Problems faced by Indian agriculture vary from region to region.
However, the following problem can be generalized in India:
Indian agriculture is dependent on erratic monsoon:
- Irrigated areas are only 33%
- The rest areas depend on rainfall.
- The poor performance of the Southwest monsoon adversely affects the supply of canal water and groundwater the charging.
- Both flood in drought twin problems faced by Indian agriculture
Low productivity of agriculture and labor
- Agriculture productivity is low in comparison to the International farm productivity
- Rice, wheat, cotton productivity is much lower than in the USA, Japan, Russia.
- Very high pressure on land due to the high population density
- Labor productivity is very low
- Pulse and oilseed have also very low yields.
Constraint on financial resources and indebtedness:
- Modern agriculture input is very expensive
- It is unmanageable for the marginal and small farmers.
- No saving to invest in agriculture
- Farmer prefers to go to money lenders for money due to barriers with banks.
- Crop failure and low return forced them to fall in-dept a trap that leads to an increasing suicide rate of the farmer.
Lack of Land Reforms;
Unequal distribution of land exploited the farmer
Three revenue system was introduced during the British period :
- Mahalwari
- Ryotwari
- Zamindari
Zamindari system was most exploitative for farmers
After independence Land Reforms was not implemented effectively due to :
- Lack of strong political will
- Most of the state government avoided
- Lobbies of landlords
Small farm size and fragmentation:
- 60% of farmers have a size smaller than one hectare
- 40% of the farmer has less than .5 hectares.
- The average size of the land is shrinking due to an increase in the population and land is fragmented because of the passing of land to the next generation to their child.
- the small size of the land is uneconomic.
Lack of commercialization:
- A large number of farmers produce are for self-consumption
- Do not have enough land resources to produce more than their requirement.
Vast underemployment:
- massive unemployment in an irrigated land.
- seasonal unemployment ranging 4 to 8 month
Degradation of cultivable land:
- The faulty strategy of irrigation and agricultural development leads to the degradation of land resources and leads to the depletion of soil fertility
- Alkalinity and salinity increasing due to waterlogging and usage of chemical insecticide and pesticide use
- Nearly 8 million hectares of land are alkaline and saline.
For a detailed explanation, watch the below video:
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