Bursting the myths on Indian agriculture

Though the government over the past few years has been focusing on enhancing manufacturing sector’s share to India’s GDP, contribution of agriculture to the GDP continues to be higher than that of the manufacturing. India has in abundant four critical fundamental resources – light, land, water & labour.
 
Contrary to the popular narrative, Indian agriculture has been transformed in the last decade with substantial changes in food consumption habits of the people. In 2013, India ranked second globally in agricultural GDP with agricultural production contributing $325 billion. However, this global ranking of India remains unknown and uncelebrated. Likewise, there are many other myths or misinformation about Indian agriculture and farmers that are prevalent among the general population. Given below are some of the myths and facts about the agriculture and farming.
 
Myth: Indian farmers are uneducated
Fact: They are multi-skilled & efficient
 
It is a common belief that Indian farmers lack knowledge about the market and new farming techniques. On the contrary, Indian farmers are highly skilled and perform different roles. While India’s population has grown manifold from 1970-71 to 2010-11, number of farm holdings have increased from 71 million to 138 million during the same period. As a result average size of land holdings has reduced from 2.28 ha in 1970-71 to 1.15 ha. In spite of this, India’s agricultural production has kept pace with the increased food needs of growing population. This could not have been possible without farmers’ gaining knowledge about modern farming techniques, crop care chemicals and other inputs. A farmer is not just expected to do a job of farming, but he/she also has to perform a role of mechanic, weatherman, veterinarian, businessman, the marketer, scientist and so much more.
 
Myth: Farmlands are underutilised
Fact: Indian farmers use same land for producing multiple products
 
In the USA, growth in agriculture led to demise of family farms and birth of large industrial type farms with inevitable mono-cropping. This has not happened in India, where farmers grow multiple crops on the same land depending upon the period of the year.
 
India enjoys unique agro-biodiversity in the world arising mainly from variety of agro-ecosystems, crop species, and livestock & fish species. India’s diet diversity draws substantially from this rich agro-biodiversity. Both are mutually supportive. This diversity provides diverse income opportunities too which small family farm holders effectively make use of.
 
All these make India’s farming more robust, resilient, productive and stable. Low cost mixed farming systems in the country have transformed India into world leader in agricultural production.
 
Aggregated agricultural production value per ha in India is higher than in the US that practices industrial type farming.
 
Myth: China is an agriculture powerhouse
Fact: Though China leads India in terms of production and exports of agri-produce, India beats China in net agri-product trade
 
China and India - once known for chronic food shortages - are now the world leaders in agricultural production accounting for two-third of world’s fruit & vegetable production. In spite of being world’s largest food producer, China is the net importer of food with trade deficit (in agri-products) of $95 billion in 2013. On the other, India has been net exporter of agriculture production with trade surplus (in agri-products) of $22 billion. In other words, India exports more agri-products, than it imports them. While in case of China, it is reverse.
 
Myth: Growth in agriculture is government sponsored
Fact: Though government provides some subsidies to farmers, the growth has been self-driven in the last couple of decades
 
In wake of food scarcity, government embarked upon Green Revolution in 1970s to make India self-sufficient in food grain production. This was largely government sponsored and focussed on food grain, which was the dire need of the hour at that time. However, a self-driven revolution spawned by socioeconomic mobility set in late 1990s has led to growth in the agriculture production in the last couple of decades with the focus shifting to horticulture.
 
High value crops (fruits and vegetables) and milk now lead production and consumption.
Improved communication, road and transport services, globalisation, urbanisation, increasing income & literacy, innovative cultivation practices and modern inputs have radically changed the structure of Indian agriculture.
 
Myth: India produces more food grains than fruits & vegetables
Fact: Actually fruits & vegetables are grown more than food grains
 
While the production of staple food grains (rice and wheat) stood at 135 million tonne (mt) in 1991-92, it grew to 199 mt in 2012-13. In the meantime, fruit & vegetable production has grown from 88 mt in 1991-92 to 243 mt in 2012-13. Hence, Indians now produce and consume more fruits and vegetables than rice & wheat. This ensures the country’s nutritional security besides food security. Horticulture is now the growth driver of Indian agriculture, with India emerging as the second largest producer of fruits & vegetables in the world.
 
Myth: Intensive agriculture pollutes water
Fact: It has been found that states leading agricultural activities are also leading suppliers of inland fish (which are very sensitive to any pollution), indicating that there is no link between excessive farming & water pollution
 
It is widely claimed that increase in agriculture activity leads to deterioration of land and water bodies in the vicinity. Flourishing aquaculture in Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Punjab (two of the India’s leading states in agriculture production) disproves the claim that intensive agriculture pollutes/harms the land and waters. Fish species are the most sensitive to water quality and pollution, and any increase in pollution will directly impact inland fish production. On the contrary, undivided AP has emerged as one of the leading inland fish producing states (accounting for 2 mt of the total 6.13 mt of inland fish production in the country) and Punjab has the highest fish productivity of 6560 kgs/ha.
 
Myth: Indian farmers use high amount of agrochemicals
Fact: India uses far less amount of crop protection chemicals than developed or developing countries

Country	Per capita consumption of pesticides (kg/ha)
Taiwan	17
China	13
Japan	12
USA	7
UK	5
India	0.6

 
In recent years, there have been many reports published in different publications claiming that Indian farmers use excess of chemicals for crop protection. In reality it is not the truth. In fact, India uses far less amount of crop protection chemicals compared to developed and even emerging economies. India’s agrochemicals consumption is one of the lowest in the world at 0.6 kg per hectare compared to US (7 kg/ha) and Japan (12 kg/ha). China - which has less land under cultivation (156 million ha) compared to India (196 million ha), but has emerged as the leading food producer of the world – uses 13 kg of crop protection chemicals per ha.
 
Agriculture, the net foreign exchange earner
India in 2013 earned $26 billion from $ 276 billion trade in commercial services. Whereas agricultural trade of $71 billion fetched as much as $23 billion trade surplus. Thus, agriculture has the net foreign exchange earnings almost at par with IT service sector. With better focus and facilitation, experts believe that India’s net earnings from agricultural trade can be higher than trade in services. Such export led revenues will bring in greater rural prosperity.
 
Sceptics believe that there is no future in agriculture. On the contrary, with more than 1.25 billion to feed, one can be rest assured that the best future is in agriculture. With right policies & regulations, farmers have the potential to position India as an agriculturally vibrant economy.

Crop care chemicals: The growth booster