Answer:
Agriculture in India is affected by uncertain, unreliable and erratic monsoon rainfall. India cannot achieve sustained progress in agriculture unless and until more than half of the cropped area is brought under assured irrigation. Expansion of irrigation has played a very crucial role in enhancing agricultural output in the country. It provided basis for introduction of modern agricultural technology such as high yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and farm machinery. The net irrigated area in the country has increased from 20.85 to 54.66 million ha over the period 1950 -51 to 2000-01. Over these 50 years, area irrigated more than once in an agricultural year has increased from 1.71 to 20.46 million ha.
The main suppliers of money to the farmer are the money-lenders, traders and commission agents who charge high rate of interest and purchase the agricultural produce at very low price. The inputs of modern agriculture are very expensive and are often out of reach of the marginal and small farmers as they have very meagre or no saving to invest in agriculture, All India Rural Credit Survey Committee showed that in 1950-51 the share of money lenders stood at as Ugh as 68.6 per cent of the total rural credit and in 1975-76 their share declined to 43 per cent of the credit needs of the farmers. This shows that the money lender is losing ground but is still the single largest contributor of agricultural credit. Rural credit scenario has undergone a significant change and institutional agencies such as Central Cooperative Banks, State Cooperative Banks, Commercial Banks, Cooperative Credit Agencies and some Government Agencies are extending loans to farmers on easy terms. There has been a steady increase m the flow of institutional credit to agriculture over the years.
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