Why is Agriculture Important and its Role in Everyday Life ?

For decades, agriculture has been associated with the production of essential food crops. At present, agriculture above and beyond farming includes forestry, dairy, fruit cultivation, poultry, beekeeping, mushroom, arbitrary, etc. Today, processing, marketing, and distribution of crops and livestock products, etc. Are all acknowledged as part of current agriculture? Thus, agriculture could be referred to as the production, processing, promotion, and distribution of agricultural products. Agriculture plays a critical role in the entire life of a given economy. Agriculture is the backbone of the economic system of a given country. In addition to providing food and raw material, agriculture also provides employment opportunities to a very large percentage of the population

Below are the factors why agriculture is important:

Source of Livelihood

Most people’s main source of livelihood is farming. About 70% of people rely directly on agriculture as a livelihood. The result of the non-development of non-agricultural activities to absorb the fast-growing population is this high percentage in agriculture. Furthermore, many people are not engaged in agriculture in developed countries.

Supply of Food as well as Fodder

The agricultural sector provides fodder for domestic animals. The cow provides people with milk which is a form of protective food. Moreover, livestock also meets people’s food requirements.

Contribution to National revenue

Agriculture is the main source of national income for most developing countries. However, for developed countries, agriculture contributes a smaller percentage to their national income.

Marketable Surplus

The growth of the agricultural sector contributes to a marketable surplus. Many people engage in manufacturing, mining, as well as another non-agricultural sector as the nation develops. All these individuals rely on food production that they might meet from the nation’s marketable surplus. As agricultural sector development takes place, production increases and this leads to the expansion of marketable surplus. This may be exported to other nations.

Source of Raw Material

The main source of raw materials to major industries such as cotton and jute fabric, sugar, tobacco, edible as well as non-edible oils is agriculture. Moreover, many other industries such as the processing of fruits as well as vegetables and rice husking get their raw material mainly from agriculture.

Significance in Transport

The bulk of agricultural products are transported by railways and roadways from farms to factories. Mostly, internal trade is in agricultural products. Moreover, the revenue of the government, to a larger extent, relies on the success of the agricultural sector.

Significance to the International Trade

Agricultural products like sugar, tea, rice, spices, tobacco, coffee, etc. constitute the major items of exports of countries that rely on agriculture. If there is a smooth development practice of agriculture, imports are reduced while export increases considerably. This helps to reduce countries’ unfavorable balance of payments as well as saving foreign exchange. This amount may be well used to import other essential inputs, machinery, raw material, and other infrastructure that is helpful for the support of the country’s economic development.

Foreign Exchange Resources

The nation’s export trade depends largely on the agricultural sector. For example, agricultural commodities such as jute, tobacco, spices, oilseeds, raw cotton, tea as well as coffee accounts for approximately 18% of the entire value of exports of a country. This demonstrates that agricultural products also continue to be an important source of earning for a country’s foreign exchange.

Great Employment Opportunities

Construction of irrigation schemes, drainage system as well as other such activities in the agricultural sector is important as it provides larger employment opportunities. The agriculture sector provides more employment opportunities for the labor force. This, in turn, reduces the high rate of unemployment in developing countries caused by the fast-growing population.

Economic Development

Since agriculture employs many people, it contributes to economic development. As a result, the national income level, as well as people’s standard of living, is improved. The fast rate of development in the agriculture sector offers progressive outlook as well as increased motivation for development. Hence, it aids to create a good atmosphere for the overall economic development of a country. Therefore, economic development relies on the agricultural growth rate.

Source of Saving

Development in agriculture may also increase savings. The rich farmers we see today started saving particularly after the green revolution. This surplus quantity may be invested further in the agriculture sector to develop the sector.

Food Security

A stable agricultural sector ensures a nation of food security. The main requirement of any country is food security. Food security prevents malnourishment that has traditionally been believed to be one of the major problems faced by developing countries. Most countries rely on agricultural products as well as associated industries for their main source of income.

Importance of agriculture in the Food supply

Agriculture is the world’s leading source of food items. All the food substances that are essential viz. Agriculture produces vegetables, proteins, and oils. The carbohydrates provide all living beings with energy. These are produced in the form of grains that grow in farms such as rice, wheat, and potatoes. It’s helpful to build our body with proteins. They are distributed by agriculture as grams and other leguminous goods. Such commodities include beans, pulses such as black gram, Bengal gram, green gram, etc. Other protein sources such as beef, fish, and dairy are also dependent on farming. Protein from vegetarian sources is cheap and healthy without the risk of disease. People, therefore, rely on protein from agriculture for their daily needs. It is essential to supply energy, body structure, and heat with fats and oils. These can be obtained by growing sunflower, groundnut, mustard, sesame, etc. from agriculture. Fruits: fruits have organic and intact food content because they don’t need to cook. Children, the elderly, and sick people make them digestible. Grapefruits are also used to make wine.

Importance of agriculture for medicine

Enzymes:
Papain enzyme is obtained from the fruit of papaya. This papain is used as an enzyme that is organic. It is used as a substitute for indigestion for one of the digestive enzymes. Especially useful for the elderly and sick. This papain is obtained by the cultivation of papaya on a large scale.

Laxatives:
Cultivation of Espagnol used for moderate constipation treatment.

Alkaloids:
Like a drug, most alkaloids are used. Opium alkaloids such as morphine relieve severe pain, cough, and loss of movements as well. These are obtained in farms through the growth of opium poppy plants. Likewise, farming obtains alkaloids such as hyoscine, ephedrine, physostigmine.

Glycosides:
These are some important principles of medicine. Examples include heart failure cardiac glycosides such as digitalis. Senna is a glycoside used in constipation treatment. Steroidal glycosides for the production of steroid drugs in the heart.

What is Agricultural Biodiversity?

Agricultural biodiversity is a broad term that includes all components of biological diversity related to food and agriculture, and all components of biological diversity that make up agricultural ecosystems, also known as agroecosystems: the variety and variation of animals, plants, and micro-organisms at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels needed to sustain key habitats. Agricultural biodiversity is the result of genetic resource interactions, the environment, and farmers ‘ management systems and practices. This is the product of the millennia-long development of both natural selection and human inventivenes