|| Agricultural Development ||

Agricultural Development refers to efforts made to increase farm production to meet the demand of the population.

This is achieved in many ways:

• By increasing the cropped area, the number of crops grown.
• By improving irrigation facilities.
• By the use of fertilisers, high-yielding variety (HYV) of seeds, mechanisation of agriculture, etc.

The ultimate aim of agricultural development is to increase food security. Developing countries with large populations practise intensive agriculture. In these countries, crops are grown on small holdings mostly for subsistence. Larger land holdings are suitable for commercial agriculture as in USA, Canada and Australia.

|| A Farm in India ||

A typical farmer in an Indian village owns about 1.5 hectares of land. He GROWS at least two crops in a year which are normally WHEAT or rice and pulses. A farmer has a few buffaloes or cows or poulty. He sells milk in the cooperative store located in the nearby town. Sometimes, he takes credit from a bank or the agricultural cooperative society to buy HYV seeds and implements. All family members help in various farm activities. He sells his produce in the mandi located in the nearby town.

|| A farm in USA ||

A typical farm size in the USA is about 250 hect ares. The farmer generally resides in the farm. Some of the MAJOR crops grown are-corn, soyabean, wheat, cotton and sugarbeet. Adequate measures are taken to CONTROL pests. A farmer sends the soil samples to a laboratory to check the nutrients. Farmers follow scientific cultivation and use chemical fertilisers. Farmer s COMPUTER is linked to the satellite which gives him a precise picture of his field. He generally uses helicopters to spray pesticides. He uses tractors, seed drills, leveller, combined harvester and thresher to perform agricultural operations. All grains are stored in the automated grain storage or despatched to market agencies. The farmer in USA works like a businessman.