Problems of Indian Agriculture

Introduction

The article will try to cover the problems of Indian agriculture at a suitable level of depth and focus on the issues that need attention for ensuring a sustainable, equitable and prosperous future. 

They generally believe that farmers are the poorest of the poor of any country. In India, they are certainly the poorest of all poor, yet they are also the essential group in a land of a billion people. Continue reading for more details on Geography Class 12: Problems of Indian Agriculture.

Geography Class 12: Problems of Indian Agriculture

Different agro-ecological and historical experiences in different regions affect the nature of the problems facing Indian agriculture. Consequently, most issues relating to Indian agriculture are specific to certain regions. 

There are a few common problems, from environmental restrictions to institutional hurdles, despite the differences. Here are some of the challenges of Indian agriculture discussed in Geography Class 12: Problems of India Agriculture

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Dependence on Erratic Monsoon

Droughts and floods continue to be twin menaces in Indian agriculture. Even the areas receiving high annual rainfall experience considerable fluctuations, making them vulnerable to droughts and floods. This is one of the prominent issues in Indian agriculture that is dealt with in Geography Class 12: Problems of Indian Agriculture.

A little over 33 per cent of the cultivated land in India is irrigated. In the rest of the country, the production of crops is heavily dependent on rainfall. It also adversely affects canal water supply for irrigation when the southwest monsoon performs poorly. 

However, rainfall in Rajasthan is very irregular and scarce, especially in drought-prone areas. The regions that receive significant rainfall also experience significant fluctuations in their annual rainfall. The result is that these regions are vulnerable to both droughts and floods. There are often droughts in areas with low rainfall, which may also experience occasional flooding from time to time.

Constraints of Financial Resources and Indebtedness

A large number of farmers grow crops for their consumption. Most of them do not have enough land to produce crops beyond their need. Small and marginal farmers typically grow food grains for consumption within their households. However, irrigation-based agriculture has developed and become more commercialised.

The expensive inputs of modern agriculture have forced small farmers to rely on credit to finance their farming activities. The problems faced by Indian agriculture range from physical constraints to institutional hindrances. 

Agricultural investment generally yields low returns, which leads to debt for farmers. This seems to be one of the major challenges of Indian agriculture discussed in Geography Class 12: Problems of Indian Agriculture.

Low productivity

The crop yield in India is low compared to other countries because of high pressure on land resources and low labour productivity. Indian agriculture is ineffective due to a lack of infrastructure. 

Apart from climate change, we suffer from low productivity and low resource utilisation because of the inaccessibility of technology. Comparing the yield of crops in the country to international standards, it is low. Rice, wheat, cotton, and oilseeds, for example, are not produced in large quantities as they are in the U.S.A., Russia and Japan. Similarly, India’s agricultural productivity is very low compared to international levels due to the very high pressure on land resources. Rain drenched land, mainly dry land, grows coarse cereals, pulses, and oilseeds, has very low yields.

Agricultural inputs are costly in modern agriculture. Since small and marginal farmers do not have enough savings to invest in agriculture, this resource-intensive approach has become unaffordable for them. Farmers have resorted to borrowing money from various institutions and money lenders to cope with these hardships. The failure of crops and low returns from agricultural activities led them to become indebted.

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Lack of Land Reforms

In India, the last revenue system was the most exploitative for the peasantry, and after independence, the consumption of chemical fertilisers per unit area increased. Small Farm Size and Fragmentation of Landholdings. In the absence of a strong political will, reforms in land distribution were not implemented. 

Lack of Commercialization

There are many marginal and small farmers in India. Lands are small, landholdings are fragmented, and the average size of landholding is shrinking. In India’s agricultural sector, there is massive under-employment, particularly in the un-irrigated tracts. 

Geography Class 12: Problems of Indian Agriculture also deal with more issues in Indian agriculture like alkalinity and salinity have affected about 8 million ha land, which is particularly alarming in irrigated areas, and waterlogging has affected about 7 million ha land. In addition to pesticides and insecticides, artificial fertilisers pollute the soil.

Conclusion

Environmental and institutional restrictions affect Indian agriculture. There are many marginal and small farmers in India. Most of them farm small, fragmented plots of land, and the average size of landholding is shrinking. 

The agricultural sector in un-irrigated tracts of India is particularly under-employed. India suffers from low productivity and low resource utilisation because of low technology and inaccessibility of technology. Small farmers have been forced to take loans to finance their farming activities because of the high costs of inputs. The problems faced by Indian agriculture include physical constraints and institutional hindrances.