Problems of Indian Agriculture -
I. Dependence on Erratic Monsoon - Irrigation covers only about 33 per cent of the cultivated area in India. The crop production in rest of the cultivated land directly depends on rainfall. Poor performance of south-west Monsoon also adversely affects the supply of canal water for irrigation. Drought is a common phenomenon in the low rainfall areas which may also experience occasional floods. The flash floods in drylands of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan in 2006 are examples of this phenomenon.
II. Low productivity- The yield of the crops in the country is low in comparison to the international level. Per hectare output of most of the crops such as rice, wheat, cotton and oilseeds in India is much lower than that of U.*.A., Russia and Japan. 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.
III. Lack of Land Reforms- Indian peasantry had been exploited for a long time as there had been unequal distribution of land. Among the three revenue systems operational during British ** i.e. Mahalwari, Ryotwari and Zamindari, the last one was most exploitative for the peasants. After independence, land reforms were accorded priority, but these reforms were not implemented effectively due to lack of strong political will.
IV. Small Farm Size and Fragmentation of Landholdings- There are a large number of marginal and small farmers in the country. More than 60 per cent of the ownership holdings have a size smaller than one (ha). Furthermore, about 40 per cent of the farmers have operational holding size smaller than 0.5 hectare (ha). The average size
V. Lack of Commercialisation -A large number of farmers produce crops for self-consumption. These farmers do not have enough land resources to produce more than their requirement.
VI. Vast Under- employment There is a massive 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. Even in the cropping season work is not available throughout, as agricultural operations are not labour intensive.
VII. Degradation of Cultivable Land One of the serious problems that arises out of faulty strategy of irrigation and agricultural development is degradation of land resources. This is serious because it may lead to depletion of soil fertility. The situation is particularly alarming in irrigated areas.
