Effects of globalisation in the Indian farming sector?

Answer 1

From decades back to the 21st century, India has come a long way in the agriculture sector. The Indian Agricultural sector provides employment to about 65% of the labour force, accounts for 27% of GDP, contributes 21% of total exports, and raw materials to several industries. The Livestock sector contributes an estimated 8.4 % to the country GDP and 35.85 % of the agricultural output. India is the seventh largest producer of fish in the world and ranks second in the production of inland fish. Fish production has increased from 0.75 million tons in 1950-51 to 5.14 million tons in 1996-97, a cumulative growth rate of 4.2% per annum, which has been the fastest of any item in the food sector, except potatoes, eggs and poultry meat.There are all positive effects of globalisation on Indian farming: import of technology and management for seeds, farming practices, equipment, growth in productivity and raid gropwth in exports besides higher incomes and purchasing power to farmers. The negative effect is due more to the bad practices and high cost as well as small and fragmented holdings and subsidy of the pre-globalisation period than globalisation. Globalisation means Indian farmers access to the best world technology and the rich consumers market abroad. However, globalisation is the least in agriculture because of political reasons. Because agriculture is not being exposed to globalisation fast enough, farmers are still producing much below their potential and remains in low productive levels. Absence of reforms in tune with globalisation is constraing the abilty of farming activity to grow and most agriculturists suffer high indebtedness and live at abject poverty levels. Rapid globalisation and deriving the maximum benefits of globalisation is not possible without reforms to set farming free. Investment in agriculture will not be forthcomig unless countries allow commercial farming linked to globalisation.