Indian Agriculture FREE EBook

Indian Agriculture

Agriculture is an integral part of the Indian economy, employing more than 50% of the
population. India is the world's second-largest producer of food, after China, and is also the
largest producer of spices, pulses, and milk. Here are some key facts and figures about
Indian agriculture:
• India has a total cultivable area of 194.4 million hectares, out of which 140.1 million
hectares is net sown area, and the rest is fallow land, permanent pasture, and
grazing land.
• The agriculture sector in India contributes around 17-18% of the country's gross
domestic product (GDP).
• Rice, wheat, and maize are the main cereal crops grown in India, while sugarcane,
cotton, and jute are the main non-cereal crops.
• India is the largest producer of pulses in the world, with an annual production of
around 24 million tons. Pulses are an essential source of protein for the Indian
population.
• India is also the world's largest producer of milk, with an annual production of around
190 million tons. The dairy sector in India is dominated by small-scale farmers and
provides a source of income and nutrition to millions of rural households.
• The agriculture sector in India faces several challenges, including land degradation,
water scarcity, low productivity, and climate change. Despite these challenges, the
sector has shown resilience and adaptability over the years.
• The Indian government has launched several initiatives to support the agriculture
sector, including the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, which provides crop
insurance to farmers, and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, which aims to
improve irrigation infrastructure.
• The use of technology and innovation is also playing a crucial role in transforming the
agriculture sector in India. For example, the use of precision farming techniques,
such as drip irrigation and crop sensors, can help increase crop yields and reduce
water usage.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on the agriculture sector
in India, with disruptions in the supply chain and labour shortages affecting farmers'
incomes.

Government Initiatives for Indian Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the major contributors to the Indian economy. Around 60% of India's
population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. The Indian government has initiated
various schemes and programs to promote agriculture and make it sustainable. Here are
some of the major initiatives taken by the Indian government on Indian Agriculture:

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

This scheme was launched in 2016..PMFBY is a crop insurance scheme launched by the
Government of India to provide financial assistance to farmers in case of crop failure or
damage due to natural calamities, pests, and diseases. The scheme aims to bring farmers
under a single insurance umbrella and provide them with comprehensive coverage at
affordable premiums. Initiatives taken under PMFBY on Indian agriculture:
1. Comprehensive coverage:
PMFBY offers comprehensive coverage to farmers, including pre-sowing and post-
harvest losses. The scheme covers all crops and provides coverage for yield loss,
prevented sowing, mid-season adversity, and post-harvest losses.
2. Affordable premiums:
The scheme offers affordable premiums to farmers, with a maximum premium rate of
2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, and 5% for horticulture crops. The
remaining premium is shared by the central and state governments.
Indian Agriculture FREE EBook

Indian Agriculture

3. Use of technology:
PMFBY uses modern technology to assess crop damage and process claims quickly.
The scheme uses remote sensing, GPS, and drones to assess crop damage
accurately, reducing the chances of fraudulent claims.
4. Increased awareness:
Under PMFBY, the government has taken several initiatives to increase awareness
among farmers about the benefits of crop insurance. The government has organized
workshops, training programs, and outreach programs to educate farmers about the
scheme and its advantages.
5. Timely settlement of claims:
PMFBY ensures timely settlement of claims to provide relief to farmers. The scheme
mandates insurance companies to settle claims within two months of crop damage
assessment.
6. Crop cutting experiments (CCEs):
PMFBY uses crop cutting experiments to determine the crop yield and assess crop
damage accurately. CCEs involve cutting a small portion of the crop from the field,
which is then weighed to determine the crop yield.
7. Increased coverage:
Under PMFBY, the government has increased the coverage of farmers under crop
insurance. In the 2020-21 crop season, around 6.22 crore farmers were covered
under the scheme, which is a significant increase from the previous years.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) is an initiative launched by the Government
of India in 2015 with the aim of improving the efficiency of water usage in agriculture. The
scheme aims to create a more sustainable and efficient system for agricultural water
management, leading to increased productivity, better crop quality, and reduced wastage of
water. Here are some key highlights of the PMKSY initiative:

I. Objectives of PMKSY:
To provide a comprehensive solution for the efficient use of water in agriculture.
To expand cultivable area under irrigation by introducing new technologies.
To improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water.
To enhance the adoption of precision irrigation and other water-saving technologies.
To encourage the adoption of advanced technologies and practices for efficient water
management.
To provide financial assistance to farmers for the installation of micro-irrigation systems.

Soil Health Card Scheme

Soil health is critical to agriculture, as it provides the essential nutrients for crops to grow. In
India, the Soil Health Card Scheme was launched to address the issue of soil degradation
and to promote sustainable farming practices. The following are some initiatives taken under
the Soil Health Card Scheme to improve Indian agriculture:
1. Soil testing: Under the Soil Health Card Scheme, soil samples are collected from
farms and sent to testing laboratories to analyze their nutrient content. The test
results are then used to create a Soil Health Card for the farmer. The card provides
information on the soil's nutrient status and recommendations for appropriate
fertilizers and other inputs.
2. Distribution of Soil Health Cards: The Soil Health Card Scheme aims to distribute
Soil Health Cards to all farmers in the country. These cards are updated every two
years, based on new soil test results. The cards provide farmers with customized
Indian Agriculture FREE EBook

Indian Agriculture

recommendations for soil management and crop selection, based on their farm's soil
health.
3. Promoting organic farming: The Soil Health Card Scheme promotes organic
farming practices, such as the use of organic fertilizers and crop rotation. These
practices improve soil health and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, which can
harm the soil in the long run.
4. Encouraging crop diversification: The Soil Health Card Scheme encourages
farmers to diversify their crops, as this helps to maintain soil health. Growing a
variety of crops also reduces the risk of crop failure due to pests and diseases.
5. Providing training to farmers: Under the Soil Health Card Scheme, farmers are
provided with training on soil management and sustainable farming practices. The
training helps farmers to understand the importance of soil health and how to
improve it.
6. Building awareness: The Soil Health Card Scheme aims to create awareness
among farmers about the importance of soil health. Through various media channels
and outreach programs, the scheme educates farmers about sustainable farming
practices and the benefits of maintaining healthy soil.

e-NAM
e-NAM or Electronic National Agriculture Market is a digital platform that facilitates farmers
to sell their produce online. This initiative was launched by the Government of India in 2016
to promote transparency and efficiency in agricultural marketing. The main objective of this
initiative is to connect farmers with potential buyers, eliminate intermediaries, and ensure
better prices for farmers. Here is an overview of the e-NAM initiatives in Indian agriculture.

Digitalization of Agricultural Markets:

e-NAM provides a digital platform for agricultural trading, which enables farmers to sell their
produce online. This platform provides a transparent and efficient mechanism for buyers and
sellers to interact directly. It eliminates the role of intermediaries, which reduces transaction
costs and ensures better prices for farmers. The digitalization of agricultural markets has
helped in reducing the information asymmetry between buyers and sellers, which was one of
the major issues in traditional agricultural marketing.

Unified Market for Agricultural Commodities:

e-NAM has created a unified market for agricultural commodities, which means that farmers
can sell their produce to buyers from any part of the country. Earlier, farmers were restricted
to sell their produce to local buyers, which limited their access to markets and reduced their
bargaining power. With e-NAM, farmers can now access a larger market and get better
prices for their produce.

Expansion of e-NAM:
e-NAM was launched in 2016 with 22 mandis (wholesale markets) in eight states. Since
then, it has expanded rapidly and currently, more than 1000 mandis in 18 states and three
union territories are connected to the e-NAM platform. The government aims to connect all
the 5850 mandis in the country to the e-NAM platform by 2022.

Benefits for Farmers:

e-NAM has several benefits for farmers, including:

• Access to a larger market

• Elimination of intermediaries
• Better prices for their produce
• Reduced transaction costs
Indian Agriculture FREE EBook

Indian Agriculture

• Timely payment for their produce

• Increased transparency in agricultural marketing

Conclusion
Indian agriculture is a vital sector of the Indian economy, as it provides employment to more
than half of the Indian population and contributes significantly to the GDP. Despite facing
challenges such as land fragmentation, inadequate irrigation facilities, and poor market
access, the agricultural sector has made significant progress over the years.

Here are some key points that summarize the conclusion on Indian agriculture:
• Indian agriculture has come a long way from the days of the Green Revolution and has
witnessed significant growth in recent years.
• The sector faces several challenges, such as land fragmentation, inadequate irrigation
facilities, and poor market access, which need to be addressed.
• The government has taken several initiatives to improve the condition of Indian agriculture,
such as increasing investment in irrigation facilities, providing subsidies to farmers, and
implementing schemes to improve crop yields.
• The adoption of new technologies, such as precision farming, biotechnology, and
nanotechnology, has the potential to revolutionize Indian agriculture.
• Indian agriculture needs to become more sustainable by adopting eco-friendly practices,
reducing chemical inputs, and improving water management.
• There is a need to develop the agri-infrastructure, including storage facilities, transport
facilities, and marketing facilities, to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce.

In conclusion, Indian agriculture is a critical sector of the Indian economy that requires
significant investment and support from the government to ensure sustainable growth. The
sector has made significant progress in recent years, but more needs to be done to address
the challenges faced by farmers and make Indian agriculture more productive, sustainable,
and profitable.
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