farmer- friendly agricultural policies and a constant appraisal and dialogue between farmers’ groups and state agricultural departments are essential to realise the full potential of the sector. Today we cannot look at the environment and rural development as two distinct subjects. There is need to invent or procure alternate sets of eco- friendly technologies that lead to sustainable development in different Work These Out Ø Make a list of five popular items that are organically produced in India. Ø Visit a nearby super market, vegetable shop and/or a departmental shop.
Identify a few products. Prepare a chart comparing a few goods that are produced organically and in the normal way on the basis of their prices, shelf life, quality and the kind of advertisement through which they are popularised. Ø Visit a horticultural farm in the nearby locality. Collect the details of goods that they cultivate on the farm.
They could have diversified their cropping patterns. Discuss with them the merits and demerits of the diversification. circumstances. From these, each rural community can choose whatever will suit its purpose.
First of all, then, we need to learn from, and also try out when found relevant, practices from the available set of ‘best practice’ illustrations (which means success stories of rural development experiments that have already been carried out in similar conditions in different parts of India), to speed up this process of ‘learning by doing’. . What do you mean by rural development? Bring out the key issues in rural development.
. Discuss the importance of credit in rural development. . Explain the role of micro-credit in meeting credit requirements of the poor.
. Explain the steps taken by the government in developing rural markets. . Why is agricultural diversification essential for sustainable livelihoods?
Recap Ø Rural development is quite a comprehensive term but it essentially means a plan of action for the development of rural areas which are lagging behind in socio-economic development. Ø There is a need for improving the quantity and quality of infrastructure in rural areas such as banking, marketing, storage, transport and communications etc.