10 Major Agricultural Problems Of India Essay Example for Free

10 Major awkward Problems Of India EssaySome of the major conundrums and their possible solutions catch been discussed as follows. Indian agriculture is plagued by some(prenominal) problems some of them argon natural and some others be manmake.1. Sm each and illogical land-holdingsThe seemingly abundance of make sown ara of 141.2 meg hectares and match cropped area of 189.7 one million million hectares (1999-2000) pales into insignificance when we see that it is divided into economically unviable slim and scattered holdings.The total size of holdings was 2.28 hectares in 1970-71 which was reduced to 1. 82 hectares in 1980-81 and 1.50 hectares in 1995-96. The size of the holdings go forth further decrease with the infinite Sub-division of the land holdings.See more Sleep Deprivation Problem etymon Speech EssayThe problem of petite and fragmented holdings is more serious in densely populate and intensively cultivated differentiates manage Kerala, West Bengal, Biha rand eastern part of Uttar Pradesh where the second-rate size of land holdings is slight than one hectare and in certain parts it is less than even 0.5 hectare.Rajasthan with vast sandy stretches and Nagaland with the prevailing Jhoom (shifting agriculture) take hold Brobdingnagianr average sized holdings of 4 and 7.15 hectares respectively. States having high perpennyage of net sown area like Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have holding size above the national average.Further it is shocking to note that a titanic proportion of 59 per cent holdings in 1990- 91 were marginal (below 1 hectare) accounting for 14.9 per cent of the total operated area. Another 19 per cent were small holdings (1-2 hectare) taking up 17.3 per cent of the total operated area. voluminous holdings (above 10 hectare) accounted for only 1.6 per cent of total holdings but c everyplaceed 17.4 per cent of the operated area (Table 22.1). Hence, there is a liberal gap betwe en small sodbusters, medium farmers (peasant group) and big farmers (landlords).The main reason for this sad state of personal matters is our inheritance laws. The land be bulkying to the father is equally distributed among his sons. This distribution of land does not entail a collection or consolidated one, but its nature is fragmented.Different tracts have different levels of fertility and are to be distributed accordingly. If there are four tracts which are to be distributed between two sons, both the sons provide get smaller p pilings of each land tract. In this way the holdings become smaller and more fragmented with each passing generation.Sub-division and fragmentation of the holdings is one of the main dos of our low agricultural productivity and backward state of our agriculture.1/2/2015 758 PM10 Major Agricultural Problems of India and their Possible Solutions3 of 16http//www.yourarticlelibrary.com/agriculture/10-major-agricultural-proA lot of date and labour is wasted in moving seeds, manure, implements and cows from one piece of land to another.Irrigation becomes difficult on such(prenominal) small and fragmented fields. Further, a lot of fertile agricultural land is wasted in providing boundaries. Under such circumstances, the farmer cannot concentrate on improvement. The only answer to this ticklish problem is the consolidation of holdings which means the reallocation of holdings which are fragmented, the creation of farms which plant only one or a few parcels in place of multitude of patches formerly in the possession of each peasant. But unfortunately, this plan has not succeeded much. Although legislation for consolidation of holdings has been enacted by al well-nigh all the states, it has been implemented only in Punjab, Haryana and in some parts of Uttar Pradesh.Consolidation of about 45 million holdings has been done till 1990-91 in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. The other solution to this problem is cooperative farming in which the farmers pool their resources and take the profit.2. SeedsSeed is a critical and basic input for attaining higher crop yields and bear on growth in agricultural production. Distribution of assured quality seed is as critical as the production of such seeds. Unfortunately, good quality seeds are out of reach of the majority of farmers, oddly small and marginal farmers mainly because of exorbitant prices of better seeds.In order to solve this problem, the Government of India accomplished the guinea pig Seeds Corporation (NSC) in 1963 and the State FarmersCorporation of India (SFCI) in 1969. Thirteen State Seed Corporations (SSCs) were also established to augment the supply of improved seeds to the farmers.High Yielding Variety Programme (HYVP) was launched in 1966-67 as a major thrust plan to increase the production of nutrition grains in the country. The Indian seed labor had exhibited impressive growth in the past and is expected to provide further potential for gro wth in agricultural production The role of seed industry is not only to realize adequate standard of quality seeds but also to achieve varietal diversity to suit various agro-climatic zones of the country.The policy statements are designed towards making available to the Indian farmer, adequate quantities of seed of superior quality at the appropriate clipping and place and at an affordable price so as to meet the countrys food and nutritional security goals.Indian seeds programme largely adheres to limited generation constitution for seed multiplication. The system recognises three kinds of generation, namely breeder, foundation and certified seeds. Breeder seed is the basic seed and first compass point in seed production. Foundation seed is the second stage in seed production kitchen range and is the progeny of breeder seed. Certified seed is the ultimate stage in seed production string and is the progeny of foundation seed. Production of breeder and foundation seeds and ce rtified seeds distribution have gone up at an annual average rate of 3.4 per cent, 7.5 percent and 9.5 per cent respectively, between 2001-02 and 2005-06).3. Manures, plant foods and BiocidesIndian estates have been use for growing crops over thousands of yearswithout caring much for replenishing. This has led to depletion and exhaustion of soils issuanceing in their low productivity. The average yields of almost all the crops are among t e lowest in the world. This is a serious problem which can be solved by using more manures and fertilizers. Manures and fertilizers play the same role in relation to soils as good food in relation to body. Just as a nourished body is capable of doing any good job, a well nourished soil is capable of magnanimous good yields. It has been estimated that about 70 per cent of growth in agricultural production can be attributed to increased fertilizer application.Thus increase in the expending of fertilizers is a barometer of agricultural prosperit y. However, there are practical difficulties in providing sufficient manures and fertilizers in all parts of a country of Indias dimensions dwell by poor peasants. Cow fertilise provides the best manure to the soils.But its use as such is limited because much of cow dung is used as kitchen fuel in the shape of dung cakes. Reduction in the supply of fire wood and increasing demand for fuel in the rustic areas due to increase in population has further complicated the problem. Chemical fertilizers are costly and are often beyond the reach of the poor farmers. The fertilizer problem is, therefore, both acute and complex.It has been felt that ingrained manures are essential for keeping the soil in good health. The country has a potential of 650 million tonnes of coarse and 160 lakh tonnes of urban compost which is not fully utilized at present. The example of this potential will solve the twin problem of disposal of waste and providing manure to the soil.The government has abandone d high incentive especially in the form of heavy subsidy for using chemical fertilizers. in that location was practically no use of chemical fertilizers at the time of Independence As a result of initiative bythe government and due to change in the attitude of some progressive farmers, the consumption of fertilizers increased tremendously. In order to maintain the quality of the fertilizers, 52 fertilizer quality control laboratories have been set up in different parts of the country. In addition, there is one Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institute at Faridabad with its three regional centres at Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.Pests, germs and weeds cause heavy loss to crops which amounted to about one third of the total field produce at the time of Independence. Biocides (pesticides, herbicides and weedicides) are used to save the crops and to avoid losses. The increased use of these inputs has saved a lot of crops, especially the food crops from unnecessary wastage . But indiscriminate use of biocides has resulted in wide spread environmental befoulment which takes its own toll.4. IrrigationAlthough India is the second largest irrigated country of the world after China, only one-third of the cropped area is below irrigation. Irrigation is the most important agricultural input in a tropical monsoon country like India where rainfall is uncertain, unreliable and erratic India cannot achieve sustained progress in agriculture unless and until more than half of the cropped area is brought under assured irrigation.This is testified by the success story of agricultural progress in Punjab Haryana and western part of Uttar Pradesh where over half of the cropped area is under irrigation Large tracts still await irrigation to boost the agricultural output.However, care must(prenominal) be taken to safeguard against ill effects of over irrigation especially in areas irrigated by canals. Large tracts in Punjaband Haryana have been rendered useless (area s affected by salinity, alkalinity and water-logging), due to faulty irrigation. In the Indira Gandhi Canal instruction area also intensive irrigation has led to sharp rise in sub-soil water level, leading to water-logging, soil salinity and alkalinity.5. Lack of automationIn spite of the large scale mechanisation of agriculture in some parts of the country, most of the agricultural operations in larger parts are carried on by human hand using simple and conventional tools and implements like wooden plough, sickle, etc. minuscule or no use of machines is made in ploughing, sowing, irrigating,thinning and pruning, weeding, harvesting threshing and transporting the crops. This is specially the campaign with small and marginal farmers. It results in huge wastage of human labour and in low yields per capita labour force. thither is urgent need to mechanise the agricultural operations so that wastage of labour force is avoided and farming is made convenient and efficient. Agricultural implements and machinery are a crucial input for efficient and timely agricultural operations, facilitating dual cropping and thereby increasing production.Some progress has been made for mechanising agriculture in India after Independence. Need for mechanisation was specially felt with the advent of Green Revolution in 1960s. Strategies and programmes have been directed towards replacement of traditionalistic and inefficient implements by improved ones, enabling the farmer to own tractors, power tillers, harvesters and other machines.A large industrial base for manufacturing of the agricultural machines has also been developed. Power availability for carrying out variousagricultural operations has been increased to reach a level of 14 kW per hectare in 2003-04 from only 0.3 kW per hectare in 1971-72.This increase was the result of increasing use of tractor, power tiller and combine harvesters, irrigation pumps and other power operated machines. The share of mechanical and electr ical power has increased from 40 per cent in 1971 to 84 per cent in 2003-04.Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest average exchanges of tractors during the fiveyear period ending 2003-04 and/West Bengal recorded the highest average sales of power tillers during the same period.Strenuous efforts are being made to encourage the farmers to adopt technically advanced agricultural equipments in order to carry farm operations timely and precisely and to carry through the agricultural production process.6. Soil wearing awayLarge tracts of fertile land suffer from soil erosion by wind and water. This area must be properly treated and restored to its original fertility.7. Agricultural merchandiseAgricultural marketing still continues to be in a bad shape in rural India. In the absence of sound marketing facilities, the farmers have to depend upon local traders and middlemen for the disposal of their farm produce which is sold at throw-away price.In most cases, these farmers are forced, under socio-economic conditions, to carry on distress sale of their produce. In most of small villages, the farmers dispense their produce to the money lender from whom they normally borrow money. harmonise to an estimate 85 per cent of wheat and 75 per cent of oil seeds in Uttar Pradesh, 90 per cent of Jute in West Bengal, 70 per cent of oilseeds and 35 per cent of cotton in Punjab is sold by farmers in the village itself. Such a situation arises due to the inability of the poor farmers to wait for long after harvesting their crops.In order to meet his commitments and pay his debt, the poor farmer is forced to sell the produce at whatever price is offered to him. The Rural Credit Survey Report rightly remarked that the producers in general sell their produce at an unfavourable place and at an unfavourable time and usually they get unfavourable terms.In the absence of an organised marketing structure, private traders and middlemen dominate the marketing and work of agricultural produce . The remuneration of the services provided by the middlemen increases the load on the consumer, although the producer does not derive confusable benefit.Many market surveys have revealed that middlemen take away about 48 per cent of the price of rice, 52 per cent of the price of grounduts and 60 per cent of the price of potatoes offered by consumers.In order to save the farmer from the clutches of the money lenders and the middle men, the government has come out with regulated markets. These markets generally introduce a system of competitive buying, help in eradicating malpractices, ensure the use of standardised weights and measures and evolve suitable machinery for colony of disputes thereby ensuring that the producers are not subjected to exploitation and receive remunerative prices.