Problems of Indian Agriculture

1. Instability

The biggest problem faced by Indian agriculture is the instability in the monsoon season. The production of crops fluctuates as the monsoon keeps on fluctuating. This leads to a shortage of food all around the country, which further leads to a rise in price and employment fluctuations.

2. Cropping Pattern

In India, there are namely two types of crops grown: food crops and non-food crops. Food crops include sugarcane, food grains, and beverages, whereas non-food crops include oilseeds and fibres. Due to the imbalanced cropping patterns of the farmers, the fertility of the soil gets hampered. It can however be improved by growing food and non-food crops alternatively.

3. Ownership of Land

The ownership of land in India is extremely unequal. A major chunk of the cultivable land is owned by rich landlords, farmers, and moneylenders, whereas, only a small piece of land comes under the ownership of small farmers. If the farmers were not able to make a profit within a year, then they had to borrow money at a high-interest rate from moneylenders, and then get caught into the never-ending debt trap, which ultimately resulted in a loss of their lands.

4. Poor Quality of Seeds

As the yielding of crops depends largely on seeds, it is important to use high-quality seeds. But, due to the high prices of such seeds, the farmers cannot afford them. This results in a poor yield of crops and a debt trap for farmers. Several measures have been taken by the government to eliminate this problem, but cereals/staples like rice, pulses, and millet are grown mainly from unimproved seeds.

5. Improper Irrigation Facilities

The lack of proper irrigation facilities in India has hampered the agricultural sector. The lack of adequate supply of water as well as the over-irrigation of fields can result in poor or less production of crops.

6. Soil Erosion

One of the basic problems of Indian agriculture is the deterioration of soil due to water and wind. This removes the fertile layer of the soil leaving the land to be not fit for the cultivation process.

7. High Cost of Farm Inputs

Farm inputs, such as fertilizer, insecticide, pesticides, HYV seeds, farm labour costs, etc., are very expensive because of which small farmers cannot afford them, which further results in poor quality of produce.

Agriculture can be defined as “The art and science of growing plants and other crops and raising animals for food, other human needs, or economic gain”. It came from two Latin words, ‘Ager’, meaning field, farm, land, and ‘Culture’, meaning cultivation. Thus, agriculture is the art or the practice of cultivating soil, producing plants, and raising livestock.

The agricultural practices began thousands of years ago, and it has been a literal part of the Indian economy, both before and after independence. Before 1947, the Indian agriculture sector contributed more than 90% of the total national income of India. Agriculture was the primary source of livelihood in India, as a large portion of the country’s population resided in rural areas. The pre-colonised India was sustainable and self-sufficient even with the production of two crops; namely, rice and wheat.

Due to the invasion of the British government, the Indian economy, especially the agricultural sector suffered a lot and had a downfall. And, on the eve of independence, the most remarkable sector of India was suffering from stagnation and constant degradation.