How to Increase Agricultural Productivity? (11 Way...
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The following points highlight the top eleven suggestions to increase agricultural productivity.
Ways # 1. Transport Facilities:
To facilitate the farmers to produce new farm inputs and enable them to sell their product in markets, villages should be linked with mandies.
It would help to raise their income which in turn stimulates the farmer’s interest to adopt better farm technology with sufficient income.
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Thus the cultivator can invest more for the improvement of land.
Ways # 2. Irrigation Facilities:
Crop productivity depends not only on the quality of input but also on the irrigation facilities. Therefore, canals, tube wells should be constructed to provide better irrigation facilities for the security of crops. Extensive flood control measures should be adopted to prevent the devastation caused by floods.
Ways # 3. Institutional Credit:
To save the farmers from the clutches of moneylenders, adequate credit facilities should be made available at reasonable cheap rates in rural areas. The land mortgage banks and co-operative credit societies should be strengthened to provide loans to the cultivators. Moreover, integrated scheme of rural credit must be implemented.
Ways # 4. Proper Marketing Facilities:
Marketing infrastructure should be widened and strengthened to help the farmers to sell their products at better prices. There should be proper arrangements for unloading of the produce in the markets. Besides, price support policy must be adopted and minimum prices should be guaranteed to the peasants.
Ways # 5. Supply of Quality Inputs:
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The farmer in the country should be supplied with quality inputs at proper times and at controlled prices. To protect the farmers exploitation, effective steps are needed to be taken to check the sale of adulterated fertilizers.
Ways # 6. Consolidation of Holdings:
In various states consolidation of holdings is not satisfactory. Therefore, efforts should be made towards completing the consolidation work in the specific period of time. Big areas of land which are lying waste, can be reclaimed and made fit for cultivation.
Ways # 7. Agricultural Education:
In a bid to guide and advise the farmers regarding the adoption of new technology arrangements should be made for agricultural education and extension services. It would assist the farmers to take proper crop-care leading to increase in crop productivity.
Ways # 8. Reduction of Population on Land:
As we know, that in our country, majority of population depends on agriculture to earn their both ends meet. This increases the pressure of population on land which leads to subdivision and fragmentation of land holdings.
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Therefore, proper climate should be generated to encourage the farm people to start employment in subsidiary occupations. It will help to reduce the population pressure on land. Surplus labour should be withdrawn from agriculture sector and be absorbed in non-agricultural sector.
Ways # 9. Provision of Better Manure Seeds:
The farmers should be made familiar with the advantage of chemical fertilizer through exhibitions and these inputs should be made easily available through co-operative societies and panchayats. Liberal supplies of insecticides and pesticides should be distributed at the cheap rates all over the country side.
Ways # 10. Land Reforms:
It is also suggested that efforts should be made to plug the loopholes in the existing land legislations so that the surplus land may be distributed among the small and marginal farmers. The administrative set-up should be streamlined and corrupt elements should also be punished. It will help to implement the law properly.
Ways # 11. Co-operative Farming:
To check the sub-division and fragmentation of holding, the movement of co-operative farming should be launched. Co-operative farming would result in the adoption of modern technology on so-called big farms. In this way, agriculture will become profitable occupation through economies of large-scale farming.
Ways # 12. Development of Cottage and Small Scale Industries:
In rural areas, more emphasis should be made to set up cottage and small scale industries. This will raise the income of the peasants and keep them busy during the off season.