India's expected emergence on the global stage is not likely to involve much of an agricultural story line. The country's massive Information Technology industry is already famous the world over and the government would like manufacturing, under the Make in India slogan, to be the nation's calling card. Yet it's worth remembering just how much agriculture still matters to India.
The details about the employment vs income figures are pretty commonplace by now. Agriculture still employs about 47% of all workers in the country, yet its share in India's Gross Domestic Product is under 14%. Just like its oversized influence over the employment sector, agriculture also takes over a large portion of India's land. On Friday, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that sown area of the kharif crop this year has reached 693 lakh hectares, compared to just 550 lakh hectares around this time last year.
That is a reflection of the early Monsoon rains this year, giving farmers a chance to sow much more than usual because of the wet June. But it also serves as a reminder of how much of the country is still given over to agriculture.
Just the sown area this year, which is barely a fraction of the total agricultural land in the country, would be equal to the entire land area of France. India had both unseasonal showers and one of the wettest Junes in a while. The result has been a boon for crop sowing across the board.
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The details about the employment vs income figures are pretty commonplace by now. Agriculture still employs about 47% of all workers in the country, yet its share in India's Gross Domestic Product is under 14%. Just like its oversized influence over the employment sector, agriculture also takes over a large portion of India's land. On Friday, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that sown area of the kharif crop this year has reached 693 lakh hectares, compared to just 550 lakh hectares around this time last year.
That is a reflection of the early Monsoon rains this year, giving farmers a chance to sow much more than usual because of the wet June. But it also serves as a reminder of how much of the country is still given over to agriculture.
Just the sown area this year, which is barely a fraction of the total agricultural land in the country, would be equal to the entire land area of France. India had both unseasonal showers and one of the wettest Junes in a while. The result has been a boon for crop sowing across the board.
To properly understand what these numbers mean, the charts below simply compare how many other countries entire landmasses are covered just by the sown area from this year. The first chart underneath is a total number comparison, whereas the second shows that just the land sown this year could fit all of Germany and Japan combined, or up to three United Kingdoms.
