Model Answer
0 min readIntroduction
Agricultural productivity in India, despite being the backbone of the economy and employing a significant portion of the population, lags behind global averages. While India is one of the largest producers of several agricultural commodities, its yield per hectare is considerably lower than countries like the USA, China, and Brazil. This disparity stems from a complex interplay of factors including fragmented landholdings, inadequate irrigation infrastructure, limited access to modern technology, and inefficient supply chain management. Addressing this gap is crucial for ensuring food security, enhancing rural incomes, and achieving sustainable agricultural growth. The recent focus on digital agriculture and the Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) are steps in the right direction, but a more comprehensive approach is needed.
Factors Contributing to Lower Agricultural Productivity in India
Several interconnected factors contribute to India’s relatively low agricultural productivity:
- Small and Fragmented Landholdings: The average landholding size in India is significantly smaller than in many other agricultural nations. This fragmentation hinders economies of scale and efficient use of resources. According to the Agriculture Census 2015-16, the average landholding size is just 1.15 hectares.
- Inadequate Irrigation Infrastructure: Despite being a monsoon-dependent economy, a substantial portion of agricultural land remains un-irrigated. Irrigation coverage is uneven across regions, with some states heavily reliant on rainfall.
- Low Adoption of Modern Technology: The adoption rate of modern agricultural technologies like precision farming, genetically modified crops (GM crops – subject to regulatory hurdles), and advanced machinery is relatively low, particularly among small and marginal farmers.
- Inefficient Supply Chain Management: Significant post-harvest losses occur due to inadequate storage facilities, transportation bottlenecks, and a lack of efficient market linkages. Approximately 16% of fruits and vegetables are lost due to inadequate cold storage. (Source: National Centre for Cold Chain Development, 2019 - knowledge cutoff)
- Soil Degradation and Nutrient Depletion: Overuse of chemical fertilizers and unsustainable agricultural practices have led to soil degradation and nutrient depletion in many areas.
- Limited Access to Credit and Insurance: Small and marginal farmers often face difficulties in accessing affordable credit and crop insurance, making them vulnerable to financial risks.
Sustainable Measures to Raise Agricultural Productivity
Technological Interventions
- Promoting Precision Farming: Utilizing technologies like drones, sensors, and data analytics to optimize resource use (water, fertilizers, pesticides) and improve crop yields.
- Developing Climate-Resilient Crops: Investing in research and development of crop varieties that are tolerant to drought, floods, and other climate change impacts.
- Encouraging Biotechnology: A cautious and regulated approach to GM crops, focusing on traits that enhance productivity and reduce pesticide use.
- Digital Agriculture: Promoting the use of mobile apps and online platforms to provide farmers with real-time information on weather, market prices, and best agricultural practices.
Infrastructural Development
- Expanding Irrigation Coverage: Prioritizing the completion of ongoing irrigation projects and promoting water conservation techniques like micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler). The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) aims to enhance irrigation efficiency.
- Strengthening Rural Infrastructure: Investing in rural roads, storage facilities (cold storage, warehouses), and transportation networks to reduce post-harvest losses and improve market access.
- Developing Agri-Logistics: Establishing efficient agri-logistics systems, including refrigerated transportation and pack houses, to ensure the safe and timely delivery of agricultural produce.
Policy and Institutional Reforms
- Land Consolidation: Encouraging land consolidation through cooperative farming or land leasing arrangements to achieve economies of scale.
- Strengthening Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs): Providing support to FPOs to enhance their capacity for collective bargaining, marketing, and value addition.
- Reforming Agricultural Marketing: Implementing reforms to create a unified national agricultural market, removing restrictions on inter-state trade, and promoting e-NAM (Electronic National Agriculture Market).
- Providing Subsidies and Incentives: Rationalizing fertilizer subsidies and providing incentives for the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.
- Crop Diversification: Encouraging farmers to diversify their crops to reduce dependence on water-intensive crops like rice and wheat, and to promote nutritional security.
Regional Specific Strategies
Productivity enhancement strategies need to be tailored to the specific agro-climatic conditions of different regions. For example:
- Rainfed Areas: Focus on water harvesting, drought-resistant crops, and watershed development programs.
- High-Fertility Areas: Promote intensive farming practices, high-yielding varieties, and efficient fertilizer management.
- Hilly Regions: Encourage terracing, contour bunding, and horticulture.
Conclusion
Raising agricultural productivity in India requires a holistic and sustainable approach that addresses the underlying structural issues and leverages technological advancements. Investing in irrigation, strengthening supply chains, promoting farmer organizations, and implementing region-specific strategies are crucial steps. Furthermore, a policy environment that encourages innovation, risk-taking, and sustainable practices is essential for achieving long-term agricultural growth and ensuring food security for a growing population. The success of these measures will depend on effective coordination between the central and state governments, and active participation of farmers and other stakeholders.
Answer Length
This is a comprehensive model answer for learning purposes and may exceed the word limit. In the exam, always adhere to the prescribed word count.