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Economic
Development Policy |
| AGRICULTURE
& ALLIED SERVICES |
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Impact
of Chhattisgarh
The separation of Chhattisgarh has led to a 30% reduction in land area
versus a 24% decline in net sown area. |
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The
separation has lead to a significant reduction in the rice zone. The new
state of MP has been left with only 30% of the rice growing area.
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Fruits
& Vegetables is the other category which has suffered a significant
decline in area, i.e. one third of the original area.
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Although
there has been a 20% reduction in the Pulses growing area, the gram
growing areas have remained with MP.
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The
non-foodgrain growing areas largely continue to remain in MP. |
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Regional Perspective
As
shown in
Table
most of the agricultural activity is concentrated in
the western half of the state, i.e. Ujjain, Indore, Bhopal, and Gwalior
divisions
(Source:
Feedback analysis based on area under cultivation for each crop.
Data from Govt. of MP).
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Contribution
of Divisions to Total Cropped Area
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Divisions
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Wheat
|
Pulses
|
Soyabean
|
Fruits
and Vegetables
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Spices
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Bhopal
|
18%
|
5%
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22%
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7%
|
15%
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Chambal
|
5%
|
1%
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1%
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2%
|
1%
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Gwalior
|
11%
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4%
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4%
|
3%
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25%
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Hoshangabad
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5%
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2%
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8%
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3%
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0%
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Indore
|
10%
|
1%
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14%
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30%
|
12%
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Jabalpur
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12%
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34%
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9%
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20%
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3%
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Rewa
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11%
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5%
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2%
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9%
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1%
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Sagar
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15%
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46%
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9%
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11%
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2%
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Ujjain
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13%
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3%
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32%
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16%
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41%
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Source: Feedback Analysis Government of Madhya Pradesh
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| Wheat
:
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Bhopal, Sagar, Ujjain account for 45% of the total cropped area
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| Pulses
:
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Sagar and Jabalpur account
for around 80% of the area
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| Oilseeds
(Soyabean)
: |
Ujjain and Bhopal divisions account for 54% of the total cropped
area.
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| Fruits
& Vegetables
:
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66% in Indore, Jabalpur, Ujjain divisions
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| Spices
: |
66%
of the spice growing area is concentrated in Ujjain and Gwalior
divisions. |
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YIELDS
Productivity
levels exhibit room for further improvement. This may well reflect the
agro-climatic diversities of Madhya Pradesh.
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Wheat
yields are over 25% below national averages and over 50% below those of
Punjab.
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Yields
of pulses while close to national averages still have significant room
for improvement.
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Soyabean,
one of the key export crops in MP, exhibits productivity levels almost
half of international averages, significantly reducing competitiveness.
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Garlic
yields are 30% below those of Maharashtra and over 60% below the
international average.
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Comparative
Crop Yield of
MP
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Crop
('97-98)
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MP
kg/Ha
|
India
Avg. Kg/Ha
|
Best
State Kg/Ha
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Intern-
ational Kg/Ha
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Rice
|
831
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1895
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3465
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3827
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Wheat
|
1625
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2470
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3853
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2686
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Gram
|
933
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812
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1087
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-
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Arhar
|
860
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750
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1212
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-
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Soyabean
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1149
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1126
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1149
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2174
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Linseed
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283
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373
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689
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720
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Coriander
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369
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591
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924
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-
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Garlic
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4544
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4711
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6708
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11044
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Potato
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16936
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19321
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26956
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-
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Total
Foodgrains
|
977
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1551
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3597
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1551
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Milk
(Cow) litres p.a.
|
440
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1000
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-
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2044
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Source:
Govt. of MP, Dept of Agriculture, CMIE, and FAO
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The
low productivity levels are a result of various factors, such as :
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| Rain-fed
cultivation : |
The
majority of the area under cultivation is rain-fed, with only 28% with
access to irrigation. This creates a high dependency on the monsoons.
Reliance on the monsoon leads to low cropping intensity. Of the total
net sown area of 151 lakh ha, barely one third of the land is sown in
both the Kharif and the Rabi season. Expansion of irrigation facilities
and higher efficiency of the irrigation system are critical requirements
for increasing cropping intensity. |
| Farming
practices: |
Somewhat dated farming techniques are in use as farmers do not have
information on the latest practices or access to critical inputs like
seeds, fertilisers, pesticides etc. Consumption of agri-inputs is one of
the lowest in the country. Fertiliser consumption at 35 kg/ha is less
than half the national average of 75 kg/ha. Similarly, pesticide
consumption is Rs. 60 / hectare versus Rs. 140 / hectare at the All
India level. Number of tractors being used are 445 tractors/ lac hectare
versus 813 tractors / lac hectares and area under irrigation is 32%
versus 38% at the all India level. Education on the latest techniques
and inputs is likely to have a significant impact on the productivity
and prosperity of the farmers
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This
is particularly true in the backward areas and tribal belts where, by
and large, traditional crops such as Kodo/Kutki and Lathyrus are grown
for self-consumption through primitive techniques. Poor connectivity to
market centres has perpetuated isolation from the mainstream so that
they continue to remain ignorant of opportunities
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MP
Seed Replacement Rate |
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Crop
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Rate
(%)
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Paddy
|
2.9
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Maize
|
1.4
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Wheat
|
4.8
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Soybean
|
6.0
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Gram
|
1.1
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Arhar
|
1.6
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| Source:
Govt. of MP, Dept. of Agriculture |
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for betterment i.e.
farming techniques, crop diversification.
Thus
far, the Government has taken a lead role in providing extension
services. However, the declining finances of the State have led to a
significant reduction in the strength of the rural officers. Modern
technology and private sector participation offer opportunities in this
context. |
| Availability
of quality seeds : |
Availability of seeds is
another issue impacting performance. Seed replacement rates are less
than 5% in the state compared to 10-15% in the country as a whole. This
can to a large extent be attributed to supply side constraints. Clearly,
seed production needs to be accelerated to keep pace with the
requirements of the agricultural economy.
In addition, adequate research on varieties specific to the
agro-climatic conditions of the state, particularly dryland conditions,
becomes a critical need of the day. The recent liberalisation of the
seed sector has gone a long way in encouraging private sector
participation. |
| Profile
of farmer : |
Over 60% of the landholders are small & marginal (with landholding
size of less than 2 hectare). They are by and large involved in
Subsistence
farming and do not have the resources to invest in land.
There is, therefore, a need for the development of scale
neutral, labour intensive technologies. In addition, in
the absence of adequate linkages with markets and the
capacity to access market information the farmer continues
to be bound to the vicious cycle.
Clearly, the main ingredients for improving yields would
be agricultural research for local conditions, extension
services to transfer this technology to the fields and
access to and availability of agri-inputs including
irrigation. The private sector must be encouraged to
complement and support the efforts of the public sector. |
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