The importance of agriculture

Since the time man learnt to grow crops, agriculture has been the main source of his food. Today, most of the people in all parts of the world, especially in the developing countries, are engaged in agricultural activities.

Man is mainly a grain-eating animal. In Asia, most of the people eat rice. In Europe, North America and Australia, wheat is the main food crop. Where rice and wheat cannot be grown, millet and other cereals are grown as food crops. Though man also cats meat, he enjoys eating meat only when he takes it together with rice or bread which is made from wheat. It is therefore clear that grains are the main source of man's feed, and grains are agricultural products.

But man, however, cannot live on grains alone. He needs other foods too to make his meals more palatable. He has therefore also learnt to grow vegetables, potatoes and fruits. Like grains, these things come from the soil. They have to be planted and grown with great care. As a result, men have made many experiments on soil for several centuries to increase their production of crops. Men have also learnt to consume dried leaves to refresh themselves. Tea and tobacco, the dried leaves of certain plants, have become very popular as sources of refreshment. Even coffee and cocoa are products of plants.  We also have cotton, jute and other fibres which we use to make cloth and several other things for our daily needs.   All these plants have therefore become very important in agriculture.

In some countries, agriculture is the main source of wealth. The rubber tree and the oil-pa in Malaysia bring millions of dollars every year. In Bangladesh, the jute plant is the main source of wealth. Similarly, in almost every country there is at least one plant which makes a great contribution to the economy of the country. When all these are considered, we arrive at the conclusion that agriculture must remain as the most important occupation of man.