Chapter 4

Question 1

Who believed that agriculture is the soul of the Indian economy?

Answer 1

Mahatma Gandhi

Question 2

What is the average annual growth rate of agriculture and allied sectors?

Answer 2

3.3%

Question 3

Causes of low productivity in Indian agriculture : Human factors?

Answer 3

1. Social atmosphere: Indian farmers are less efficient, reliant on God or kismet. They waste money on customs and rituals
2. Population pressure : Per capita availability of cultivable land is extremely low, which leads to subdivision and fragmentation of land.

Question 4

Causes of low productivity in Indian agriculture : technological factors?

Answer 4

1. Lack of irrigation facilities : only one-third of all cultivable land has the facility of artificial irrigation. Most farmers depend on the uncertain rainfall for irrigation. Hence agriculture is a gamble for millions of farmers.
2. Limited use of fertilisers: use of fertilisers by Indian farmers is much low compared to the level achieved in developed countries.
3. Limited use of HYV seeds
4. Use of pesticides and insecticides not widespread.
5. Lack of farm mechanisation : limited to affluent farmers in selected regions
6. Floods and soil erosion : consequent water logging dislocates production cycle, resulting in loss of output

Question 5

Causes of low productivity in Indian agriculture : institutional factors?

Answer 5

1. Zamindari system: as tenants can evicted any time, they do not take interest in the land, and zamindars are not interested in cultivation. Although this system is now abolished, it continues to exist in different forms. Big landlords lease out their land to tenants in rural areas, charging high rent. No incentive for tenant farmers of increased land productivity
2. Small sized holdings are inefficient. Modern technology is difficult to implement and leads to quarrels and litigations among farmers
3. Rural indebtedness : poverty of the farmer forces him to borrow money at high rates of interest from money lenders
4. Marketing problem: present system not favourable to the interests of farmers, denies the farmers a reasonable return for their efforts