The Problem

The challenges that Indian Agriculture is facing is known

1) Small Land Holdings

The average landholding in India is 1.08 hectares; it would typically sustain eight persons. Smallholders now cultivate 42 per cent of operated land and constitute 83 per cent of total landholdings. As per Agriculture Census 2015-16, the average size of operational holding has declined to 1.08 hectare in 2015-16 as compared to 1.15 hectare in 2010-11. The small and marginal holdings (<2 ha) now constitute 86%, while the large holdings (>10 ha) are merely 0.57% of the total land holdings. Considering the declining trends observed in the size of agriculture holdings in the past and the prospective increase in population over time, the fragmentation of holdings is likely to continue and the average size of operational holdings is expected to further decrease in the country.

The major challenges of the agriculture sector are:

a) Food Sufficiency but Nutrition Deficiency.
b) High import of edible oil and oilseeds.
c) Yield plateaus.

d) Degrading soil, Water stress.
e) Inadequate market infra/linkages.
f) Unpredictable, volatile prices.
g) Post-harvest losses, wastage's.
h) Lack of crop planning due to information asymmetry.

2) Lack of Latest Technology
According to 2010-11 Agriculture Census, the total number of operational holdings was 138.35 million with average size of 1.15 hectares (ha). Of the total holdings, 85 per cent are in marginal and small farm categories of less than 2 ha (GOI, 2014).

· Farming for subsistence which makes scale of economy in question with majority of small holdings.

· Low-access of credit and prominent role of unorganised creditors affecting decisions of farmers in purchasing of inputs and selling of outputs

· Less use of technology, mechanisation and poor productivity for which first two points are of major concern

·Very less value addition as compared to developed countries and negligible primary-level processing at farmers level.

· Poor infrastructure for farming making more dependence on weather, marketing and supply chain suitable for high value crops.

Low intake of total food is the main reason for widespread hunger and malnutrition. The country would need to relook at policy interventions in agriculture which are heavily biased towards rice, wheat and sugar which are produced in excess of domestic and export demand.