A recent comprehensive survey of the farming sector in the country has thrown up interesting figures that policymakers must take into account when they seek to formulate a credible agricultural policy
A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard. In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird, Breaking the silence of the seas. Among the farthest Hebrides.
— William Wordsworth
The National Sample Survey Office, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, in December 2014, conducted a comprehensive assessment of the situation of farmers in this country. The outcome of the survey, based on a schedule designed for collection of information on various aspects related to farming and other socio-economic characteristics of agricultural households, is revealing.
Information on consumer expenditure, income and productive assets, farmer indebtedness, farming practices and preferences, resource availability, their awareness of technological developments and access to modern technology in the field of agriculture, information on crop loss and crop insurance and awareness about minimum support price, were taken into account in the survey.
During the agricultural year from July 2012 to June 2013, rural India had an estimate total of 90.2 million agricultural households. These agricultural households were about 57.8 per cent of the total estimated rural households of the country during the same period. About 93 per cent of the agricultural households in the country possessed some type of land in addition to the homestead land and little less than seven per cent possessed only homestead land. An estimated 0.1 per cent of the agricultural households in rural India was landless.
In all major States except Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, more than 90 per cent of the agricultural households had some other type of land along with the homestead land, whereas about 12 per cent to 16 per cent of agricultural households of these States possessed only homestead land. About 94 per cent to 99 per cent of agricultural households in all the States, except Haryana and Punjab, operated some land for agricultural activities during the 365 days prior to the survey date.
Of the estimated 90.2 million agricultural households in the country, 86.5 per cent of the households were engaged in crop production during the period July 2012 to December 2012. The average gross cropped area per agricultural household during this period was 0.937 ha.
During the period July 2012 to December 2012, paddy was produced by 57.5 per cent of the agricultural households that had reported crop production. Production of maize was reported by 12.1 per cent of the agricultural households and bajra and cotton were reported by 8.8 per cent and 8.2 per cent of the cultivating agricultural households, respectively.
The average gross cropped area, gross area under crop, harvested value and quantity produced for selected crops per agricultural households reporting crop production during the period January 2013 to June 2013 are given in Statement 3.2B. During this period, 71.1 per cent of the estimated number of agricultural households in the country reported production of some type of crop. The average gross cropped area per agricultural household was 0.782 hectares.
During the period January 2013 to June 2013, wheat was produced by about 55 per cent of the agricultural households that had reported crop production. The production of paddy was reported by 13.2 per cent of the agricultural households and rapeseed/mustard and gram were reported by 12.5 per cent and 9.4 per cent of the cultivating agricultural households, respectively.
All major States except Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, more number of agricultural households reported crop production during the first half of the agricultural year than the second half. The seasonal variation in the number of cultivating agricultural households was highest in the case of Chhattisgarh followed by Karnataka and Odisha.
The estimated gross cropped area per agricultural household during July 2012 to December 2012 was highest for Punjab with 2.172 ha, followed by Haryana (1.678 ha) and Andhra Pradesh (1.652 ha). During the same period, estimated gross cropped area was the least for West Bengal (0.381 ha), followed by Kerala (0.425 ha).
Punjab remained the State with the highest estimated gross cropped area (2.133 ha) per household during January 2013- June 2013, followed by Haryana (1.579 ha) and Madhya Pradesh (1.329 ha). Jharkhand with an estimated gross cropped area of 0.211 hectares was the State with the least gross cropped area per agricultural household during January 2013- June 2013 followed by West Bengal (0.339 ha) and Kerala (0.380 ha).
A considerable portion of the seeds used by the cultivating agricultural households (except for cotton and jute) were from the ‘own farm’ (ie from the earlier produce of the agricultural households). The ‘local trader’ together with ‘own farm’ accounted for major share of seeds used by the cultivating households during the reference period.