What is agricultural diversification in economics and need for diversification in agriculture to boost farmers income in India?
Crop diversification helps divide the risk posed by fluctuating market prices. If in one season the vegetables don't perform well, the farmer can sail through by the income brought in by the pulses that year. And when both the crops get good price, there is also an opportunity to maximize the earnings. Agriculture Diversification refers to either a change in cropping pattern or the farmers opting for other non-farming options like poultry farming, animal husbandry, etc. This practice allows farmers to expand the production, which helps generate a higher level of income. Agricultural diversification is one of the essential components of economic growth. It is the stage where traditional agriculture is transformed into a dynamic and commercial sector by shifting the traditional agricultural product mix to high standard products, which has a high potential in stimulating production rate. It involves a shift from a single-cropping system to a multi-cropping system. Diversification involves a shift in cropping patterns from food grains to cash crops. The main aim is to promote a shift from subsistence farming to commercial farming. The agriculture sector in India remains the backbone of its society, employing ~58% of the population. With only 4% of the world's water resources and 2.4% of the world's land, India supports 17.8% of the world's population and 15% of the livestock population. Economic diversification is a key element of economic development in which a country moves to a more diverse pro- duction and trade structure. A lack of economic diversification is often associated with increased vulnerability to external shocks that can undermine prospects for longer-term economic growth. Given that semi subsistence farmers often focus on production of staple food crops, the switch to non-crop activities is often referred to as income diversification. Crop diversification refers to growing many crops at the same time. Agricultural diversification occurs when more species, plant varieties or animal breeds are added to a given farm or farming community and this may include landscape diversification different crops and cropping systems interspersed in space and time. Agricultural diversification is one of the essential components of economic growth. It is the stage where traditional agriculture is transformed into a dynamic and commercial sector by shifting the traditional agricultural product mix to high standard products, which has a high potential in stimulating production rate. Agricultural diversification is a process through which farmers shift their farm enterprises from traditional to high value added modern enterprises. It enhances farm income, generates employment opportunities and manages risk in agriculture.
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