Growth of Agriculture

High growth rates have significantly reduced poverty in India. ����������������However it’s GDP per head is still very low (estimated at US$ 820 in 2006), so it remains classified by the World Bank as a low income country. �����The World Development Report 2008 states that over one third of the population of India was living below the poverty line in 2004-2005, managing on less than $1 a day.
Cereals are the staple food in India, providing over half the calories consumed, while pulses are the main protein supplement in the diet. Rising incomes and the influence of globalisation have contributed to changes in the diet with a slight decrease in cereals consumption and an increase in pulses, edible
oils, fruits and vegetables, milk and meat, which is growing from a low base. In the case of edible oils, the fall in prices after the liberalisation of imports further stimulated consumption. However although diets are diversifying, India still lags behind Brazil and China in terms of daily calorie intake per capita.