Composite Farming Practices and Economic Development

Agriculture and allied activities sector is the most important segment of the economy. Technological progress and introduction of scientific agricultural inputs have made remarkable improvement in agriculture and allied activities. It is technological innovation and efforts of devoted scientists, which enabled us to achieve strategic breakthrough in agriculture. The process of diversification in agriculture, the success of technological breakthrough is area specific as well as crop specific. Some other emerging problems in agricultural sector are–soil degradation, environmental pollution, food security, non-sustainable agricultural practice, credit availability etc. The rapid growth of population and technological revolution has created a serious concern to the existence of life on earth. Indiscriminate use of natural resources has also posed a serious threat to the environment. Our natural resources will be at increasing risk from soil degradation, deforestation, water scarcity and contamination, loss of bio diversity and climatic changes owing to over consumption. The changing agro-system-environment has posed a question mark on the sustainability of the production system. We are generally neglecting our agricultural sector in economic development’, is common refrain of many economists. Our farmers need to augment their income by some complementary farming activities like fishery, dairying, poultry, horticulture, floriculture and even social forestry. By this way our agriculture sector will improve, and will give a thrust to economic development of the country.