India has too many people cultivating too little land has been observed at least as far back as 1880, by the First Indian Famine Commission (FIFC). The very peculiar nature of Indian economy is that is pattern of transition of labour from one sector of economy to other sector. The movement of labour force from primary sector to directly tertiary sector by skipping the manufacturing sector has harmed the overall economic progress of country over a long time now.

The probable reasons for the drop can be:

• As there is improvement in standard of living of people the current generation has an aversive approach towards agriculture practice. This one generation to other generation is part of societal transformation.
• The erratic nature of monsoon and irrigation challenges has made agriculture as an unattractive option for living. This has led to the distress migration from agriculture sector to other sectors or many have stayed unemployed.
• The recent government initiative towards empowering manufacturing sector has opened up many jobs. This availability of job has led to the people leaving agriculture and switching to other kind of jobs.

Its policy implications can be seen as follows:

• Feminization of Indian agriculture has already observed and this survey clearly putforthes the rising pressure of Indian rural woman to manage the agriculture practices without the right to ownership. At policy level the issue of these women has to be taken into consideration.
• Food shortage can increase. Recent Kerala case where food shortage occurred due to reduced interest in agriculture by state people as most of them prefer to migrate to gulf and earn well there.
• Increased unemployment will have social implications also like increased crime, Increased stress on govt for welfare means, poverty etc.
• The govt will get pressurized to create more jobs in the secondary and tertiary sector, to accommodate the population leaving the primary sector so that the distress migration should be checked and standard of living of people should be maintained.

To address the issues arising out of such declining agricultural employment, the govt can do the following:

• Initiate awareness campaigns in all states to educate farmers regarding better usage of the land, to grow region specific crops which will lay lesser stress on land and ensure long term fertility.
• Encourage youngsters to engage in agricultural activities and employ the methods used in other countries like Israel, to ensure More Crop, Per Drop, among other modern methods like adoption of BT seeds.
• Better connectivity to the market, with e-NAM will help increasing incomes of the farmers, and encourage more people to engage in agriculture or allied activities.
• Promotion and support to contract farming practice in order to bring international best practices in agriculture sector of India.
• The remaining population engaged with agriculture will have to be given better seeds and irrigational facilities to maintain food security, by strengthening the R&D policy in the country. Agriculture should be made a profitable business in order to keep the talent of the country in primary sector as well.
• Better policies to popularize secondary agriculture and value addition to crops such as post harvesting practices, storage and transport facilities etc. which will increase the farmer’s income. Pradhan mantri krishi sinchai yojana is a step in right direction.
• Policy for Evergreen revolution in all parts of the country with the help of technological intervention and use of better human resource in this field.

Agriculture should not be seen in isolation but its allied sectors too need attention to increase participation and productivity too. Agriculture crisis is not mere economic crisis but it has larger socio politico ramification and need to be resolved earnestly.