Scenario of Agriculture in India

Agriculture in India is a major economic sector and it creates plenty of employment opportunities as well.
India agriculture has an extensive background which goes back to 10 thousand years. At present, in terms of agricultural production, the country holds the second position all over the world. In 2007, agriculture and other associated industries such as lumbering and forestry represented around 16.6% of the Gross Domestic Product of the country. In addition, the sector recruited about 52% of the entire manpower.
Regardless of the fact that there has been a gradual slump in its contribution to the gross domestic product of the country, India agriculture is currently the biggest industry in India. On the whole, it has a key role in the socioeconomic growth of the country.
In terms of agricultural contribution, the following states in India are the most developed states: • Punjab • Uttar Pradesh • Madhya Pradesh • Haryana • Bihar • Andhra Pradesh • Maharashtra • West Bengal
All these states play a key role in the agrarian development of India.
The total arable territory in India is 1,269,219 km2, which represents about 56.78% of the overall land zone of the country. Arable land in India is diminishing because of continuous strain from an ever-increasing number of inhabitants and growing urbanization.
The overall water surface area of the country is 31440 km2 and the country experiences a mean yearly precipitation of 1,100 mm. Irrigation represents 92% of the consumption of water and in 1974, it was 380 km2. By 2025, the capacity will probably increase to 1,050 km2, with the equilibrium justifying both household and industrial usage.
Agricultural Products in India
India ranks 1st first in producing the following agricultural outputs: • Anise • Fresh fruit • Badian • Fennel • Tropical fresh fruit • Coriander • Pigeon peas • Jute • Spices • Pulses • Castor oil seed • Millets • Safflower seeds • Sesame seeds • Limes • Lemons • Dry chilies and peppers • Cow's milk • Cashew nuts • Chickpeas • Ginger • Okra • Guavas • Turmeric • Goat milk • Mangoes • Meat • Buffalo milk
In addition, the country also ranks as the top producer of millets such as Bajra, Jowar, and Ragi. In terms of rice production, India holds the 2nd second position after China.
About 10% of the fruits produced in the world are produced in India.

India holds the first position in the world in producing the following fruits: • Papaya • Mangoes • Sapota • Banana
India ranks as the second biggest producer of the following: • Cabbages • Cashews • Fresh vegetables • Cotton seed and lint • Brinjal • Garlic • Silk • Goat meat • Cardamom • Nutmeg and Mace • Wheat • Onions • Sugarcane • Rice • Dry beans • Lentil • Tea • Groundnut • Cauliflowers • Green peas • Pumpkins • Potatoes • Gourds • Squashes • Inland fish The population of India is increasing at a faster pace than its capacity to produce wheat and rice. India holds the second position in production of wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, and groundnuts. It is also the second biggest harvester of vegetables and fruit, representing 8.6% and 10.9% of the overall vegetable and fruit production in the world correspondingly. The country is the top producer of jute, milk, and pulses and holds the second rank in the production of silk and it is the biggest consumer of silk in the world. In 2005, the country produced 77,000 million tons of silk.

India holds the third rank in the world in the production of the following: • Sorghum • Tobacco • Coconuts • Rapeseed • Tomatoes • Hen's eggs
By coffee production, India holds the sixth rank in the world.
India houses the biggest number of livestock in the world and the count is 281 million. In 2008, the country housed the second biggest number of cattle in the world and the count was 175 million livestock.

What are the initiatives taken by Government?
In a huge country like India, the necessary extent of outlay for the expansion of merchandising, warehousing, and cold storage arrangement is expected to be massive.
The Government of India has been earnestly trying to put into operation different plans to increase investment or outlay in merchandizing and commercializing. Some of the known plans and strategies of the Indian Government include the following: • Market Research and Information Network • Construction of Rural Godowns • Grading and Standardization • Development/Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the principal authority in farming and ancillary industries, which comprise learning and research.
The post of the President of the ICAR is held by the Union Minister of Agriculture and at present, Mr. Sharad Pawar is holding the position.
The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) was set up in the year 1905. The institute had a key role in the studies and explorations that resulted in the Green Revolution in the decade of the 1970s. The Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute formulates new methods for the planning of agricultural testing. It also evaluates information associated with cultivation and offers expert advices in statistical methods for livestock and tree raising.
Of late, the Government of India has established Farmers Commission to fully assess the cultivation plan. Nonetheless, the suggestions received varied responses.
Other interesting facts about Indian Agriculture
India enjoys the second position all over the world in terms of agricultural production. During the period of 2009-10, farming and associated industries such as lumbering, forestry, and fishing represented approximately 15.7% of the Gross Domestic Product of the country. These industries also recruited 52.1% of the overall manpower of India.
Outputs on a unitary basis for every type of harvest have increased from 1950. This has been possible since the government has put particular focus on farming operations in the five-year plans (Panchabarshiki Parikalpana) and stable developments in the domains of engineering science, irrigation, implementation of contemporary farming operations, and supply of cultivation loans and grants after the Green Revolution took place in the country.
Nonetheless, worldwide evaluative studies disclose that the mean agricultural output in the country is typically 30%-50% of the maximum average output in the world.

• Indian agriculture’s fate is inextricably linked to the monsoons. Now this may not have been the case where the country’s farmlands are uniformly and sufficiently irrigated. But, as would be expected, some states are more to blame than the rest. IndiaSpend’s Dhritiman Gupta looks at agriculture production across states and contrasts irrigation facilities and agricultural production; and comes away with some interesting findings. Punjab and Haryana are by far the most agriculturally productive states in the country. And also with the highest irrigation reach. Not surprising perhaps. But what might be surprising – particularly to the uninitiated – is that Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar are the next in the list with irrigation reach ranging from 75% to 64%. Maharashtra figures way down the list with barely 16.8% of cultivable land being irrigated. First we will look at the all-India figures for the last 10 years. Table 1: All India Agricultural Statistics
| Year |Area under Cultivation (million|Production (million tonnes) |Yield(tonnes per hectare) |Area under Irrigation (% of |
| |hectares) | | |total area under cultivation) |
|2000-01 |121 |196 |1.6 |43.4 |
|2001-02 |122 |212 |1.7 |43 |
|2002-03 |113 |174 |1.5 |42.8 |
|2003-04 |123 |213 |1.7 |42.2 |
|2004-05 |120 |198 |1.6 |44.2 |
|2005-06 |121 |208 |1.7 |45.5 |
|2006-07 |123 |217 |1.7 |46.3 |
|2007-08 |124 |230 |1.8 |46.8 |
|2008-09 |122 |234 |1.9 |48.3 |
|2009-10 |121 |218 |1.7 |NA |
|2010-11 |125 |241 |1.9 |NA |

Source: Agricultural Department Of India Lacking In Irrigation Support The first thing to take away from (Table 1) is that India has failed to provide irrigation support to its farmers. In 2000-01 about 43.4% of the cultivated land had irrigation facilities. Almost a whole decade later, in 2008-09, only 48.3% of the cultivated area came under irrigation. Not surprisingly, Indian farmers are still exposed to the vagaries of the monsoons. That they are is quite apparent from the fluctuations in agricultural production. Even though production rose from 196 million tonnes in 2000-01 to 241 million tonnes in 2010-11, the fluctuations within the period are huge. Agricultural production fell from 212 million tonnes in 2001-02 to 174 million tonnes in 2002-03. Between 2003-04 and 2004-05, production fell by 15 million tonnes. The fluctuations continued till as late as 2009-10. Agricultural production fell from 234 million tonnes in 2008-09 to 218 million tonnes in 2009-10. Productivity has hovered around an average of 1.7 tonnes per hectare over 2000-11. But even productivity has shown regular fluctuations. Over the decade, productivity varied between 1.5 million tonnes to 1.9 million tonnes. A first guess toward explaining such fluctuation again has to be uncertain monsoons and use of relatively backward techniques. As we saw in a previous article, an average productivity of 1.7 tonnes per hectare was quite poor when compared to of countries like Australia, Israel and even Peru and Nicaragua. UP: Best Producing State Before going into the state-wise comparison along similar lines, let us look at the states India depends on for its agriculture. For this purpose we will look at the 3 best producing states across crops. Table 2: State Wise Production Statistics in 2009-10
| Crop Category |State Ranks |Total Production |Percentage of Total Production |
|Food grains (million tonnes) |1. Uttar Pradesh |43.2 |19.8 |
| |2. Punjab |26.9 |12.3 |
| |3. Madhya Pradesh |16.0 |7.3 |
| |All India |218.1 | |
|Oilseeds (million tonnes) |1. Madhya Pradesh |7.6 |30.6 |
| |2. Rajasthan |4.4 |17.7 |
| |3. Maharashtra |3.1 |12.5 |
| |All India |24.8 | |
|Sugarcane (million tonnes) |1. Uttar Pradesh |117.1 |40.0 |
| |2. Maharashtra |64.1 |21.9 |
| |3. Karnataka |30.4 |10.4 |
| |All India |292.3 | |
|Cotton (million tonnes) |1. Gujarat |7.9 |32.9 |
| |2. Maharasthra |5.8 |24.1 |
| |3. Andhra Pradesh |3.2 |13.3 |
| |All India |24.0 | |

Source: Agricultural Department Of India As can be seen from (Table 2) India depends on a handful of states for its agricultural production, Uttar Pradesh being the undisputed leader. And across crops, the top 3 states dominate the bulk of production. In the food grains category, the top 3 states account for almost 40% of the production. In oilseeds, the figure is 60.8%. The number jumps to 70.3% if we consider cotton. A handful of states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh produce the most in the agricultural sector. Food security being one of the main concerns of policy makers, we will restrict our attention to food grains production from here on. We will try to link productivity in food grains and irrigation coverage of the state. We will take the year 2008-09 for the purpose because irrigation coverage data is not available after that year. Impact Of Irrigation On Productivity The states have been ranked according to irrigation coverage, from top to bottom. Data is available for 17 states. Table 3- Irrigation Coverage and Productivity in 2008-09
| States |Production (million tonnes) |Percentage of Total |Productivity (tonnes per |Area under Irrigation (% of |
| | |Production |hectare) |total area under |
| | | | |cultivation) |
|1. Punjab |27.3 |11.6 |4.2 |98.1 |
|2. Haryana |15.6 |6.6 |3.3 |87.6 |
|3. Uttar Pradesh |46.7 |19.9 |2.3 |75.9 |
|4. Andhra Pradesh |20.4 |8.7 |2.7 |63.9 |
|5. Bihar |12.2 |5.2 |1.7 |63.4 |
|6. Tamil Nadu |7.1 |3.0 |2.2 |63.1 |
|7. West Bengal |16.3 |6.9 |2.4 |48.2 |
|8. Gujarat |6.4 |2.7 |1.5 |44.7 |
|9. Madhya Pradesh |13.9 |5.9 |1.1 |44.5 |
|10. Uttarakhand |1.7 |6.7 |1.7 |42.9 |
|11. Orissa |7.4 |3.1 |1.3 |33.6 |
|12. Karnataka |11.2 |4.8 |1.5 |28.5 |
|13. Chhattisgarh |5.1 |2.2 |1.0 |27.6 |
|14. Rajasthan |16.6 |7.1 |1.2 |26.4 |
|15. Maharashtra |11.4 |4.8 |1.0 |16.8 |
|16. Jharkhand |1.7 |0.7 |1.7 |5.4 |
|17. Assam |4.1 |1.7 |1.5 |4.9 |
|18.Other States |6.3 |2.6 |NA |NA |
|All India |234.4 |100 |1.9 |48.3 |

Source: Agricultural Department Of India Even though irrigation is not the only factor which affects productivity, others being quality of soil, use of fertilisers, education of farmers et cetera, it actually to some extent enhances productivity. A look at (Table 3) confirms that. The first thing to note is that only 6 states had more than 60% irrigation coverage in 2008-09. Then there is a drastic drop. The 7th state West Bengal only had 48.2% of its cultivated land under irrigation. Maharashtra ranked 15th with only 16.8% of its cultivated land under irrigation. With the exception of West Bengal with a productivity of 2.4 tonnes per hectare, all states with lower than 60% irrigation coverage had productivity below 2 tonnes per hectare. The productivity in Maharashtra was just about 1.0 tonne per hectare. Bihar, on the other hand, is an exception of the other sort. Despite having more than 60% irrigation coverage the productivity was only 1.7 tonnes per hectare. This could be due to illiteracy of farmers but the necessary infrastructure to bounce back is in place. Bihar’s agriculture growth rate over 2004-2010 has in fact been the fastest in the country – at 8.1%. IndiaSpend has been writing on the relation between agricultural output and irrigation in the past. The current study looks at the state-wise role in national agricultural output. The reasons may vary (and nature might play a role) but it’s interesting that industrially advanced states like Maharashtra & Gujarat have not been as proficient in irrigation reach. Recent investigations into irrigation projects in Maharashtra perhaps suggest why, at least for one stat

| State wise ranking based on % production of food grain in comparison to all India |
|Sl.No. |States |% production to All |Rank |
| | |India total production| |
|1 |Andhra Pradesh |7.47 |3 |
|2 |Assam |1.41 |16 |
|3 |Bihar |5.11 |9 |
|4 |Chhattisgarh |2.67 |14 |
|5 |Gujarat |2.99 |13 |
|6 |Haryana |6.79 |5 |
|7 |Jharkhand |1.70 |15 |
|8 |Karnataka |4.42 |10 |
|9 |Madhya Pradesh |6.33 |7 |
|10 |Maharashtra |5.82 |8 |
|11 |Orissa |3.38 |12 |
|12 |Punjab |11.65 |2 |
|13 |Rajasthan |6.54 |6 |
|14 |Tamil Nadu |3.80 |11 |
|15 |Uttar Pradesh |18.97 |1 |
|16 |Uttarakhand |0.80 |17 |
|17 |West Bengal |7.35 |4 |
|Source: Ministry of Agriculture, GOI |

| State wise ranking based on % area under food grain cultivation in comparison to all India |
|Sl.No. |States |% area to All India |Rank |
| | |total area under food | |
| | |grain cultivation | |
|1 |Andhra Pradesh |5.88 |6 |
|2 |Assam |1.92 |15 |
|3 |Bihar |5.42 |7 |
|4 |Chhattisgarh |4.09 |11 |
|5 |Gujarat |3.69 |12 |
|6 |Haryana |3.52 |13 |
|7 |Jharkhand |1.92 |15 |
|8 |Karnataka |6.02 |5 |
|9 |Madhya Pradesh |9.52 |4 |
|10 |Maharashtra |10.87 |2 |
|11 |Orissa |4.37 |10 |
|12 |Punjab |5.09 |9 |
|13 |Rajasthan |10.27 |3 |
|14 |Tamil Nadu |2.56 |14 |
|15 |Uttar Pradesh |16.20 |1 |
|16 |Uttarakhand |0.80 |17 |
|17 |West Bengal |5.14 |8 |
|Source: Ministry of Agriculture, GOI |