Pre-Independence Agriculture in India

Land Systems

• Zamindari: Fixed, high taxes, exploitative.

• Ryotwari: Direct tax to government, still burdensome.

• Mahalwari: Community-based, less exploitative but led to debt.

Practices

• Subsistence farming: Low tech, self-sufficient.

• Cash crops: Indigo, tea, opium; led to soil degradation.

British Impact

• Economic Drain: High taxes, debt cycle.

• Commercialization: Shift to cash crops, famines.

• Limited Infrastructure: Poor irrigation and transport.

• Social Impact: Landlessness and social stratification increased.

Post-Independence Agriculture in India

Land Reforms

• Abolition of Zamindari: Removed intermediaries, aimed at direct ownership.

• Land Ceiling: Limit on landholdings to reduce inequality.

• Tenancy Reforms: Security for tenants, regulation of rents.

Government Initiatives

Community Development Programme (1952), Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) (1960), Green Revolution (Late 1960s), National Food Security Mission (2007), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) (2007), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) (2015)

Community Development Programme (1952)

• Objective: Holistic development of rural areas.

• Implementation: Introduced block-level planning and execution.

• Impact: Improved agricultural practices, but limited by lack of resources and training.

Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) (1960)

• Objective: To boost agricultural productivity in select districts.

• Implementation: Introduced High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) and better farming techniques.

• Impact: Increased productivity but led to regional disparities.

Green Revolution (Late 1960s)

• Objective: Self-sufficiency in food grains.

• Implementation: Introduction of HYVs, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.

• Impact: Significant increase in wheat and rice production, but environmental degradation.

National Food Security Mission (2007)

• Objective: To ensure food security.

• Implementation: Focus on increasing the production of rice, wheat, and pulses.

• Impact: Helped in stabilizing food grain production.

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) (2007)

• Objective: To incentivize states to increase public investment in agriculture.

• Implementation: Financial grants to states for agricultural programs.

• Impact: Increased state-level initiatives but uneven distribution of funds.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) (2015)

• Objective: To extend irrigation facilities.

• Implementation: Drip and sprinkler irrigation, water-harvesting techniques.

• Impact: Improved water use efficiency but groundwater depletion in some areas.

Technological Advancements

• Mechanization: Tractors, harvesters.

• Irrigation: Dams, canals, drip irrigation.

• Genetically Modified Crops: Bt Cotton, increased yield.

Challenges

• Lower Average Farm Size: Around 1.08 hectares (2.66 Acre) (as per Agriculture Census 2015-16)

• Yield: Lower than the global average for many crops

• Monsoon Dependence: Erratic rainfall affects yields.

• Soil Degradation: Overuse of fertilizers, pesticides.

• Post-harvest Loss: Estimated at around 16% for fruits and vegetables

• Higher population involved (50%) but comparatively lower contribution to GDP (16%)

Statistics and Facts on Agriculture in India

General Statistics

• Contribution to GDP: Around 16-17% (as of 2020)

• Employment: Employs over 50% of the workforce

• Arable Land: Approximately 157.35 million hectares (15.7 Lakh Sq. Km.)

• Irrigated Land: Around 68.4 million hectares (6.8 Lakh Sq. Km)

• Cropping Intensity (%) in India: Around 140%

Major Crops

• Sugarcane: India is the world’s largest producer.

• Rice, Wheat, Cotton: India is the second-largest producer in the world.

Livestock

• Milk: India is the largest producer of milk in the world.

• Poultry: India ranks 3rd in egg production and 4th in chicken meat production.

Exports

• Agricultural Exports: Around $35-40 billion (as of 2019-2020)
  • Around 12% of the country’s total exports

• Major Export Items: Basmati rice, spices, tea, coffee, and marine products.

• Top Importers (from India): USA, Iran, Nepal, and Bangladesh

Irrigation

• Sources of Irrigation: Canals (25%), Wells and Tubewells (62%), Tanks and Ponds (2%), Others (11%)

• Drip Irrigation: Covers around 10 million hectares as of 2020

Fertilizer Consumption

• Urea: Accounts for over 50% of total fertilizer consumption

• NPK Ratio: Imbalanced at around 6.7 : 2.4 : 1 (ideal is 4:2:1)

Agricultural Mechanization

• Tractor Penetration: Around 20-25 tractors per 1,000 hectares

• Combine Harvesters: Around 1.5-2% of total cropped area

Crop Insurance

• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): Covers around 30% of the total cropped area

• Claims: Around ₹90,000 crore paid out since inception till 2020

Agricultural R&D

• Investment: Less than 0.5% of agricultural GDP

• Scientists: Around 6,500 agricultural scientists in public sector research

Food Processing

• Share in Manufacturing: Around 9% of total manufacturing GDP

• Employment: Employs around 5 million people

Organic Farming

• Certified Area: Over 2.8 million hectares as of 2020

• Exports: Over $515 million in 2019-2020