AGRICULTURE INPUTS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR PRODUCTIVITY - AN OVERVIEW

Abstract

Agriculture in India shifted its scope and focuses more on towards commercialization and export-orientation. Creation of employment opportunities and achieving food security are among the top priorities in the policies related to agriculture. Thus agriculture has been a prominent sector accounting for 14.2 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2011 agriculture and agro-industries are considered to be highly important for the country’s economic development. Although the service and industrial sectors showed higher rates of growth and have been contributing higher percentages to Gross National Product (GNP), Worldwide, expansion in agricultural commodities and food products has been accompanied by significant increase in usage of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, farm machinery and improved seed material. The use of such intensive inputs in agriculture and access to plentiful energy, where they were previously limited or unavailable, has enabled an increase in food production and thus provides better food and livelihood security.