A good agriculture directory helps the farmers locate the best sources for their requirements.

Additionally, agriculture directories (particularly regional directories) that put importers and exporters in touch with each other facilitate world trade.

Agriculture is wider than just cultivating the land. It includes grazing, tending to orchards, vineyards and timberland, and animal and poultry farming. Even aquaculture that involves farming fish and other water life could be included under agriculture

The products of agriculture include food in different forms, feedstuff, fibers like cotton and jute, fuels, ornamental and nursery plants and other items. These are produced by raising plants and animals. Even processing of livestock comes under agriculture.

Modern industrial agriculture is very different from the subsistence farming of the original cultivators. Large tracts of land, numerous animals, use of inputs like fertilizers and pesticides and mechanical equipment like tractors and combine harvesters characterize modern day large-scale farming.

Agriculture today thus needs many kinds of supplies. In addition, the modern farmer has to tackle animal and plant diseases and worry about such things like crop insurance and marketing of the produce.

An agriculture directory, or specialized agriculture directories focusing on narrow areas like animal husbandry, helps the farmer attend to these various requirements.

A look at the categories in an agriculture directory reveals the range of modern agriculture. You would notice surprising items like education and computer software included in the list (not really surprising when you come to think about it - educating the farmers, and using computers for purposes such as accounting and accessing online agriculture directories, help increase productivity and efficiency of agricultural operations).

Below is a typical list of categories in an agriculture directory:

Agriculture Directories

Agritourism

Agrochemicals

Bees and Honey

Aquaculture

Camelids

Cattle

Field Crops

Education

Horse

Equipment Dealers

Equipment Manufacturers

Insurance & Financing

Food Manufacturers

Forestry

Fruits

Government

Herb & Spices

Import Export

News & Media

Nursery & Greenhouse

Organizations

Poultry

Real Estate

Services

Sheep

Software

Swine

Vegetables

Vineyards & Wineries

Cattle Supplies

Equine Supplies

Sheep Supplies

Rabbits

Ostrich & Emu

Deer & Elk

Barns & Structures

Fencing

Veterinary Medicine

Arts & Crafts

Practices & Systems

Rural Sociology

Landscape Companies

Ecology

Gardening Supply

Goats

Commercial Fishing

Soil

Seed Companies

Sustainable Agriculture

Hunting and Fishing

Animal Diseases

Plant Diseases

Pest Control

Botanical Gardens

Wholesale

Natural Beauty

Equestrian Sport

Rodeo

Horse Rescue

(Source: http://www.agriculturetoday.com/ )

Regional agriculture directories are particularly relevant as agricultural produce differ from region to region. Produce of one region might find good markets in other regions where the crop does not grow.

Additionally, produce like food grains typically move from surplus to deficit regions.

Regional directories help such movements by facilitating importers and exporters get to know about each other.

Agriculture is a broad field, and modern farming require many kinds of inputs including equipment, supplies and specialist services. A good agriculture directory helps the farmers locate convenient and economic sources for their requirements. Agriculture directories could also promote world trade by helping importers find exporters in a different country.