Environmental, Industrialization, Management, Economics, Agriculture, Rural and Urban Development Towards Sustainable Potential ISBN: : 978-81-959050-0-3 Pub. Date: 31/01/2023 Volume: I Agricultural Problems and Prospects of India Dr. Vidhya Kshirsagar1, Dr. Ashwini Kadam2, Mr. Vaisanth Nair3 1,2,3 , D. Y. Patil Deemed to be University, School of Management Sector 4, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614 Corresponding author- Dr. Vidhya Kshirsagar Email-vidhya.kshirsagar@dypatil.edu, DOI- 10.5281/zenodo.7736693 Abstract India is a country, which is highly popular, in agriculture, but with a huge population of more than 2 Billion people, there is always a place to improve its agriculture methods. Post-Independence, India concentrated heavily on boosting its agricultural sector, and during the last ten years, numerous agricultural reforms have been implemented. Almost half of the population of India is employed in agriculture. As a result, farmers play a crucial role in the industry that produces food and making India one of the key players in the global agricultural industry. Currently, India is, one of the 3 largest producers of many different crops, and also has the highest irrigation fields available in the world. Around 54% of the economy and labor is dependent on Agriculture. Over the years new methods and policies have been brought up to elevate the agricultural sector but still, there are many farmers who are still not able to have a good life or provide such life to their offspring. Right now, after the new Government has formed it has been made several new policies for the agricultural sector. In this paper, we will be looking into the problems which the agricultural sector is facing, solutions given by the government and what can be done more for this sector. Keywords- New method, Policies, Economy, Labour caliber. One of the biggest issues with Indian Introduction agriculture is that farmers there have a difficult time India has always been one of the countries known affording superior seeds because of their high cost. for its agriculture and products related to it and more than half of the income and also its employment was Fertilizers and Manures For thousands of years, Indian soil had been used based in agricultural sector. Currently India is the for growing crops without replenishment. Due to largest producer of milk, jute, pulses with being the this, soils have become depleted and worn out, second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, which has reduced their yield. The same function groundnut, etc. Even though this is a huge that nutritious food serves for the human body also achievement still there are many farmers who are applies to manures and fertilizers for soils. Like how struggling for 1 day’s meal. There have been many well-fed humans can handle any task competently, instances of mass suicide of farmers in India due to well-nourished soil can produce good harvests. debt and other personal reasons, which is not a good Around 70% of the growth in agricultural output is thing the country has a whole, currently the new attributed, according to estimates, to increased government has brought in many new policies due fertilizer application. Increased fertilizer use is to which the agricultural sector is growing and this therefore a sign of agricultural prosperity. It growth can be also be seen in the statistic of the becomes difficult to produce and supply manures country. Growth of a country like India will depend and fertilizers for low-income peasants in such a on how much their Agricultural sector is growing largely populated country like India. Chemical and what is its future chance for advancement. fertilizers are costly, and small-scale farmers Agricultural Problems of India frequently cannot afford them. The fertilizer Small and Fragmented Land-holdings Among the most pressing difficulties confronting problem is thus complicated and serious. Indian farmers is the issue of small and fragmented Irrigation holdings in densely populated and intensively After China, India is the world's second-largest farmed states, in which the average size of land irrigated nation, yet just a one-third of its agriculture holdings is less than one hectare, and in some is irrigated. Irrigation is the most essential regions, less than 0.5 hectares. As a result, there is a agricultural input in India, which has a tropical significant disparity between small, medium, and monsoon with irregular, inconsistent, and variable big farmers. Our inheritance rules are at the basis of rainfall. India will not be able to achieve substantial this regrettable scenario. agricultural breakthroughs unless and until more than 50% of the cultivated land is protected by Seeds To increase crop yields and keep agricultural output reliable irrigation. Even though, careful planning is growing steadily, seeds are a crucial and needed to prevent the negative impacts of excessive fundamental component. Just as significant as their irrigation, particularly in areas that are irrigated by production is the distribution of seeds of a certain canals. Due to improper irrigation, large swaths of 195 Fern International Publication Pune Environmental, Industrialization, Management, Economics, Agriculture, Rural and Urban Development Towards Sustainable Potential land in Punjab and Haryana have been rendered worthless areas afflicted by salinity, alkalinity, and water logging. Storage In rural areas, there are either no storage facilities at all or they are woefully inadequate. Due to this, the farmers had to sell the crops as soon as possible to the market at the rate it was on that time which most of the time are low. These distressed sales cause the farmers to lose their proper income. Poor storage conditions alone accounted for 6.6% of postharvest losses, or 9.3% of those losses, according to the Parse Committee's estimation. Therefore, it is critical to employ effective storage to guard against losses and benefit both consumers and producers. Capital Agriculture is a large sector that, like other industries, requires finance to run. With the improvement of agricultural technology, the importance of capital input is growing. Because the farmer's capital is limited by his fields and stocks, he must borrow money to increase agricultural output. Farmers in rural regions continue to rely on moneylenders, comission and traders, brokers who charge outrageous interest rates and buy agricultural products at minimum prices. Improper Supply Chain Management Farmers' capacity to monetize their produce is reduced because markets are the major venue through which they exchange their produce for cash. Lack of logistics connectivity would prevent their crop from reaching markets in a timely manner. Farming as a viable livelihood Urbanization is encouraged by newer generations' reluctance in following in their parents' footsteps. The majority of farmers do not have a buffer in case of one poor crop, whether caused on by pests, wayward rainfall, etc. Policy Implications for the Major Agricultural Problems of India Small and Fragmented Land-holdings The only option to remedy this aggravating situation is to consolidate holdings, which requires redistributing dispersed holdings and establishing farms composed of just one or a few patches rather than the different patches that were previously under the jurisdiction of each peasant. Unfortunately, this strategy has not been very effective. Prior to 19901991, there was a consolidation of around 45 million farm holdings. Cooperative farming is a distinct approach to this challenge, in which producers pool their resources and share earnings. Seeds The Indian government formed the National Seeds Corporation (NSC) in 1963 and the SFCI in 1969 to solve this issue. In addition, 13 SSCs (State Seed Corporations) were formed to provide farmers' ISBN: : 978-81-959050-0-3 Pub. Date: 31/01/2023 Volume: I access to improved seeds. The engagement of the seed business strives to develop varietal variety in order to fit the country's varied agro-climatic areas, as well as to produce an acceptable supply of highquality seeds. The Indian seed industry has developed dramatically over the years, and it is expected to continue to provide chances for agricultural production increase. The policy declarations are meant to provide Indian farmers with adequate access to high-quality seed at the appropriate time, location, and cost so that country’s food and nutrition can be obtained securely. Fertilizers and ManuresOrganic manures are thought to be necessary for sustaining healthy soil. The potential 650 million metric tons of rural compost and 160 lakh tons of urban compost in the country are now unused. Using this skill will tackle the dual concerns of waste disposal and soil fertilization. As an incentive, the government has significantly subsidized the usage of chemical fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers were almost never employed throughout the age of independence. Both government action and a shift in the attitudes of some progressive farmers contributed to the substantial growth in fertilizer use. Biocides are used to protect crops and minimize losses. Increased usage of these inputs has prevented many crops, particularly food crops, from being lost inadvertently. IrrigationIrrigation of more than half of cultivable land is the single element contributing to the great achievement of agricultural growth in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. Irrigation is still required over huge regions to boost agricultural yield. Water resources may be utilized to their greatest potential and conveniently dispersed to the regions where they are most required thanks to interstate water management cooperation. It is conceivable to link rivers and develop national canals and channels to boost irrigation systems and support farmers if the monsoon fails. Storage Many firms now carry out warehousing and storage activities. Three of the primary companies involved in this initiative are the Central Warehousing Corporation, the Food Corporation of India (F.C.I.), and the State Warehousing Corporation. These organizations contribute to the creation of a reserves that can be utilized in an emergency. In 1979-1980, the Central Government established a countrywide grid of rural go downs. This strategy places storage facilities near farmers' fields, particularly for marginal and local farmers. The Working Group on Additional Storage Facilities in Rural Areas has suggested a plan to 196 Fern International Publication Pune Environmental, Industrialization, Management, Economics, Agriculture, Rural and Urban Development Towards Sustainable Potential develop a network of Rural Storage Centers to benefit the farming community financially. Capital Even so, the lender continues to be the only source of agricultural loans despite losing ground. Institutions such as State Cooperative Banks, Commercial Banks, Central Cooperative Banks, Government Agencies and even Central Cooperative Banks, as to offer farmers loans with favorable terms in order to significantly alter the rural finance landscape. Future prospects to Improve Agriculture Sector Currently India is one of the top 3 countries which infest the Agritech, but when it comes to Agri-food life science it is lack lustre, compared to other countries. Agri-food life science has 4 main categories: - Agriculture Biotechnology, Novel farming System, Bio-energy and Bio-materials, and Innovative Foods. So with AFLS it can open a new world for agriculture and it is also going to be the future of agriculture. Even though India is investing in it, it is only $10 million, when compared to $6 billion invested globally for its start-up. India should start building and start-up on AFLS and also see to it that its current position in the world for agriculture is not lost. When export markets grow, cities set the example for diet diversification into high-value commodities. In the coming decade, cities will try to protect their supply systems from outside disruptions. Customers will bring the production of greens closer to them and have them on demand as a result of their demand for freshness and instant satisfaction. The other concept which can help agriculture sector is Smart Farming, which bring AI to farming or more precisely getting a robot to take care of the entire agriculture related things. The Government is implementing a Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) which includes Farmers Database, Unified Farmers Service Interface (UFSI), India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA), Funding to the States on the new Technology (NeGPA), Soil Health, Fertility, Revamping Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) and profile mapping. Future infrastructure developments and technological advancements will significantly alter how farmers and consumers operate. Conclusion India is currently one of the leaders of production of crops and the current government has also brought in many policies which helped the Agriculture as a whole but at the end of the day as a new day approaches new technology and methods also follows it, so if India still want to maintain its position in the top ranking then it has to invest in the more technologies to improve to current technology and it is a ongoing circle which will never stop. If ISBN: : 978-81-959050-0-3 Pub. Date: 31/01/2023 Volume: I both the people and government don’t work together and support each other by finding the places necessary for the changes and makes changes on it then not only in agriculture sector but no sector will ever advance. Refernces 1. Sangamithra, A., and P.Arun Kumar. “A Study on Occupation related Health Problems among Agriculture Workers in Theni District.” Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities, vol. 4, no. 4, 2017, pp. 29-34. 2. Santhi, S., and G. Veerakumaran. “Impact Assessment of Kerala Flood 2018 on Agriculture of Farmers in Edathua Panchayat, Kuttanad Taluk of Alappuzha District.” Shanlax International Journal of Economics, vol. 7, no. 4, 2019, pp. 24-28. 3. Saravanan, S. “Problems of Vegetable Producing Farmers in Erode, Coimbatore and Tiruppur Districts of Tamil Nadu.” Indian Journal of Marketing, vol. 42, no. 10, 2012. 4. Sharma, K.D., and B.Soni. Land Use Diversification For Sustainable Rain Fed Agriculture. Atlantic Publishers, 2006. 5. Suguna, M., and M. Jayanth. “A Study on Problems Faced by Paddy Cultivators in Salem District.” International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, vol. 9, no. 3, 2020, pp. 3364-3367. 6. Sweda, and T.S. Srithar. “Impact of Agricultural Credit - An Analysis of Sample Farmer.” Shanlax International Journal of Commerce, vol. 2, no. 3, 2014, pp. 1-6. 197 Fern International Publication Pune