Sustainable Agricultural Development and Poverty — Some Issues for Policy Interventions

During the past five decades, production of foodgrains has made an impressive growth and has greatly reduced the poverty. The income of rural people and consumption of food has increased, but despite increased buffer stocks, poverty still exists in the country. Moreover, there are wide variations in the level of agricultural growth and extent of poverty across different regions. It has also been observed that the average levels of income and poverty are not necessarily correlated, but inequality in the distribution of income and other resources is more important. The incidence of poverty, especially rural poverty, largely depends on agricultural growth, and is closely related to the development of other infrastructure also. This calls for developing adequate infrastructure and policy support for creating farmer-friendly atmosphere of promoting agro sector as a business enterprise so that enough gainful employment can be created in the rural areas. In addition, there is a need to strengthen the entrepreneurial ability of rural households to diversify their farming system and start new ventures for enhancing their income opportunities.