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Over the past 40 years, total cereal production in India has risen sharply from 89.8 million tonnes in 1974-75 to 236.9 million tonnes in 2012-13. Over the same period, cereal yields have risen from 907 kg per hectare (ha) to 2,435 kg per hectare. However, this rise in yields pales in comparison to what is observed in countries such as China, which has seen cereal yields rise from 2,389 kg per hectare in 1974 to 5,837 kg per hectare in 2012.
While cereal production has risen, total area under cereal cultivation has been more or less stagnant, dipping marginally from 99 million hectares in 1974-75 to 97 million in 2012-13 and rising slightly thereafter to 100 million in 2013-14. Interestingly, crop-wise data show mixed trends. While area under cultivation for rice and wheat has risen from 37.8 million hectares to 42.4 and from 18 million hectares to 29.6, respectively, that for coarse cereals has fallen from 43.1 million hectares to 24.6 in 2012-13.
The average size of holdings has been declining steadily from 2.3 hectares in 1970-71 to 1.2 in 2010-11. According to the Agricultural census 2010-11, 67 per cent of holdings were classified as marginal (less than one hectare) and 18 per cent were classified as small (one-two hectare). Large holdings, classified as those above 10 hectares, were estimated to be 0.7 per cent.
