essay on agriculture upsc

Agriculture in India

India is a global agricultural powerhouse. It is the world’s largest producer of milk, pulses, and spices, and has the world’s largest cattle herd (buffaloes), as well as the largest area under wheat, rice and cotton. It manages to handle 65% rainfed area effectively. 

It is the second largest producer of rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, farmed fish, sheep & goat meat, fruit, vegetables and tea. 

Major Crops and Cropping Pattern in India

India is a country with an agrarian economy, with over 54% of the country’s land classified as arable and agriculture industry comprising half of labour market. India's climate varies from humid and dry tropical in the south to temperate alpine in the northern reaches. This diverse climate supports a variety of crops. 

Major crops in India 

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Agriculture Exports: Status and Challenges

Current Affairs Classes Pre cum Mains 2025, Batch Starts: 11th September 2024 Click Here for more information

India’s agriculture exports have grown by 16.5% in April-September 2022 (on a year-on-year basis) compared to April-September in 2021.

Indian agricultural, horticultural and processed foods are exported to more than 100 countries in the world.

Major destination of India agricultural products are USA, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nepal, and Bangladesh

Major commodities in export basket include rice (both Basmati and non-basmati), marine products, sugar, spices, cotton, wheat and buffalo meat.

Agricultural Exports: Trends

India has been a net exporter of agriculture products (exports greater than imports).

India’s agricultural exports (including marine and plantation products) crossed US$ 50 billion during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022.

Technological advancements, government incentives, and institutional changes have contributed to a massive increase in agricultural output.

Source: Indian Express

Agriculture Exports: Potential and Opportunities

• India’s large extent of arable land, complemented by diverse agro-ecological conditions provide huge potential for cultivation of agriculture products.
• According to the FAO, India is the largest producer of milk, pulses and jute, and ranks as the second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut, vegetables, fruit and cotton. India is also one of the leading producers of spices, fish, poultry, livestock and plantation crops.
• Globally, India ranks second in total agricultural production at US$ 367 billion, yet India’s share in export market is minuscule. This indicates huge opportunity in scaling up the exports.
• Effective action at multiple levels, from farm inputs, quality assurance, traceability and certification, to building connections to global value chains (GVCs) can help India reach the US$ 100 billion milestone in agri-food exports.
• Government renewed focus through policies such as  doubling of farmers’ income program; agriculture export policy;  ease of FDI in the agriculture sector have increased  investors confidence.
• Rise in foreign investments promoting agripreneurship. 100%  FDI in agriculture sector is allowed in horticulture, floriculture, apiculture, animal husbandry and aquaculture.

Agriculture Exports: Benefits

• Largest sources of livelihood:  Agriculture employs 152 million Indians as of March, 2022. 70% of rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood.
• Increase Farmers Income: Increase in export of agri-commodities at globally competitive prices will help increase income for farmers.
• Rural Development: Improvement in farm incomes will boost rural demand and contribute to growth of rural economy and development.
• Trade Balance: Agriculture exports have consistently outperformed agri-imports. Agriculture sector has regularly maintained a trade surplus. This helps in mitigating Current Account Deficit (CAD) and help enhance forex reserves.

Agriculture Exports: Challenges

• Inward-looking policies: India’s agriculture policy is focused more on food security and price stabilization to control inflation in domestic market. The policy deprives farmers of higher prices in the international market.
• Value Addition: Lack of branding and promotion is hurting the competitiveness of India’s agriculture exports.
• Lack of uniformity: Lack of uniform quality standards, standardization of commodities and high losses in value chain have limited the potential of export of horticulture produce.
• Trade and Non-trade barriers: Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) in India’s agricultural products breach phytosanitary and sanitary measures in the global market.
• Low Yield: The yield levels of the majority of crops in India remain much lower than the global average.
• Fragmented landholdings: The average farm size in India is only 1.15 hectares. Majority of the Indian farmers belongs to small and marginal category.

Agriculture Exports: Steps taken

Agriculture Export Policy 2018 (AEP):

• Diversify export basket and destinations.
• Boost high value-added agricultural exports.
• Promote indigenous, organic, traditional and non-traditional Agri products exports.
• Provide an institutional mechanism for pursuing market access.
• Enable farmers to get benefit of export opportunities in overseas market.

Cluster Development:

• As part of the Agriculture Export Policy, 46 unique product-district clusters have been identified for export promotion. 2
• 9 Cluster Level Committees have been formed in different clusters like Varanasi (Fresh Vegetables), Ananthpur (Banana), Nagpur (Orange), Lucknow (Mango).

Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS):

• It is the export promotion scheme by the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
• The primary aim of this scheme is to assist businesses in export infrastructure development, quality development and market development.
• The financial assistance under the scheme will range from INR 5 lakh (US$ 6,500) to INR 5 crore (US$ 650,000).

Ministry of Commerce & Industry Schemes:

• The Ministry of Commerce & Industry has also initiated several schemes to promote exports, including Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES), Market Access Initiatives (MAI) Scheme.
• The Ministry has also collaborated with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Railways (and 5 other Ministries) in utilization of Krishi Udan and Krishi Rail respectively, to ease out pressure of high freight rates.
• The effort resulted in smooth movement of perishables to the important Middle East, EU and South East Asian markets.

Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA):

• It was formed in 1986, under the APEDA Act 1985 for the development of the exports of the agriculture sector in India.
• The main functions of the authority are the registration of people as exporters, fixing standards and specifications for the scheduled products, carrying out inspections, collecting statistics and providing information, training and advisory services to the exporters.

Farmer Connect Portal:

• A Farmer Connect Portal has been set up on APEDA’s website for providing a platform for FPOs/FPCs, cooperatives to interact with exporters.
• Around 2360 FPO/FPCs and 2324 exporters have been registered as of 2022.

Virtual Buyer Seller Meets (V-BSM):

• To promote geographical indications (GI) registered with agricultural and processed food products in India.
• 17 V-BSMs have been organised with countries like Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, UAE and USA.

Agri-Cells:

• The Government has set up 13 Agri-Cells in Indian embassies in Vietnam, USA, Bangladesh, Nepal, UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, Japan and Argentina.
• Aim is to provide inputs on real time basis to improve Indian exports at these destinations by promoting trade, tourism, technology and investment goals.

Agriculture Exports: A way ahead

• Empowering the farmer to improve quality: Farmers should be trained about export standards and compliances.  Krishi Vigyan Kendras can be engaged to take export-oriented technology to farmers and creating awareness among farmers about export opportunities.
• Infrastructure status: Providing Infrastructure status to agricultural value chains, such as warehousing, pack-houses, ripening chambers, and cold storage.
• Branding produce from Export Clusters: Export clusters (like Nagpur for Orange) lack organised marketing and branding support for their products. Branding will help ease their entry into international retail chains.
• Promoting Niche Indian products: Traditional wisdom and nutritional value of niche Indian food products, such as Indian variants of millets, fruits, rice, and oilseeds make them excellent export choices.
• Connect to GVCs: There is a need to connect Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) with global value chains and importers from other markets. It can help them understand quality needs and the importers can be assured of quality standards.
• Addressing logistics glitches: Agricultural commodities are perishable; and so logistics must be robust, containers made available timely, and freight costs stabilised.
• Bilateral trade and sectoral agreements: To ensure favourable tariffs for India’s agriculture exports and to address the non-tariff barriers that Indian exports face like the quality and testing protocols, fair trade certifications etc.
• Research and Development: It is important to promote R & D activities for new product development for upcoming markets, like fortification of food products.

Enhancing agriculture exports is one of the most potent lever in improving farm incomes and ensuring rural development.

Source: Indian Express , Indian Express , Indian Express , The Hindu BusinessLine , NABARD

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Essay Paper UPSC 2024 (Mains): Question Paper and Analysis

Last updated on September 21, 2024 by Alex Andrews George

UPSC conducted the Essay Paper , as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2024 on 20-09-2024. The question paper was relatively easy.

There were 8 Essay topics, out of which candidates were asked to write on two topics in 3 hours.

Candidates were supposed to answer about 1000 words for each essay (about 10-12 pages).

Table of Contents

Essay Paper UPSC 2024 Instructions

• Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
• The essay must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
• No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one.
• Word limit, as specified, should be adhered to.
• Any page or portion of the page left blank, must be struck off clearly.

Essay Question Paper – UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2024

Write  two  essays, choosing  one  topic from each of the following Sections A and B, in about 1000-1200 words each:

• Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow them.
• The Empires of the future will be the empires of the mind.
• There is no path to happiness; Happiness is the path.
• The doubter is a true man of Science.
• Social media is Triggering ‘ Fear of Missing Out ‘ amongst the youth , precipitating depression and loneliness.
• Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test the character, give him power.
• All ideas having large consequences are always simple.
• The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.

1. Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow them.

This statement is saying that civilizations flourish where nature is abundant, but as humans build societies, they often damage the environment, leading to barren lands.

Think of it like this: when people settle in areas full of forests and natural resources, they cut down trees, clear land for agriculture, and use up resources to grow their cities.

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Over time, if they’re not careful, that land can turn into a desert—literally or figuratively.

You can use examples from history, like how ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia flourished because of fertile lands, but many of those areas now struggle with desertification due to poor management of resources.

This topic would also fit into discussions around climate change and how modern society has to learn from the past to avoid environmental disasters.

2. The Empires of the future will be the empires of the mind.

Instead of countries or kings conquering land with armies, this topic suggests that future power will come from knowledge and ideas.

Basically, in today’s world, people and nations with advanced technology, innovation, and control over information will be the most powerful.

Think about how big companies like Google, Facebook, or nations leading in artificial intelligence have a huge influence globally.

It’s not about land anymore—it’s about controlling ideas, information, and knowledge.

You could talk about how education, technology, and creativity are becoming the new currency of power in the world.

3. There is no path to happiness; Happiness is the path.

This is a more philosophical topic, saying that happiness isn’t something you “get” after achieving a goal; it’s something you practice every day.

Instead of thinking, “I’ll be happy when I get rich or successful,” the idea is to find happiness in the small things, like enjoying your daily life and being content with what you have.

It’s similar to ideas in Buddhism or mindfulness, where the focus is on being present and finding joy in the journey, not just the destination.

You could compare how different cultures and philosophies view happiness, or discuss why chasing material success doesn’t always lead to happiness.

4. The doubter is a true man of Science.

This one is all about the importance of questioning things in science.

Basically, true scientists don’t accept things at face value—they’re always skeptical, asking questions, and trying to prove ideas wrong to find the truth.

Doubt and questioning are what drive scientific discovery.

You could talk about famous scientists like Galileo or Einstein, who challenged existing beliefs and helped move humanity forward. In today’s world, with so much information available, critical thinking and skepticism are more important than ever, whether it’s in science or in everyday life.

1. Social media is triggering ‘Fear of Missing Out’ amongst the youth, precipitating depression and loneliness.

This topic is something a lot of students today can relate to.

It’s saying that social media makes people feel like they’re missing out on all the fun others are having, which can lead to anxiety, loneliness, and even depression.

Think about Instagram or TikTok—people post their best moments, and it often looks like everyone else is living a perfect life, which can make you feel bad about your own life.

This essay could explore how constant comparison on social media impacts mental health, especially for young people.

You can also mention how it’s important to have balance, maybe even trying social media breaks or focusing on real-life connections.

2. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test the character, give him power.

This is about how people’s true character comes out when they have power.

It’s easy to be good when you’re struggling or when life is tough, but how do you behave when you’re in charge?

Does power make you kind and fair, or does it corrupt you?

You could use examples of political leaders, celebrities, or even people in everyday life.

Abraham Lincoln is often quoted here because he believed that how someone handles power shows their true nature.

This is a great opportunity to discuss leadership, ethics, and what makes a good leader.

3. All ideas having large consequences are always simple.

Some of the most impactful ideas in history are often quite simple.

Think about democracy, freedom, equality—these ideas are straightforward, but they’ve changed the world.

The essay could explore why simplicity makes ideas more powerful—because they’re easier to understand, spread, and act on.

You could compare this with complex ideas that may not be as effective or show how simple principles have led to big movements or discoveries.

4. The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.

This is all about action versus inaction.

It’s saying that it’s better to try something and fail than to do nothing out of fear of being wrong.

Think about how in science, business, or even life, trial and error are necessary for progress.

If you’re too afraid to make mistakes, you’ll never get anywhere.

You could discuss how risk-taking and learning from failures are essential for growth.

This could be applied to entrepreneurship, decision-making in politics, or even personal development.

What Should Aspirants Preparing for UPSC CSE for Next Year do for an essay paper?

Taking the essay paper in the UPSC exam seriously is important. This paper requires you to write 10-12 pages about abstract or philosophical topics, which can be challenging if you’re not well-prepared.

To succeed in this exam and perform well in the essay paper, you should work on improving your comprehension and analytical skills.

To get additional guidance you can join the ClearIAS essay writing program  as well.

Don’t miss: ClearIAS Courses

Summary: Essay Paper UPSC 2024 (Mains)

The UPSC 2024 essay questions are a mix of deep philosophical themes, environmental and historical reflections, and modern social challenges.

Some topics, like “Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow them,” encourage us to reflect on humanity’s impact on nature, while others, like “Social media is triggering Fear of Missing Out,” are very relevant to the digital age and its effect on youth.

There are also essays that dive into personal growth and leadership, such as “There is no path to happiness; Happiness is the path,” which emphasizes finding joy in everyday life, and “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test the character, give him power,” focusing on how power reveals true character.

The key is to connect these topics to real-world examples, whether from history, psychology, science, or personal experiences, and to understand how they apply to both the individual and society today.

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Alex Andrews George is a mentor, author, and social entrepreneur. Alex is the founder of ClearIAS and one of the expert Civil Service Exam Trainers in India.

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Essay on Agriculture for Students and Children

500+ words essay on agriculture.

Agriculture is one of the major sectors of the Indian economy. It is present in the country for thousands of years. Over the years it has developed and the use of new technologies and equipment replaced almost all the traditional methods of farming. Besides, in India, there are still some small farmers that use the old traditional methods of agriculture because they lack the resources to use modern methods. Furthermore, this is the only sector that contributed to the growth of not only itself but also of the other sector of the country.

Growth and Development of the Agriculture Sector

India largely depends on the agriculture sector. Besides, agriculture is not just a mean of livelihood but a way of living life in India. Moreover, the government is continuously making efforts to develop this sector as the whole nation depends on it for food.

For thousands of years, we are practicing agriculture but still, it remained underdeveloped for a long time. Moreover, after independence, we use to import food grains from other countries to fulfill our demand. But, after the green revolution, we become self-sufficient and started exporting our surplus to other countries.

Besides, these earlier we use to depend completely on monsoon for the cultivation of food grains but now we have constructed dams, canals, tube-wells, and pump-sets. Also, we now have a better variety of fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds, which help us to grow more food in comparison to what we produce during old times.

With the advancement of technology, advanced equipment, better irrigation facility and the specialized knowledge of agriculture started improving.

Furthermore, our agriculture sector has grown stronger than many countries and we are the largest exporter of many food grains.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Significance of Agriculture

It is not wrong to say that the food we eat is the gift of agriculture activities and Indian farmers who work their sweat to provide us this food.

In addition, the agricultural sector is one of the major contributors to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national income of the country.

Also, it requires a large labor force and employees around 80% of the total employed people. The agriculture sector not only employees directly but also indirectly.

Moreover, agriculture forms around 70% of our total exports. The main export items are tea, cotton, textiles, tobacco, sugar, jute products, spices, rice, and many other items.

Negative Impacts of Agriculture

Although agriculture is very beneficial for the economy and the people there are some negative impacts too. These impacts are harmful to both environments as the people involved in this sector.

Deforestation is the first negative impact of agriculture as many forests have been cut downed to turn them into agricultural land. Also, the use of river water for irrigation causes many small rivers and ponds to dry off which disturb the natural habitat.

Moreover, most of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides contaminate the land as well as water bodies nearby. Ultimately it leads to topsoil depletion and contamination of groundwater.

In conclusion, Agriculture has given so much to society. But it has its own pros and cons that we can’t overlook. Furthermore, the government is doing his every bit to help in the growth and development of agriculture; still, it needs to do something for the negative impacts of agriculture. To save the environment and the people involved in it.

FAQs about Essay on Agriculture

Q.1 Name the four types of agriculture? A.1 The four types of agriculture are nomadic herding, shifting cultivation, commercial plantation, and intensive subsistence farming.

Q.2 What are the components of the agriculture revolution? A.2 The agriculture revolution has five components namely, machinery, land under cultivation, fertilizers, and pesticides, irrigation, and high-yielding variety of seeds.

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• Essay On Agriculture

Essay on Agriculture

500+ words essay on agriculture.

In India, agriculture is considered a primary livelihood for most of the population, which can never be underestimated. Agriculture has existed for thousands of years in our country and has developed with new technologies and equipment that have replaced traditional farming methods. In India, few farmers still use the traditional farming method because they lack the resources to use modern techniques. Agriculture is the only sector that contributes to itself and other country sectors. India is the second-largest wheat, rice, cotton, fruit, vegetables, and tea producer. It is also a global powerhouse of agricultural production. It is the world’s largest producer of spices, milk, wheat, rice and cotton.

Role of Agricultural in Economic Development

The population of India largely depends on agriculture, and it is not only just a means of livelihood but a way of living. The Government of India is continuously developing the agricultural sector by framing new laws, implementing modern technology, etc. In India, the entire nation depends on agriculture for food. In earlier times, agriculture was mainly dependent on the monsoon, but dams, canals, pump sets, and tube wells are now being constructed.

Agriculture plays a crucial role in the economic development of India as 3/4th of the population is based on agriculture. It is one of the largest sources of livelihood for the country. The country was dependent on agriculture for a thousand years.

The agricultural sector also benefits the industries in getting their raw materials, which clearly states that a large part of the economy will freeze without a flourishing agriculture sector. It leads to the expansion of the industrial sector. Indian agriculture provides employment opportunities to most people, and 70% of the population, especially in rural areas, earn their livelihood from cultivation.

In India, agriculture plays an imperative role in enhancing foreign exchange. To other nations, India exports commodities such as coffee, spices, tea, vegetables, tobacco, etc. Agriculture contributes to Indian exports. With the invention of organic farming, exports have also increased in the last few decades.

Agriculture is the Indian economy’s most important sector, and India’s farm sector is the largest industry. With constant changes and developments happening and introduced policies, it will only go upwards. It will always remain a significant factor in the nation’s economic growth.

An essay on Agriculture is crucial that can be asked during the exam. Students can also access CBSE Essays from our BYJU’S website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Agriculture Essay

Where was agriculture originally developed.

Agriculture was developed in modern-day Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, parts of Turkey and Iran which was also known as the Fertile Crescent.

What are the main types of agriculture?

The four main types of agricultural activities include livestock production, crop production, agricultural economics and agricultural engineering.

What are agricultural methods which are famous in India?

The majority of Indian farmers practice subsistence farming which involves the cultivation of crops on small pieces of land.

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Home » Agriculture » Role of Agriculture in Indian Economy » Government initiatives, policies and measures

Nowadays Government of India is giving more priority for the welfare of farmers. In this regard it is implementing several farmers welfare schemes to re-vitalize agriculture sector and to improve their economic conditions.  Therefore, the government has rolled out new initiatives, schemes, programmes and plans to benefit all the farmers.

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Q. “The agriculture sector is critical for India from a consistent growth and food security perspective”. Discuss the steps to be taken to revitalise the agricultural sector. (250 words)

• Introduce by explaining the given statement and showing how the agriculture sector is critical for India for consistent growth and food security.
• Discuss in brief the main issues faced by the agriculture sector in India.
• Discuss the steps to be taken to revitalise the sector.
• Conclude with an emphasis on adopting sustainable agriculture for sustainable development.

Introduction

• The agriculture sector is critical for India from a consistent growth and food security perspective as the sector and allied activities account for approximately 55% of India’s workforce and nearly 15% of India’s GDP.
• Today, India has come a long way from facing severe food shortages after independence to becoming a net exporter of food. While the agricultural sector has made considerable progress, in India, we still have a long way to go when it comes to global benchmarks in yield, water use efficiency etc.
• Land Fragmentation: It creates difficulties for marginal farmers to access credit or new technology, severely affecting farm productivity and their incomes, making them entirely dependent on usurious moneylenders.
• Worsening soil health: Rampant use of urea, partly caused by Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme, has led to worsening soil health, the decline in crop response ratio and contamination of surface water.
• Climate change: Climate change leads to change in temperature, precipitation pattern, increase in extreme weather conditions etc. which poses a great challenge to agriculture.
• Dependence on rainfall and climate: Indian agriculture is heavily dependent on monsoon and ever-increasing global temperature has made agriculture more prone to extreme weather events.
• Lack of easy credit : Small scale farmers are in constant need of loans for seeds, fertilizers etc. Due to lack of easy credit from the formal sector and hence take loans from local money lenders who charge high rates of interest which the farmers are unable to pay and are caught in a debt trap.
• Lack of Mechanisation: Introduction of latest technology has been limited due to various reasons like accessibility for credit and low awareness.
• Need for planned production: Indian agriculture needs to move from the current fragmented production model, where each farmer produces what he thinks is right, to a planned production at a district level. This can help in reducing the mismatch in supply-demand and price fluctuations.
• Enhancement of soil nutrition: To address the problem of worsening soil health, steps must be taken by the government to rationalise the use of fertilizers, promote organic farming and educate farmers.
• Digital push to improve farming practices: Digital adoption will be key to improving the reach and delivery of services like agronomy advice, enhance adoption of Precision Agriculture practices and improve price transparency through digital platforms.
• The availability of credit through Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and associated crop insurance is one such instrument.
• By encouraging private sector investment in processing, exports, and retailing of agriculture produce, we can bring local communities together to achieve economies of scale, encourage standard practices to meet quality specifications for exports including niche products like organic produce.
• Cooperative Farming: Due to fragmented land holdings consolidation of land holdings also becomes important to raise farmer incomes. Farmers can voluntarily come together and pool land to gain the benefits of size. Through consolidation, farmers can reap the economies of scale both in input procurement and output marketing.
• India’s production levels of agriculture and allied segments along with current productivity, infrastructure and processing rates, represent huge untapped opportunities for all players of the agriculture value chain.
• Backed by progressive policies, fiscal incentives and an effective regulatory environment, the Indian agricultural sector can provide a strong thrust to the economic growth momentum of the nation.
• These favourable shifts in the agriculture industry will also lead to a substantial increase in farmer incomes in the country, and safeguard food security for the country’s growing population.

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