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Report of the Committee for Doubling Farmers’ Income: Volume VIII - production enhancement through productivity gains

The eight volume of the Report of the Committee on Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) examines productivity led production, with perspective that farmers must be able to benefit from technologies and practices that allow them to create value in a more optimal manner. Production enhancement, as a result of productivity gains, optimises on resources deployed, minimises ecological stresses and also reduces per unit cost of production. This volume discusses these various aspects for the major agricultural sectors. The volume also highlights that some added benefits from productivity gains. Productivity on crops comes about from changed cultivation practices, ie., selection of appropriate planting material, applying optimal inputs for soil and plant health, efficiencies during irrigation and tending phase, suitable staggering of sowing and harvest, inter-cropping and enhancing the cropping intensity on land. To achieve this, a wide variety of technology, information, tools and scientific practices are brought into use. In case of livestock and fisheries sectors, the productivity enhancement comes from breeding, feeding, health care and other application of animal sciences. The result of such efforts is the output, such production being optimal to the effort and resources used.