Chapter-I: Introduction and Review of Literature
1.3: Agriculture Production in India
1.5.8: Use of Modern Inputs
With the introduction of new technology, productivity of agriculture largely depends on the use of modern inputs. Use of high yielding varieties, chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, irrigation facilities, industrial equipments, etc. have become essential for enhancing agricultural production.“Three indicators-uses of chemical fertilizers, use of mechanical power and use of co-operative credit have been selected as indicators of the adoption of modern technology in agriculture” (Nath, 1969). W. A.
Lewis said, “The secret of rapid agricultural progress in the underdeveloped countries is to be found much more in agricultural extension, in fertilizers, in new seeds, in pesticides and water supplies than in altering the size of the farm, in introducing machinery, or in getting rid of middlemen in the marketing process”. Bhattarai and Narayanamoorthy (2003) have empirically shown that improvement in irrigation and rural literacy are the two most important factors for agricultural growth in India. Some empirical studies like Odhiambo and Nzuma (2004) for Kenya; Lezin and WEI Long-bao (2005) in the context of China and Velazeo (2006) for Peru have examined agricultural growth and explained important determinants that contribute to factor productivity growth in agriculture. It has been suggested that labour, capital, land, technological improvements are the major positive contributors for agricultural growth in China. For Peru, public investment, favourable expected prices, weather conditions are pre-requisites for private investment and agricultural growth. It is the government expenditure in the form of expenditure on research and extension, etc. that is the key factor behind growth in total factor productivity in Kenya (Mathur et al., 2007). Bhati (1976), Asaduzzaman (1979), Dasgupta (1979), Hansan (1980) and Palmer (1996), highlighted that there is a positive association between the farm size and the adoption of HYV technology. India‟s Green Revolution is a dramatic example of how the input of greater knowledge in the form of improved production technologies can rapidly increase the productivity of scarce land resources (Planning Commission‟s Report of the Committee on India Vision 2020 and Vision Documents of soma states). Bhalla and Singh (2000) found that there was a large
concentration in the use of modern inputs in the high productivity districts in India. All the high productivity states like Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal had been using large doses of modern inputs. The role of inputs in raising yields is confirmed by the fairly high correlation between quantum and intensity of inputs used and yield levels across states. For instance, during 2003-06, the
“Pearson‟s coefficient of correlation (r)” between state level yields and use of fertilizer, pump sets and irrigation turn out to be 0.70, 0.69 and 0.50, respectively (Ray, 2010).The correlation between yield levels and pumpsets improved from 0.32 during 1962-65 to 0.69 during 2003-06, that tractor from 0.14 to 0.40 and for irrigation from 0.31 to 0.50, over the same period (Bhalla and Singh, 2009). However, it is worthwhile to mention that India is not using its agricultural inputs to the optimum level. There is a greater need for public investment in agriculture, irrigation, credit availability, better marketing of agricultural products, research and development that would help revive agricultural growth (Mathur et al., 2007).
Fertilizer Consumption in Indian Agriculture:
Maintaining of soil fertility is an important step in creating a sustainable agriculture sector. Fertilizers raise yields, but the intensity of its use and magnitude of its impact depends crucially on soil moisture conditions and management, as well as seed varieties and other elements of biochemical technology. It was found that a 1 percent increase/decrease in fertilizer use results in 0.32 percent increase/decrease in per hectare productivity (Chand et al., 2009). The new agricultural strategy was based on increased use of fertilizers. In India, the per hectare consumption of fertilizers in nutrients terms increased from 105.5kg/ha in 2005-06 to 128.34 kg/ha in 2012-13 (Economic Survey, 2013-14). The consumption of fertilizer in India is far below to some developed countries of the World such as, South Korea (400 kg/ha), Japan (340 kg/ha), Netherland (275 kg/ha), Belgium (225 kg/ha), etc. (Datta and Mahajan, 2014). Again a great deal of variability has been observed in fertilizer consumption among the states in India. For example, fertilizer consumption in Assam is less than half of Punjab, Haryana and even too low to national average. The studies find that the adoption of fertilizer use is somewhat lower among small farmers than large farmers, owing mainly to credit constrains. But those small farmers who do adopt tend to use higher doses of fertilizers
than the larger farmers (Kapila, 2005). Table 1.11 presents the use of modern inputs in four regions of the country along with Assam.
Table-1.11: Region-wise Use of Various Inputs:
Regions Tractors (Nos./‟000ha)
Pump sets (Nos./‟000ha)
Fertilizer consumption(Kg./ha
)
% of Total Cropped Area
Irrigated
Cropping Intensity (%) 1982 1992 2003 1982 19
92
2003 19 80
1990 2003 198 0- 83
199 0- 93
200 3- 06
198 0- 83
199 0- 93
200 3- 06 North-
West
118 274 451 77 13 3
175 93 160 245 56 67 75 147 156 161
Central 21 55 128 32 57 88 21 55 86 16 22 27 114 118 126
Southern 20 44 73 78 10
6
137 54 116 149 29 33 34 114 119 121
Eastern 8 11 62 27 46 76 26 74 123 27 30 39 134 146 149
Assam 1 3 5 1 2 0 5 16 89 17 15 5 128 142 139
All-India 37 86 167 49 79 111 44 91 136 29 36 41 124 130 135
CV (%) 544 636 152 259 12 8
62 34 7
143 118 175 111 88 15 18 19
Source: Bhalla & Singh, 2009.
Table 1.11 reveals that the uses of tractors pump sets and consumption of fertilizer has increased in all the regions and in all India level at a rapid rate during the period from 1980 to 2003. Assam has also shown a quantum jump in fertilizer consumption, but due to poor base of consumption the state is in a lesser fertilizer consuming state.
The successful application of fertilizers requires plentiful drainage.
Where irrigation facilities enjoy a limited spread, the use of fertilizers is also thin (Ray, 2007). In case of use of pump sets Assam is in a deplorable state. However, excessive and beyond permissible level of fertilizer application may have harmful effect on the soil quality and reduce productivity of land, deplete the ground water level and create health hazard problems. Residual effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on human and animal health have become a health concern (Vyas, 2011). Excessive use of fertilizers cause micronutrient imbalance. For example, excessive use of fertilizer in Punjab and Haryana has caused deficiency of the micronutrient zinc in the soil, which is affecting productivity of the soil (Sidhu and Dhillon, 1997).
Thus, balanced use of chemical fertilizer is important not only for increasing the agricultural productivity but also for sustaining soil fertility. The optimum desirable NPK ratio is 4:2:1(Bhattacharjee, 2003). During 2008-09, the consumption of NPK ratio was 4.6: 2.0: 1.0 which has changed alarmingly to 8.2: 3.2: 1 during 2012-13 (Govt. of India, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, 2013).
Irrigation Facility:
The availability of assured irrigation continues to be the essential precondition for the adoption of new seed-fertilizer technology in most crops. The Planning Commission of India has estimated the productivity of irrigated land to be almost double compared to that of unirrigated land (Vyas, 1978). Irrigation helps replacing low-valued crops by high-valued ones which ultimately results in enhancement of the value of agricultural production. The role of irrigation in the field of agriculture is two-fold: one-it promotes growth in agricultural productivity and two-it contributes towards stabilization of agricultural production. As Dhawan (1996) points out, irrigation increases crop output through a rise in (a) proportion of net sown area of a holding and (b) gross cropped area and cropping intensity. Bhalla and Singh (2000) said that the new technology in Indian agriculture was primarily based on irrigation. Hence, initially it was the irrigated area in Punjab, Haryana and western UP that had adopted the new technology large scale, which recorded significant acceleration in their crop output. Irrigation moderates the impact of irregular, uneven and inadequate rainfall with fluctuations from year to year. Effect of rainfall variation on per hectare productivity of crop sector turned out to be stronger than the effect of net irrigated area. While 1 percent variation in rainfall causes 0.104 percent variation in productivity in the same direction the effect of 1 percent variation in net irrigated area was 0.067 percent variation in productivity (Chand et al., 2009). The total irrigation potential in the country has increased from 81.1 million hectares in 1991-92 to 102.77 million hectares by March 2007, i.e. about 53 percent of gross cropped area in the country (Economic Survey, 2009-10). The gross irrigated area in India has gone up from 62 million hectares (34% of sown area) in 1990-91 to 87 million hectares (45.3% of sown area) in 2009-10, an increase by over 40 percent in two decades whereas net irrigated area has increased from 48 million hectares to 63.3 million hectares that is an increase by over 30 percent during the period (Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, 2012).
The coverage of foodgrains area under irrigation had increased from 24.1 percent in 1970-71 to 48.6 percent in 2010-11. However, Indian agriculture is still heavily rainfall dependent with just 35 percent of total arable area being irrigated and distribution of irrigation across states is highly skewed (Economic Survey, 2014-15). Even in areas having irrigation facilities, potential is not wholly utilized because of defective management (Kapila, 2005). That is why Indian agriculture is „a gamble with the monsoons‟.
Investment in irrigation infrastructure is the single largest expenditure in agriculture. However, irrigation systems worldwide suffer from inefficiency, deteriorating equipment and infrastructure and mis-allocation. Inefficient overuse of water in the fields results in water logging and salinization. Efficient management of the existing irrigation systems is a must for better utilization of the potential created.
Table 1.11 shows that the irrigated cropped area has increased in each region in India during 1980-83 to 2003-06. At all India level, it has increased from 29 percent to 41 percent. Contrary to national trend as well as trends of different regions including eastern region, irrigated cropped area in Assam has been sharply decreasing from 17 percent to 5 percent over the period.
In case of the use of various modern inputs of agriculture production, Assam is far behind the all-India average and other regions, even other states of the eastern region which is evident from table 1.11. However, the cropping intensity in Assam is higher than national average and some regions in India but lower than states of north-west and eastern India.