Share of agriculture in India’s GDP falls to 14.4 per cent

The share of agriculture in the country's gross domestic product (at 2004-05 prices) has declined to 14.4 per cent in the financial year 2010-11, from 47.6 per cent in 1960-61, reveal estimates provided by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

This, the CSO says, has been due mainly to structural changes in the economy and increased employment opportunities in new areas.

Agriculture's share in the country's GDP has steadily declined from 47.6 per cent in 1960-61 to 41.7 per cent in 1970-71, 35.7 per cent in 1980-81, 29.5 per cent in 1990-91, 22.3 per cent in 2000-01 and finally to 14.4 per cent in 2010-11.
 
The government has launched several schemes to increase investments in the agricultural sector and thereby improve its performance in the overall economy, minister of state for agriculture Harish Rawat informed the Rajya Sabha in a written answer today.

India, however, has made major strides in agriculture and allied sectors, he said. The per capita net availability of foodgrains in the country has increased from 416.2 grams/day in 2001 to 438.6 grams / day in 2010.

There has also been no steady decline in the productivity of foodgrains and cash crops in the country during the last few years, except during 2009-10 because of drought in most parts of the country, he said.

In order to ensure self-sufficiency in the production of foodgrains, the government is implementing various crop development schemes, minister of state for agriculture and food processing industries, said Rawat in reply to another question.