| The role of agriculture in India’s economic development continues to be of great importance, as a producer of food, as an employer of about two-thirds of the labor force, and as a source of purchasing power for much of the nonagricultural consumer goods and services in the economy. Thus, rapid growth in agricultural is essential for sustainable growth and development of the economy. Within agriculture, foodgrain production is by far the major activity, covering about 80 percent of the cropped area in India and providing the main staple source of food. Foodgrains provide almost all the calories and proteins consumed by the poor and provide the rural poor with the bulk of their employment and income. Further, with a population of some 800 million people,... |
