'Agriculture is the weakest link in India's growth story'

Agriculture is the weakest link in India's growth story, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said.

"The Indian businesses and SMEs would continue to be the engine of the growth of Indian economy as they have great potential to grow, but agriculture is the weakest link," he said at a function here.

About 52 per cent of the country's workforce is dependent on agriculture and it has become unattractive for anyone to engage in it, he said.

So, it is obligatory to help the farming community, he said, justifying his over Rs 60,000-crore loan waiver package for farmers in the Budget 2008-09.

"It is the price that the country has to pay from other resources," he said.