In the process of economic development of a country, agricultural sector plays a strategic role. It helps in the contribution to the economic prosperity of advanced countries as well as the improvement of the economic development of less developed countries. Agriculture has been associated with the production of essential food crops for decades. But at present, agriculture is beyond the farming and it includes forestry, dairy, fruit cultivation, poultry, bee keeping, mushroom, etc. Today, processing, marketing, and distribution of crops and livestock products etc. are all acknowledged as part of current agriculture. Agriculture plays a critical role in the entire life of a given economy. Agriculture is the backbone of the economic system of a given country. In addition to provide food and raw material, agriculture also provides employment opportunities to very large percentage of the population.
Agriculture is the main source of national income for most developing countries while agriculture contributes a smaller per cent age to their national income developed countries.
Approximately 70 % of the people directly rely on agriculture as a mean of living. This percentage in agriculture is as a result of none development of non-agricultural activities to absorb the fast-growing population.
Some of the products like sugar, tea, rice, spices, tobacco, coffee etc. constitute the major items of exports of countries that rely on agriculture. So the imports are reduced while export increases considerably. Also helps to reduce unfavorable balance of payments of countries as well as saving foreign exchange. It contributes to marketable surplus.
The sources of raw materials like cotton and jute fabric, sugar, tobacco, edible as well as non-edible oils is agriculture. The revenue of the government, to a larger extent, relies on the success of agricultural sector.
The agricultural sector is having a vital importance for the region which undergoing a process of transition to a market economy, with substantial changes.The changes can be seen in the social, legal, structural, productive and supply set-ups, as is the case with all other sectors of the economy.
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