Books On Agricultural Economics: Flipping Pages From An Agrarian Nation's Backbone

Agriculture economy, vaguely described as the branch of economics dealing with agriculture and related sectors, is quite an important aspect, taking into consideration that India is primarily an agrarian nation. A significant amount of our GDP is contributed by agriculture, which also happens to employ a vast section of the Indian population, especially the rural. The subject of agriculture economy delves deeper into the topic and throws light on the co-dependence and relation between the two disciplines. Try the following books for getting a hang of the subject. These books may also come handy while preparing for entrance exams for higher studies and research in the said discipline.

Books On Agriculture Economics

1. Agricultural Economics

The book authored by noted personalities in the field- Subba Reddy, Raghu Ram, Neelakanta Sastry and Bhavani Devi, is a comprehensive collection of detailed information on all the topics from the undergraduate syllabus on the said subject, taught across agriculture state universities in India. It has been written in accordance with the latest guidelines and information.

2. Leading Issues in Agricultural Economics

The book has been broadly divided into five sections- General Issues, Issues Concerning Agricultural Development, Inter-Sectoral Issues, Issues in Farm Management, and Selected Issues Concerning Indian Agriculture. It covers as many as 38 topics including agriculture in price marketing, Mellor's theory of agricultural development, terms of trade between agriculture and industry, measures of farm efficiency and rural credit in India.

3. Competitive Agricultural Economics

The book has been specially designed keeping in mind the syllabus for various entrances. It is divided into nine main sections- Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, International Economics, Developmental Economics, Agricultural Finance, Agricultural Marketing, Production Economics and Farm Management, Statistics, and Econometrics. Each topic is followed by engaging questions for practice.

4. Objective Agricultural Economics

The book puts on the table a wide variety of questions from the subject, as per the syllabus notified by IV Deans' Committee appointed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It includes topics from all the topics taught in agriculture universities across India. Besides acting as a go-to practice book for entrances, it can also be read by undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Various Definitions Of Agricultural Economics By Different Experts 

• "Agricultural economics is an applied phase of the social science of economics in which attention is given to all aspects of problems related to agriculture.” – Snodgrass and Wallace

• “Science in which the principles and methods of economics are applied to the special conditions of the agricultural industry.” - Prof. Gray

• “The study of the relationship arising from the wealth-getting and wealth-using activity of man in agriculture.” - Prof. Hubbard

• "Agricultural economics treats of the selection of land, labour, and equipment for a farm, the choice of crops to be grown, the selection of livestock enterprises to be carried on and the whole question of the proportions in which all these agencies should be combined. These questions are treated primarily from the point of view of costs and prices.” - Lionel Robbins

• "Agricultural Economics is that branch of agricultural science which treats of the manner of regulating the relations of the different elements comprising the resources of the former whether it be the relation to each other or to human beings in order to secure the greatest degree of prosperity.” – Prof Jouzier