In the field

Source: The post is based on an article “In the field” published in the Business Standard on 12^th August 2022.

Syllabus: GS3 Major Crops – Cropping Patterns in various parts of the country, – Different Types of Irrigation and Irrigation Systems; Storage, Transport and Marketing of Agricultural Produce and Issues and Related Constraints; E-technology in the aid of farmers; Issues related to Direct and Indirect Farm Subsidies and Minimum Support Prices;

Relevance: 11^th Agricultural Census

News: At present, the 11th agricultural census is being undertaken. This census is going to be vastly different and much more consequential than its past versions.

How is the 11^th agricultural census going to be very different?

For the first time, this huge exercise is being carried out fully digitally, on smartphones and tablets. It will make use of satellite mapping, drones, and digitized land records to ensure accuracy and early availability of data.

Issues in the implementation of agriculture and farmers-related ongoing schemes

Most of the subsidies, cheaper institutional credit, and other benefits, goes to absentee landlords instead of tillers of the land, tenants, share-croppers, and genuine farmers.

At present, policy planners have no precise idea of how many farmers and farm holdings are present in the country. For example, during the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, farmers-related data collected during the 10th agricultural census 2015-16 was found to be inadequate.

The number of operational farm holdings found in the last census is believed to have changed substantially due to inheritance-driven division or fragmentation of land, sale, purchase, leasing, and diversion of farmland to other purposes. For example, many smallholders have become marginal farmers and a sizable section of the marginal farmers have turned into landless laborers since the 10^th census.

Parameters of the 11^th Agricultural Census

It would work to collect data on the number and size of the operational farm holdings, their class-wise distribution, land use, tenancy systems, and cropping patterns.

Importance of the 11^th Census

It would gather information based on operational holdings rather than their ownership. The former is more critical for precise targeting of resources, especially the financial and other sops being given to farmers by the Centre and state governments through income support and input subsidies as direct benefit transfers.

The government will use the updated statistics to reorient its farm policies to help small and marginal farmers to shift to relatively remunerative crops and agriculture’s allied activities.

It will help the government to improve the quality of the farm produce to global standards. This will contribute to enhancing its export potential.