Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture Development

Dr. Anju^#, Pramendra Ranga

(Department of Energy and Environmental Sciences,Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana-125055)

^#corresponding author email: anjumalik27@yahoo.com

Abstract

Agriculture plays an important role in the development of Indian economy as majority of people in India still depend on agriculture and allied activities. The ever increasing demand for nutrient rich and healthy food, under changing environmental conditions always poses threat to agricultural production. Indian agriculture (being dominated in rural areas) have to face such challenges as poor infrastructure, lack of awareness among farmers, unfavorable environmental conditions, restricted access to recent technological breakthroughs, continuous degradation of soil and water resources. These challenges become severe when coupled with local environmental constraints. To address these challenges on sustained basis there is need to develop national programs for sustainable agriculture development through proper management of agricultural practices & policies coupled with suitable agricultural waste management practices. More thrust is required for building sustainable post-harvest capacities to reduce wastage. The government and funding bodies should give more emphasis on agricultural research & development of allied sector, efficient supply chain management, implementation of policies at grass root level. In recent times sustainable agriculture practices include conservation agriculture, organic farming, increased use of vermi-compost, use of biological methods for pest/weed control, crop rotation, maximum utilization of agricultural waste in other sectors, and application of suitable irrigation methods. This review paper discusses various strategies to achieve the goal of sustainable agriculture development.

Keywords: Sustainable agricultural development, conservation agriculture, post-harvest capacities