The Concept of Planning and Agricultural Development Planning

 

The Concept of Planning and Agricultural Development Planning


What is planning?

Planning has been simply defined as deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it and who is to do it. 

Planning is also defined as embracing all the activities that lead to the determination of objectives and the appropriate courses of action that lead to their achievements. 

Planning is an activity which involves decisions about ends as well as means and about conduct as well as result.

 

Read: 11 Major Importance of Agricultural Development



Definition of Agricultural Development Planning?


Agricultural development planning is a conscious sustained and systematic attempts or efforts made by the government to utilize the available agricultural resources of the nation to be benefit of the farmers and the teeming population.

The ultimate goal is sustained increase in the farmers’ income, standard of living and food security of the country.

It is a conscious effort to guide the development of the agricultural sector to accelerate economic development of the country

Agricultural planning can be defined as a deliberate coordinated effort towards a desirable development of crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry. For instance, the market demand may indicate high rewards for growing rice as compared to other crops in a locality.

Following this situation, all farmers in a country can decide to grow only rice. From an agronomic point of view, moreover, a mono-cultural economy may become vulnerable to international movement of prices. There is, therefore, a need to evaluate resources in order to see how crops and livestock can be combined for faster economic development.

There are many other reasons why agriculture needs to be planned.

1. Agricultural planning must be regarded as an integral part of over-all economic planning. An agricultural plan may be part of a national plan which may reflect the objectives of the ruling elite.

2. Agricultural planning may be necessary as a result of market imperfections where prices do not necessarily reflect properly the costs and returns as related to farm production.

3. Agricultural planning may be desirable as a result of technological indivisibility. For instance, governments may have to set up Research institutes or build irrigation schemes because the individual farmer cannot afford them, yet both are needed to increase agricultural productivity.

4. Government may engage in agricultural planning to achieve desired production patterns that may not materialize in good time, if natural or market forces were to be relied upon. So being subjected to major destabilizing economic shocks.

5. Unplanned agricultural development may lead to the neglect and stagnation of some regions, states or local government areas in a country. 

6. Government may engage in planned agricultural development to cope with fundamental problems of uncertainty in agricultural production, for instance, planning towards drought or war years. In trying to plan, certain steps must be taken. 

They are as listed below:

1. Setting realistic national agricultural objectives

2. Estimation of available resources with current performance of crop and livestock activities.

3. Projecting the expected demand for these inputs and outputs of the agricultural industry.

4. Projecting the expected production and identifying demand/supply gaps

5. Setting targets that seem achievable in the light of the available resources and demand for the outputs.

6. Establishment of projects and measures to achieve the set targets.

7. Evaluation and follow-up of the measures adopted.

 

Read: Agricultural Development: Definition, Theories and Models


Importance of Planning Agricultural

Development it is important to plan agricultural development of any nation for the following reasons:

1. The vital role of the agricultural sector in the economic development of a nation calls for adequate and effective planning of the sector’s development.

2. Consequent upon the above, agricultural planning often forms part of the national development plan and this reflects the attitude and hence the objectives of the government or ruling class to the agricultural sector of the country.

3. It ensures that the whole country is evenly developed. All regions, states, local government areas, wards and villages are attended to.

4. Agricultural planning ensures that farmers particularly peasants have access to modern technologies such as irrigation facilities, which are beyond their capability die to lack of capital.

 

Read: 15 Top Importance of Agriculture in Developing Countries


Conclusion on the Concept of Planning and Agricultural Development Planning

We have explain about the concept of planning which means deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it and who is to do it and agricultural planning as a deliberate coordinated effort towards a desirable development of crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry.

In this article you have learnt about the concepts of planning and agricultural planning.

· Planning has been simply defined as deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it and who is to do it.

· Planning is also defined as embracing all the activities that lead to the determination of objectives and the appropriate courses of action that lead to their achievements. 

Planning is an activity which involves decisions about ends as well as means and about conduct as well as result.

· Agricultural planning can be defined as a deliberate coordinated effort towards a desirable development of crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry.

· For instance, the market demand may indicate high rewards for growing rice as compared to other crops in a locality. 

Following this situation, all farmers in a country can decide to grow only rice.

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