• Agriculture in India provides employment to about 65 per cent of the labour force.
• Contributes nearly 29 per cent of net production and
• Accounts for a sizeable share of total value of the exports.
• India ranks fourth in the world in terms of gross fertilizer consumption.
• India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world.

At the time of Independence (1947), India’s agricultural output accounted for only 0.3 per cent of world output. The post-Green Revolution years have witnessed a manifold increase in this to 3.5 per cent. Significant improvements have been made in rice and wheat.

In 1996-97, per capita availability of foodgrains touched 528.77 grams from 395 grams at the time of Independence. In 1997, foodgrain output was 199 million tonnes. 1998 saw a fall of 4 million tonnes due to fall in pulse production. Pulse output in India has been in the region of 8-14 million tonnes in the last four decades. Pulse production in 1997-98 is expected to be 13 million tonnes against 13.19 million tonnes in 1995-96.

Wheat output in 1996-97 was a record 69.3 million tonnes. In 1997-98, wheat output is expected to be 66.5 million tonnes and rice 83.5 million tonnes.

Production of major commercial crops reached a record level during 1995-96. Cotton output in 1997-98 was 11.4 million bales again 14.3 million bales in 1996-97. Production of sugarcane is likely to be 260 million tonnes in 1997-98 against 283 million tonnes in the previous year. The production of 9 major oilseeds in 1997-98 is expected to be 24 million tonnes. Groundnut, rapeseed/mustard together account for 62 per cent of the total oilseed production.

Production of tea in 1997 was 810.6 million kgs. Domestic consumption was 640 million kgs and exports were 196.4 million kgs. Coffee output in India during the same period was 0.23 million tonnes. Around 0.13 million tonnes worth Rs.1307 crore was exported. Arabica and Robusta are the two main varieties sharing the total plantation in the ratio 49:51. Karnataka accounts for 53 per cent of the total coffee production in the country.

Natural rubber output in 1997-98 was 0.59 million tonnes and consumption was 0.58 million tonnes. Kerala is a major producer of natural rubber in India. Together with Tamil Nadu, it accounts for 89 per cent of the total area under cultivation and 97 per cent of total production.