Strength, weakness, opportunity and threat of Indian agriculture

Agriculture in India today is on threshold. Having evolved through distinct era from traditional farming of post independence time to mechanized farming to the green revolution of sixties to Biotechnological regime and presently to the Genetic Engineering era the sector though forms the backbone of Indian economy, yet is witnessing a decline in its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product from. 39% in the seventies to 14% at present. It is growing at a slow pace of 1.76% much below the target set up by the National Development council. The declining size of land holdings, the near stagnant or low productivity of our crops, the rise of temperature as a result of Global warming leading to the decline of productivity of major crop like wheat in Northern regions and threat of land degradation looming large on the agricultural sector, the situation calls for a threadbare analysis of the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and the threats facing the sector. At the international level too, Indian agriculture is facing competition from developed countries due to Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization following the post WTO regine. The traditional cropping systems need to be replaced by location specific farming system models to increase income, employment and reduction of risk. About 60% of the cultivated area is rainfed. These areas can be suitable exploited by suitable technological interventions in the form of drought resistant varieties to raise production. Food processing is another sector where investment can lead to employment generation along with creation of productive assets in the rural areas. Stress is to be laid on marketing aspect of the extension. The coming time is definiteiy going to further aggravate the situation unless corrective steps are taken to strengthen our weaknesses and to find out the right kind of opportunity from the available ones. It is in this context that a SWOT analysis of agriculture helps to identify our weaknesses which can place us at a disadvantage, relative to others, threats which cause trouble for us, strengths which give us advantage over others and finally the opportunities that can be exploited to achieve our objectives and get maximum advantage for the enterprise.