Foodgrain production in India (Economics)

ASSIGNMENT Take a table of foodgrains production in India from any textbook on Indian economy or any other secondary source such as the Internet. Interpret the changes in the production over a given period of time.

1. The best secondary source for the required data is Economic Survey of the Government of India. For example. Table 1.15 on page A35 of Statistical Table given at the end of Economic Survey 2017-18 gives data on production of major crops from 1980-81 to 2015-16. 2. You may also use Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: Pocket Book of Agricultural Statistics, 2017, Section 4 and 5 of Statistical Tables. You may use these data to find out the long-term trend in the production of foodgrains as well as the yearly fluctuations (for the last 6 years) in the foodgrains production. You may identify the factors for the long-term increase in foodgrains production such as use of fertilisers. HYS, etc. You may also explain yearly fluctuations in terms of the nature of the monsoon–excessive rain or shortfall of rain. You may conduct such a study for the foodgrains production as a whole as well as for production of specific foodgrains like rice, wheat, pulses etc.

Introduction

While agriculture’s share in India’s economy has progressively declined to less than 15% due to the high growth rates of the industrial and services sectors, the sector is still vital to India’s economic and social fabric.

First, nearly three-quarters of India’s families depend on rural incomes. Second, the majority of India’s poor are found in rural areas. And third, India’s food security depends on producing cereal crops, as well as increasing its production of fruits, vegetables and milk to meet the demands of a growing population with rising incomes.

This is why, agriculture is still considered to be the backbone of India’s economy.

One often sees news headlines in India that claim that food grain production India is at an all-time high for certain crops. While India’s foodgrain production is definitely growing, India’s population is also growing rapidly, which means the government is always under pressure to provide food security to its population.

There is a need to provide food security for the growing population, for which India will need a more productive and competitive agricultural sector that can grow at a faster pace.

Here we take a look at the performance of food grain production in India and try to analyse the growth for self-sufficiency, the factors affecting the growth, the fluctuations in productions, and also take a look at the challenges facing agriculture in India.

Long term trend in food grain production in India

The data presented in the table shows the long-term trend in food-grain production in India.

As per the data depicted in the table, food-grain production in India in the last fifty years has increased by over three times. The increase in the production of rice was four times while it was over nine times in respect of wheat. So variations also exist in the production of food-grains.

Factors for long-term increase in food grain production in India

Factors that impact agriculture.

• Physical Factors such as climate, soil and topography.
• Economic Factors such as location of market, development of transport facilities, supply of labour, availability of capital for buying machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, high yielding variety seeds. Government policies also impact food production.

Factors that have helped food grain production in India.

• Increase in area available for crop production due to Land reforms
• Usage of better-quality manure and balanced use fertilizers
• Availability of HYVs (High Yield Variety seeds)
• Efficient dispersal of technology and seeds to farmers across India
• Better knowledge of choice of crop varieties to be grown
• Better irrigation methods and water management
• Government initiatives to boost crop production

So, the increase in agricultural production in India can be attributed to several factors such as Area of cultivation, Productivity of land, Use of Fertilizers, Irrigation methods, use of High-Yielding Variety (HYS) seeds and other factors.

Also, the Government of India has implemented several schemes for raising investments in agriculture. Notable among them are Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY); National Food Security Mission (NFSM); National Horticulture Mission (NHM); Gramin Bhandaran Yojana; Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil palm, and Maize (ISOPOM), etc.

The following figure shows the agriculture GDP of India over the years. All food crops, oilseeds, fiber, condiment & spices, fruits and vegetables are sub-sector of agriculture that provides contribution into agriculture GDP.

The crops that are grown in India have remain more or less the same over the decades. However, several high-yielding field crop varieties and hybrids with good tolerance to various biotic and abiotic stresses are released for cultivation in different agro-ecosystems of the country. These include various varieties of rice, wheat, barley, maize, millets, oilseeds, and pulses.

Also, increase in agricultural production during the last decade was largely a result of growth in productivity. The central government and the state government have also initiated several agricultural schemes and projects. The government is also adopting a fresh thinking on the development of the agriculture sector. In addition to agricultural development, Indian government is also focusing on farmers welfare.

Despite the improvement in productivity, India still has a long way to go in order to catch up with some of the advanced countries.
The table shows that the per hectare productivity of rice, wheat and cotton during 2000-01 in India is much lower compared to other advanced countries.

Fluctuations in Food grain production due to monsoon

Rainfall occurring over India during summer monsoon season significantly affects the agricultural production of the country by providing water for the crop growing seasons.

Foodgrain yield in India, during Kharif (summer) season in particular, is directly affected by variations in the summer monsoons (June–September). An increase (decrease) in rainfall is generally associated with an increase (decrease) in foodgrain yield. However, a similar correspondence during the Rabi (winter) foodgrain yield is not clearly evident.

Though the reduction of rainfall leads to reduction in crop yields, excess rainfall also causes adverse effect on the crop production resulting in reduced crop yields. So, fluctuations in grain production can be caused due to erratic rainfall, be it excess rain or shortfall of rain.

Monsoon in India has been erratic in recent years, which has led to growing emphasis on irrigation, water conservation and land management.

Production of crop production seems to have reached a plateau. The agriculture sector in India requires a comprehensive reexamination, as the growth in crop production has not been increasing at a much faster rate, compared to the growth in population.

This fatigue has been attributed to the steady decrease of the fertility (nutrient availability) of the lands and general decline in soil health due to intensive agriculture in the last two or three decades. So, even to maintain the same levels of production, larger inputs will be required, more fertilizer nutrient will be required. Infestation of pests/diseases has increased, several pests have developed resistance, so plant protection is becoming more difficult and requires more use of pesticides. The productivity of the rainfed belt, unlike the irrigated area, has also not increased substantially over the past few decades.

India is vulnerable to monsoonal rains, and currently lags in investments in fertilizer capacity, in modern methods of water exploitation and management, in road construction, in transport, and in storage.

Conclusion

Even as India has made large strides in increasing food production and achieving food security, the sector remains constrained by low productivity, excessive dependence on monsoon and weather conditions, and continuing fragmentation of land. A combination of these factors has led to sporadic periods of agricultural distress which have been widely reported. As a result, Government has engaged in fresh thinking on the development of the agriculture sector. The multi-pronged strategy for agricultural development now comprises focusing on agricultural growth through sustainable use of natural resources such as soil and water and at the same time taking steps for improving the socio-economic conditions of agriculturists.

Innovative approaches are being adopted for better management of the farming sector. Emphasis is being placed on improved institutions and better organisation so that farmers’ welfare is built into the system. Numerous steps are being taken to strengthen diverse aspects of the agricultural system. The government also understands that India’s credit structure will need to become flexible as per the needs of the farmers.

India’s population will continue to grow and demand food as their right as Indian citizens. Going ahead, India will need to modernize a major part of its farming, if it has to substantially increase its food output for the huge population. India will need to adopt a policy aimed at sustaining a higher growth of crop production in its quest for a secure food supply.

Bibliography

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