Agricultural productivity may be increased if

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks what can increase agricultural productivity, meaning more output per unit of input (per farmer, per hectare, or per unit of time).

Step 2: Concept Productivity rises when farmers can produce more efficiently. This depends on things like mechanization, improved seeds, fertilizers, storage, and the ability to move produce to markets. Many of these depend on good infrastructure: roads, electricity, water supply, storage facilities, and communication.

Step 3: Evaluate each option

• A. Educational institutions in rural areas: These improve literacy and skills, but the effect on farm output is indirect and slow. It is not the most direct answer.
• B. Commercial banks in rural areas: Banks give farmers access to credit and savings. This helps, but credit alone does not raise productivity if roads, power, and storage are lacking. Banks mainly support financing.
• C. More infrastructural facilities in rural areas: Roads reduce transport costs and post-harvest losses. Electricity and irrigation allow processing and year-round farming. Storage and market access encourage farmers to produce more. This directly and strongly raises productivity.
• D. Labour-intensive methods: These rely on many workers using simple tools, so output per worker stays low. Encouraging them does not raise productivity. Capital-intensive or mechanized methods would.

Step 4: Answer Option C is the best answer.

Tip: In economics questions on "increasing productivity" in agriculture, look for options involving mechanization, improved inputs, or infrastructure. Be wary of "labour-intensive", since it usually signals low productivity.