Contents of the Chapter:

• Introduction
• The Concept & Definition of various terms of this topic

INTRODUCION

The Agriculture Sector occupies centre stage in Indian economy embodying three thrust areas as (1) to promote inclusive growth, (2) to enhance rural income, and (3) to sustain food security. Pioneering work by agriculture scientists and the efforts of farmers, popularly known as the “Green Revolution’, had helped achieve a breakthrough in the agriculture sector in the 1960. High agricultural production and productivity achieved in subsequent years has been the main reason for attaining food security to a large extent. The country has not witnessed any big technological breakthrough in agriculture since then. The food safety net for each and every of the over a billion citizens - a number that is growing - requires enhanced agricultural production and productivity in the form of a Second Green Revolution. Further, special attention is required for achieving higher production and productivity levels in pulses, oilseeds, fruits, and vegetables, which had remained untouched in the First Green Revolution but are essential for nutritional security. In this regard, achieving high production of poultry, meat and fisheries is also essential.

Improved performance in agriculture is necessary if our growth is to be inclusive. The Eleventh Plan adopts a multipronged approach towards this end. It provides for a major expansion in the programmes for irrigation and water management. The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Youjana (RKVY) has been launched to assist the States in development and implementation of district level agricultural plans, based on local agro-climatic conditions. As a step towards food security, which has assumed special relevance in view of recent international developments, the National Food Security Mission aims at increasing cereal and pulses production by 20 million tons over a five year period.

In that direction , the focus is on improving yields with existing technology and there is considerable scope for doing so because yields obtained in the field in large parts of the country are much lower than what is achievable with existing technology, provided cultivation practices are improved and critical inputs made available. Timely availability of water is the most critical element in raising yields and various schemes are implemented to expand irrigation where possible and also to improve existing irrigation systems. Where irrigation is not possible - and this covers 60% of the land area - the solution lies in improving management of water resources through watershed development, covering rain water harvesting in farm ponds and tanks, and methods of ground water recharge. A major expansion of the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme and a renewed thrust on watershed development has been planned. The National Rainfed Area Authority, which was established in 2006 and is now fully operational, is expected to help cover different programmes in rainfed areas to achieve better water management in rainfed areas.

Cost of Cultivation: The Comprehensive Scheme for Studying the Cost of Cultivation of Principal Crops in India was initiated during the year 1970-71 as a 100% Central Sector Plan Scheme on the recommendations made by the Standing Technical Committee (STC) on Indices of Input Costs. The STC was constituted in1967 under the chairmanship of Dr. Ashok Mitra, the then Chairman of ‘Agricultural Prices Commission’, now called the ‘Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). This scheme was initially started with a study of only two crops viz. wheat and bajra. Later on, other important crops were included under the scheme in a phased manner depending upon need for fixation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) or for implementation of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for a specific commodity. As on date, there are 27 crops for which estimates of cost of cultivation and production are generated.

The Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES) in the Ministry of Agriculture is getting the Scheme implemented through 16 Agricultural/General Universities/Colleges. Besides, the Directorate of Tobacco Development undertakes a special study on VFC tobacco in the state of Andhra Pradesh. These 17 Implementing Agencies collect and compile data pertaining to the cost of cultivation and production of various crops in different states and send it to the DES for generating the crop wise & State wise annual estimates of cost of cultivation/production. These estimates, as originally envisaged, provide one of the most important factors that are behind Minimum Support Price (MSP) recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP). MSPs, which provide protection to farmers in the event of adverse market conditions, have been one of the most important boosters of Agriculture Production and promoters of farmers’ welfare. Needless, therefore, to mention that cost of cultivation and production estimates are as important and critical to agricultural growth and farmers’ welfare as MSPs themselves.

THE CONCEPT AND DEFINITION OF VARIOUS TERMS OF THIS TOPIC

Forest Area

This includes all land classified either as forest under any legal enactment, or administered as forest, whether State-owned or private, and whether wooded or maintained as potential forest land. The area of crops rose in the forest and grazing lands or areas open for grazing within the forests remain included under the “forest area”.

Area under Non-agricultural Uses

This includes all land occupied by buildings, roads and railways or under water, e.g. rivers and canals, and other land put to uses other than agriculture.

Barren and Un-ulturable Land

This includes all land covered by mountains, deserts, etc. Land, which cannot be brought under cultivation except at an exorbitant cost is classified as unculturable whether such land is in isolated blocks or within cultivated holdings.

Permanent Pasture and other Grazing Land

This includes all grazing land whether it is permanent pasture/meadows or not. Village common grazing land is included under this category.

Land under Miscellaneous Tree Crops, etc.

This includes all cultivable land, which is not included in ‘Net area sown’ but is put to some agricultural use. Land under casurinatrees, thatching grasses, bamboo bushes and other groves for fuel, etc. which are not included under ‘Orchards’ are classified under this category.

Culturable Waste Land

This includes land available for cultivation, whether taken up or not taken up for cultivation once, but not cultivated during the last five years or more in succession including the current year for some reason or the other. Such land may be either fallow or covered with shrubs and jungles, which are not put to any use. They may be accessible or inaccessible and may lie in isolated blocks or within cultivated holdings.

Fallow Lands other than Current Fallows

This includes all land, which was taken up for cultivation but is temporarily out of cultivation for a period of not less than one year and not more than five years. "Fallow land" has been split up into (i) "current fallow land"; and (ii) “other fallow land". Land lying fallow for a period of one year, are included under "current fallows", those lying fallow for more than one year but less than five years, are included under "other fallow land" while those fallow beyond a period of five years, are included under "culturable wastes" or under "miscellaneous tree crops and groves" (not included under net area sown) as the case may be.

Net Area Sown

This represents the total area sown with crops and orchards. Area sowed more than once in the same year is counted only once.

Area under Crops

The figures related to Total Cropped Area are either estimated based on the latest available data received from States/UTs or are based on advance/forecast estimates received from the States/UTs.

Gross Cropped Area

This represents the total area sown once and/or more than once in a particular year, i.e. the area is counted as many times as there are sowings in year. This total area is also known as total cropped area or total area sown.

Area Sown more than once

This represents the areas on which crops are ultivated more than once during the agricultural year. This is obtained by deducting Net Area Sown from Gross Cropped Area.

Irrigated Area

The figures used in this chapter related to irrigate area are either estimated based on the data for the latest available year received from the States/UTs or are estimated/taken from Agriculture Census. The area is assumed to be irrigated for cultivation through such sources as canals (Govt. & Private), tanks, tube-wells, other wells and other sources. It is divided into two categories as (a) Net Irrigated Area: It is the area irrigated through any source once in a year for a particular crop. (b) Total Net Un-irrigated Area: It is the area arrived at by deducting the net irrigated area from net sown area.