India is largely termed as an Agrarian economy. Usually known as “krishi Pradhan Desh”. India has around 159.7 million hectares of land under cultivation, which is the 2nd largest in the world. Agriculture is the foremost source of livelihood for about 70% of the population of India. According to the IBEF report, the gross value by agriculture, forestry and fishing is estimated as $276.37 billion in 2020.
During the pandemic, farmers were in a state of agony as it left to rot in the open or sold at a cheap rate. Along with that transportation constraints, labor shortage and limited market access with almost no buyer affected the Indian farmers which made them trade online and it resulted in a massive growth in startup.
In 2019 a report from NASSCOM announced that India is home for more than 450 agriculture startups and they’re increasing with a growth rate of 25% every year.
Importance of Farming
For decades agriculture has been associated with production of essential food crops agriculture plays a critical role in the economy. Agriculture also provides employment opportunities. Some of the importance of the agriculture are
- Source of livelihood : Farming is one of the main sources of livelihood approximately 70% the people directly rely on agriculture.
- Contribution to National income : Agriculture is the main source of national income for developing countries.
- Supply of food and fodder : Agriculture sector provides food and fodder for humans and domestic animals, moreover livestock also meets people’s food requirements.
- Source of raw materials : The paramount source of raw materials to major industries are agriculture such as cotton and jute fabric sugar, edible as well as non-edible oils.
- Foreign exchange revenue : The nation’s export trade depends largely on the agricultural sector. Agricultural commodities accounts for approximately 18% of the entire value of export of a country
- Employment opportunities : Farming sector provides a lot of employment opportunities to the labor force that reduce the high rate of unemployment in developing countries caused by the fast growing population.
Emerging technologies
Indian startup are bringing innovation to keep the sector functional with the integration of newest technologies in which Internet of Things, AI, Data analytics and remote sensing
1. Emergence of drone:
External factors like soil conditions, weather, and temperature play a key role in farming. Drone for agriculture purposes empowers the farmer to adapt to specific environments and make their choices accordingly. The data gained helps to regulate crop health, crop treatment, crop scouting, irrigation, and carry out field soil analysis and crop damage assessments. The drone survey helps in the expansion of crop yield and minimize time and expenses.
2. Emergence of smart farming:
The emergence of Smart Farming pays attention to application of acquired data and combining it from various data sources to show the bigger picture to manage all the activities of the farm. Smart farming has brought about a huge leap from traditional farming as it brings certainty and predictability to the table where tools like Robotics, automation and cloud software systems are used. The technologies like sensors, drones and Robotics equipment placed throughout the farms can gain the data and this data is processed to produce farm insights. Cloud based software is used to collect the data on farms and process the data related to weather patterns, irrigation, yields and satellite imagery and many more.
3. Emergence of greenhouse farming:
Greenhouse farming is a method of farming crops within a sheltered pattern covered by a transparent, or partially transparent, material. The aim of greenhouses is to deliver favorable growing conditions and to protect crops from unfavorable weather and various pests.
Conclusion
Farming is a very risky business. The agricultural sector has been of vital importance in India which undergoes a huge process of transition to a market economy, with considerable changes in the productive and supply set-ups, legal, structural, social, as is the case with all other sectors of the economy.