1.13. Problems of Indian Agriculture

The nature of problems faced by Indian agriculture varies according to agro-ecological and historical experiences of its different regions. Many of the problems are common to the nation and range from physical constraints to institutional hindrances.

1. Dependence on erratic Monsoon is one of the major problems in India. Irrigation covers only about 33 per cent of the cultivated area in India. Hence, the crop production in rest of the cultivated land directly depends on rainfall. Since, rainfall is very fluctuating; the areas are vulnerable to both droughts and floods. Drought is a common phenomenon in the low rainfall areas which may also experience occasional floods.

2. Low Productivity is another major concern. Per hectare output of most of the crops such as rice, wheat, cotton and oilseeds in India is much lower than that of other countries in the world. Because of the very high pressure on the land resources, the labour productivity in Indian agriculture is also very low in comparison to international level.

3. The farmers use outdated techniques. Most of the agricultural operations are carried out manually using simple and conventional tools. This hampers the production potential of the farmers.

4. Constraints on financial resources and indebtedness also make agriculture unmanageable for small and marginal farmers with very meagre or no savings. Crop failures and low returns from agriculture have forced them to fall in the trap of indebtedness.

5. Lack of land reforms has led to exploitation of Indian farmers for long time. There are no proper land records which make them susceptible to exploitation.

6. Besides, small size farms and fragmentation of land holdings also reduces the productivity and production of the farms. More than 60 per cent of the ownership holdings have a size smaller than one hectare (ha). Furthermore, about 40 per cent of the farmers have operational holding size smaller than 0.5 hectare (ha). The small size fragmented landholdings are uneconomic. A large number of farmers produce crops for self- consumption. These farmers do not have enough land resources to produce more than their requirement. Most of the small and marginal farmers grow food grains, which are meant for their own family consumption.

7. There is a massive problem of under-employment in the agricultural sector in India, particularly in the un-irrigated tracts. In these areas, there is a seasonal unemployment ranging from 4 to 8 months.

8. Another serious problem that arises out of faulty strategy of irrigation and agricultural development is degradation of land resources. Large tracts of fertile lands suffer from soil erosion due to wind, deforestation, overgrazing and occasional heavy rainfall. Soil's fertility should be conserved at any cost. This is serious because it may lead to depletion of soil fertility. The situation is particularly alarming in irrigated areas. A large tract of agricultural land has lost its fertility due to alkalisation and salinisation of soils and water logging.

9. Besides, the marketing of agricultural products, especially in rural India, is neither adequate nor standardised. Thus, many farmers have to sell their products at low prices through local traders and middle-men.