketing system in the Indian agricultural sector. Lack of transport and storage facility and absence of systematic marketing facility is ruining the economic strength of the farmers.