TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS OF CROP CULTIVATION IN INDIA

Agricultural trends show rising acreage of rice and wheat, backed by government support, improved yields, and policy incentives.

  • Other crops like cotton, soybean, and pulses show fluctuating or declining cultivation due to price instability and lower returns.

Trends in Crop Cultivation in India

Increased Cultivation

  • Rice:
    • Punjab: ↑ from 8 lh (lakh hectares) (2015–16) to 32.4 lh (2024–25)
    • Telangana: ↑ from 5 lh to 47 lh
  • Wheat:
    • Madhya Pradesh: ↑ from 1 lh to 78.1 lh

Declining Cultivation

  • Cotton:
    • Punjab: ↓ from 4 lh to 1 lh
    • Telangana: ↓ from 6 lh (2020–21) to 18.1 lh
  • Chickpea (Chana):
    • Madhya Pradesh: ↓ from 2 lh to 20.1 lh
  • Soybean:
    • MP: ↓ from 1 lh (2015–16) to 57.8 lh (2024–25); peaked at 66.7 lh in 2020–21

Why Rice and Wheat Dominate?

  • MSP & Procurement Assurance: Reliable government procurement ensures income stability.
  • Irrigation Support: Access to canal/groundwater reduces yield risk.
  • Genetic Advancements:
    • Rice:
      • Kamala: CRISPR-edited Samba Mahsuri with 2× grain output, faster maturity, and water efficiency.
      • Pusa DST Rice 1: Edited DST gene to improve heat, salt, and drought tolerance.
    • Wheat:
      • Kalyan Sona & Sonalika: Green Revolution varieties that boosted yield and resilience.
  • Market & Demand:
    • Staple food in PDS, Mid-Day Meals, welfare schemes ensures steady demand.
  • Policy & Infrastructure Bias:
    • Better mandis, storage, and subsidies for cereals.
    • Schemes like PM-KISAN and fertilizer subsidies favor rice/wheat.

Implications of Overdependence on Rice-Wheat System

Nutritional & Environmental Issues

  • Low dietary diversity: Carbohydrate-heavy, lacks proteins/micronutrients.
  • Soil degradation: Overuse of water and fertilizers causing salinity.
    • Salinity-prone areas may rise to 11 million ha by 2030.

 Water Stress

  • Rice’s high water demand depletes groundwater.
    • Over-extraction rates: Punjab (66%), Rajasthan (51%), Haryana (34%)

Market & Ecological Risks

  • Market distortion due to MSP-induced monoculture.
    • Import dependency: 60% of edible oil
  • Regional imbalances: Irrigated NW India gains more, rainfed/tribal areas lag.
  • Monoculture vulnerability: Threat of diseases (e.g., Wheat Blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum).

India’s Crop Diversification Initiatives

  • Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
  • Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
  • Mission for Cotton Productivity
  • Mission for Self-reliance in Pulses
  • National Mission on High Yielding Seeds

Recommended Measures for Agricultural Diversification

1. Policy & Institutional Reforms

  • Expand MSP to include millets, pulses, oilseeds.
  • Implement Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS).
  • Strengthen FPOs and local mandis for non-cereal crops.

2. Promote Climate-Resilient Crops

  • Support millets via National Millet Mission.
  • Boost pulses, oilseeds, horticulture

3. Strengthen Market Access

  • Expand e-NAM, promote contract farming, and agri-startups.
  • Support exports of high-value crops (e.g., spices, organic products).

4. Infrastructure & Technology

  • Invest in cold chains, warehouses, food processing under PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana.

5. Financial Support & Modern Techniques

  • Expand PMFBY to cover diverse crops.
  • Lower interest rate loans for non-cereal cultivation.
  • Train farmers via Skill India, promote Kisan Drones.

6. Region-Specific Strategies

  • Punjab-Haryana: Shift to cotton, maize, agroforestry.
  • Eastern India: Promote flood-resistant rice, aquaculture.
  • Rainfed Areas: Focus on millets, pulses, dryland farming.

Over-reliance on rice and wheat is causing nutritional, environmental, and economic distortions. Diversification through targeted policy reform, climate-smart agriculture, and market infrastructure is essential for long-term agricultural sustainability, food security, and farmer prosperity.

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