Economic Survey 2022: Resilient agriculture sector growth at 3.9% pushes economy in 2021-22

Agriculture and the allied sector proved to be the most resilient to the Covid-19 shock as it registered a growth of 3.6 per cent in 2020-21 and improved to 3.9 per cent in 2021-22, according to the Economic Survey 2021-22.

The Economic Survey noted that the agriculture and allied sector is the largest employer of workforce as it accounted for a sizeable 18.8 per cent (2021-22) in Gross Value Added (GVA) of the country.

Growth in allied sectors including livestock, dairying and fisheries has been the major drivers of overall growth in the sector.

“As revealed by the latest Situation Assessment Survey (SAS), the sector has been a stable source of income across groups of agricultural households accounting for about 15 per cent of their average monthly income,” stated the Economic Survey.

“This improvement in the contribution of allied sectors is in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Doubling Farmers’ Income which has suggested a greater focus on allied sectors to improve farmers’ income.”

“There is also a need to improve productivity of small and marginal farmers through development and implementation of small holding farm technologies,” the document said.

(With inputs from IANS)