4 Lesser-Known Facts About Agriculture and People Indulged in the Profession

Agriculture forms the backbone of any country and especially India, where approximately 42% of the total workforce has been employed in agriculture. Apart from providing food for the direct consumption of people, agriculture plays a vital role in the growth of the economy as exports of agricultural produce expand trade and commerce and brings crucial foreign exchange to a country. Meanwhile, numerous industries rely on agriculture for raw materials, which are then turned into valuable finished goods.

But keeping the economic aspect aside, today we will try to shed some light on the lesser-known facts about agriculture. Below are some less-talked-about points that are specific to agriculture and people indulged in agriculture.

1. The dark side of agriculture
   While agriculture is considered as quite lucrative if the conditions for the crops are favourable, on the other hand, it can also lead to massive financial loss. Farmers usually depend on natural factors for the proper nourishment of crops. However, the sunlight, water and nutrients, all have to be in an adequate amount as more or less supply of these can lead to complete destruction of the crops. In the worst cases, when the crops are hit by hail storms or heavy rainfall, farmers incur heavy losses and are often compelled to take extreme steps like committing suicide.
   Suicide is quite rampant among farmers as they are left with no choice when their crops fail and they are unable to pay back the loan to money lenders or banks. A lack of mental health care services in rural areas also aggravates such situations.
2. Strenuous life
   The day of a farmer usually starts early in the morning and sometimes even before the sun rises. Unlike other jobs where one has the leverage of taking an off from work, farmers cannot afford to take leaves from work. The crops require regular maintenance and nourishment and farmers are required to water them at adequate intervals to ensure healthy growth. Apart from this, people who are indulged in agriculture have to toil from the very beginning of the farming process where they first plough the field, sow the seeds and even spray pesticides to keep the insects at bay. Moreover, keeping an eye on the weather also becomes imperative as one heavy shower can destroy months of hard work within hours.
3. Not a one-man job
   From ploughing the field to harvesting the crops and all the other steps between them, agriculture requires a significant workforce. Farmers usually grow crops on several acres of land which makes it difficult for a single person to look after it. Thus, many landowners often hire workers to work in their field and receive wages in exchange for the work done. For those farmers who don’t have the financial capability to hire workers, they rather involve their family members in the process and then all of them contribute to the farming. In villages, women are the ones who are often seen harvesting and irrigating the fields while their husbands and children are the ones who plough the fields.
4. Expensive affair
   In order to grow a certain crop, a farmer is required to first gather several resources which can easily burn a hole in his pocket. Apart from all the labour that goes into growing crops, one has to also take loans to buy several things which include seeds, tractors, pesticides, manure and tube wells among others. Most of the farmers rely on money lenders in villages for loans and then tend to get trapped in a debt trap due to heavy interest charged by the lenders. As farming processes get more modern nowadays, farmers are also catching up gradually and buying machines and equipment which make their work easier but at the same time adds to their expense.