Indian Agriculture Its Features and Problems

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, providing employment to around 50% of the workforce and contributing around 16% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Despite its importance, the sector faces several challenges, including low productivity, fragmented land holdings, lack of adequate irrigation facilities, and inadequate market infrastructure. This essay will discuss the features of Indian agriculture, the problems faced by the sector, and the measures needed to address these challenges.

Indian agriculture faces several challenges, including low productivity, fragmented land holdings, inadequate irrigation facilities, and inadequate market infrastructure. These challenges need to be addressed through a combination of policy measures, including increased investment in agriculture, better access to credit, improved irrigation facilities, and the promotion of contract farming, organic farming, and farmer producer organizations. The government also needs to invest in developing market infrastructure, promoting research and development, and addressing the problem of land fragmentation. Only then can Indian agriculture realize its full potential and contribute to the growth and development of the country.

Features of Indian Agriculture:

• Small and fragmented land holdings: The average size of land holdings in India is small, around 1.1 hectares, and is often fragmented into small parcels. This fragmentation results in low productivity, as it is difficult to implement modern farming techniques and technologies on such small plots.
• Dependence on monsoons: Agriculture in India is heavily dependent on the monsoon rains, which are often unpredictable and erratic. This results in low yields and crop failures, leading to food shortages and inflation.
• Low productivity: Indian agriculture has low productivity levels compared to other countries. This is due to the use of traditional farming practices, inadequate access to modern technologies and inputs, and limited irrigation facilities.
• Dominance of subsistence farming: A large portion of Indian agriculture is still dominated by subsistence farming, where farmers grow crops primarily for their own consumption. This limits the scope for commercialization and growth of the sector.
• Inadequate market infrastructure: The lack of adequate market infrastructure, such as cold storage facilities, transportation, and market linkages, leads to low price realizations for farmers and limits their ability to access markets.

Problems faced by Indian Agriculture:

• Low productivity: As mentioned earlier, Indian agriculture suffers from low productivity levels due to a variety of factors, including the use of traditional farming practices, inadequate access to modern technologies and inputs, and limited irrigation facilities.
• Fragmented land holdings: Fragmented land holdings make it difficult to implement modern farming practices and technologies, resulting in low productivity and yields.
• Dependence on monsoons: Agriculture in India is heavily dependent on the monsoon rains, which are often unpredictable and erratic. This results in crop failures, leading to food shortages and inflation.
• Lack of irrigation facilities: Only around 47% of India’s agricultural land is irrigated, resulting in low productivity levels and low crop yields.
• Inadequate market infrastructure: The lack of adequate market infrastructure, such as cold storage facilities, transportation, and market linkages, leads to low price realizations for farmers and limits their ability to access markets.
• Soil degradation and land pollution: Overuse of fertilizers and pesticides has led to soil degradation and land pollution, which reduces the fertility of the soil and leads to declining yields.
• Lack of access to credit: Farmers in India often have limited access to credit, which limits their ability to invest in modern technologies and inputs.

Measures needed to address these challenges:

• Increase investment in agriculture: The government needs to increase investment in agriculture by allocating more funds for irrigation facilities, modern farming technologies, and market infrastructure.
• Improve access to credit: Farmers need better access to credit to invest in modern technologies and inputs. The government can provide credit facilities to farmers at subsidized rates through public sector banks and cooperative societies.
• Improve irrigation facilities: The government needs to focus on increasing the irrigation potential in the country, both through surface water and groundwater sources.
• Promote contract farming: Contract farming can help farmers access markets and improve their price realizations. The government can encourage the private sector to enter into contracts with farmers for the supply of raw materials.
• Encourage organic farming: The government can promote organic farming by providing subsidies for organic inputs and certification, and by creating organic farming.
• Introduce crop insurance: The government can introduce crop insurance schemes to protect farmers against crop failures and natural disasters.
• Develop market infrastructure: The government needs to invest in developing market infrastructure, including cold storage facilities, transportation, and market linkages, to help farmers access markets and improve their price realizations.
• Improve research and development: The government needs to invest in research and development in the agriculture sector to develop new technologies and practices that can help increase productivity and reduce input costs.
• Promote farmer producer organizations (FPOs): Farmer producer organizations can help farmers improve their bargaining power and access markets. The government can provide support to FPOs by providing training, access to credit, and market linkages.
• Address land fragmentation: The government needs to address the problem of land fragmentation by promoting consolidation of land holdings, either through voluntary pooling or through land acquisition.

Table of major crops grown in India and their weather requirements:

Note: The temperature and rainfall requirements can vary depending on the variety of the crop and the location of the cultivation. The values in the table are approximate and indicative only.