(Image source from: Push needed for job creation})

Understanding the limitations of the agriculture sector in bringing prosperity in the long run, the country should emphasis on creating more employment in industrial and services sectors, NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya said. A recent survey by the NGO Lokniti, stated 62 percent of all farmers said that they will quit farming if they get a job in the city. 76 percent of their children say that they would like to take a profession other than farming.

“But in the longer run, the potential of agriculture to bring prosperity to a vast population remains limited. In sum, agricultural growth and expansion of good jobs in industry and services can go hand-in-hand to bring the rapid elimination of poverty and shared prosperity for all,” Panagariya said.

“In countries experiencing growth rates of 6 percent or more over long periods, industry and services have grown substantially faster than agriculture. In this context that the creation of good jobs in industry and services is critically important,” he added. NITI Aayog vice-chairman, said that even Indian farmers and their children recognize the superior prospects offered by faster-growing industry and services, quoting the survey by the NGO Lokniti.

By Premji