Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN) was established in 2010 as a pan India platform to engage government agencies, researchers, civil society and CSR teams. The purpose of bringing different stakeholders together was to establish a case for integrated interventions in rainfed areas that demonstrate the impact of focussed innovations and public investments Mission: “RRAN aims to influence reconfiguration of public systems, policy and investments for productive, prosperous and resilient rainfed agriculture by building synergies between diversity of ecosystems and the development aspirations of our people.�
CONTACT US: Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN), Secretariat N-199, Greater Kailash Part-I, New Delhi-110048
Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN), Research Node Indian School of Business, Hyderabad
For more information, visit www.rainfedindia.org
Copyright Š 2016 Revitalizing Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN) All rights reserved.
Photographs by: Sayanangshu Modak; Prachee Sinha; Karan Gupta; Ujjainee Sharma; Emily Reisman; Srabani Pal; Anu Johny; Ramani Ranjan Nayak, Odisha; Vikas Sahyog Kendra, Chattarpur, Jharkhand; Poornima Sheelanere; Nemani Chandrashekar
Acknowledgement The Rainfed Atlas was conceived more than 3 years ago and would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of a number of individuals who have given their time, ideas and feedback to help this project come to fruition. Vasant Sabharwal, Himanshu Kulkarni and P.S Vijay Shankar have been a part of this project from the very start, helping to conceptualize it and constantly striving to help improve it. Anshu Bhatia, CEO of RRAN has helped us to create the best possible product and provided her invaluable suggestions. Neelkanth Mishra and Sabhyasachi Das have provided their expertise and experience and given us critical suggestions. T. Rajendra and Lalmani Pandey were an integral part of the data support team. We also wish to extend thanks to the Strategic Leadership group of the RRA Network. Poornima Sheelanere was responsible for the designing the Atlas and has helped us immensely with her clear vision and work ethic. Ashwini Chhatre Shreya Basu Ujjainee Sharma Varun Goel
Citation Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN) (2016), The Rainfed Atlas.
The Rainfed Atlas More than half of India’s gross crop area is rainfed. Revitalizing India’s rainfed agriculture is therefore critical to improving incomes for communities in these geographies; mitigating poverty and improving the country’s food security. The Revitalizing Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN) supports and advocates uplifting agriculture in the rainfed regions of India. This atlas is a visual representations of RRAN’s core arguments using publicly available data on Indian agriculture. It primarily focuses on three themes – The Characteristics of Rainfed areas, Nature of public investments in Rainfed areas and; Reimagining public investments. The main aim is to demonstrate the diversity of biophysical, agro-ecological, and socio-political contexts within the broad umbrella of rainfed areas; and show the misalignment between the existing regimes of public investments in agriculture with this diversity. The Atlas also presents several opportunities for agricultural growth through a restructuring of the nature, amount, and delivery of public investments.
PART 1
PART 3
Nature of Public Investments Bio-physical characteristics of Rainfed areas
PART 4
PART 2
Livelihood in Rainfed Areas
Reimagining Public Investments
Part I: Bio-physical characteristics of Rainfed areas
Key messages • •
•
•
About 55% of India’s gross crop area is rainfed Indian Rainfed regions generally comprised of upland terrains with dry, water-less environment and eroded soils Socio-economic levels in the rainfed India is very low with high poverty and scheduled tribe population- a disadvantaged indigenous group Despite its underdevelopment, the rainfed regions supports majority of Indian livestock and contributes significantly to Indian agriculture
Rainfed farming systems are located in highly undulating and diverse terrains, with very different mixtures of bio-physical and socio-economic conditions. Part I illustrates and describes different characteristics and varied topographies of rainfed regions in India.
Classification into rainfed and irrigated districts Agricultural areas where less than 40 percent of the sown area is irrigated are defined as rainfed
This map shows the variation in rainfed districts by representing them with different grades of orange colour. Irrigated districts are represented by one shade of blue . This shows that several pockets of high rainfedness stand out – one each in western India, central India, eastern India, and north-eastern India.
Source: Agricultural Census : 2010-11
Rainfed districts have less than 40 percent of net irrigated area. Irrigated districts have more than 40 percent of net irrigated area
The map shows the variation in irrigated districts by representing them with different gradients of blue. Rainfed districts are represented by single colour of orange. About 85% net irrigated area is concentrated in the IndoGangetic plains in the north followed by areas in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Irrigated areas are also spread into the river basins of Hooghly, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri deltas along the east and south-east coast of India
Distribution of rural poverty The wealth index is a composite index of census variables in a district (e.g. proportion of rural households with access to taped drinking water, electricity, communication and banking services, clean cooking fuels etc.)
Photo credits: Prachee Sinha
Rainfed areas have high levels of poverty. About 66 out of 100 poorest districts are rainfed districts. Out of bottom 10 poorest districts, 7 are rainfed districts.
The 100 poorest districts that are rainfed belongs to the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Odisha and West Bengal.
Rainfed
Irrigated
Navarangpur
Araria
Bijapur
Kishanganj
Dhubri
Katihar
Purnea
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Malkangiri This map shows an overlap of the poorest districts with rainfed districts in the central, eastern and north-eastern parts of India. Also, there is an overlap of poorer districts with rainfed districts in the south central and south western India . The northeastern states have an overlap of both poorest and poorer districts with rainfed districts. Data source: Primary Census Abstract (PCA) Amenities dataset, 2011
Malkangiri Pakur Graph shows number of rainfed and irrigated districts out of 100 poorest districts
10 poorest districts of India divided into rainfed and irrigated
Distribution of uplands
Rainfed geographies are highly varied. In India, a majority of the upland areas are concentrated in the Rainfed regions. These rainfed upland areas include Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, a majority of the northeastern states especially Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. The western Ghats encompassing the western parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala are also rainfed and upland areas.
Uplands are landscapes with elevation of more than 500 meters above mean sea level. Uplands are generally characterized by dry, water-less environment with various levels of soil degradation.
29.7
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
The distribution of districts with a percent area above 500 meters is greater in rainfed than in irrigated districts..
7.4
This map shows district wise percent area with elevation more than 500 metres above mean sea level. It clearly shows that the majority of uplands are concentrated in the Rainfed regions of India.
Data Source: Cartosat-1 Digital Elevation Model (CartoDEM), ISRO, 2013
Irrigated
Rainfed
Distribution of scheduled tribe population Scheduled Tribes (ST) are largely disadvantaged indigenous group of India. Characteristics of ST population include low levels of socio-economic and educational development.
Map of upland distribution
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
This map shows district wise percentage of Scheduled Tribe (ST) population in India. The green color gradient in the map depicts the proportion of ST population of the total population in a district.
Data Source: Census 2011, Ministry of Home Affairs
High proportion of ST Photo credits: Prachee Sinha populations are found in rainfed as well as upland districts in the central and mountainous regions of India. These include Northeastern states, parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand.
Distribution of non-forest grazing areas Non-forest grazing area generally includes all classes of cultivable area not devoted to agriculture plus single-cropped area.
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts. The map shows proportion of non-forest Grazing Area in Indian districts. There is an overlap of districts that have extensive livestock economies with rainfed districts. The majority of non-forest grazing areas are found in Rajasthan, central parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka and eastern parts of Tamil Nadu.
Data Source: Land Use Statistics(LUS), Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), 2011.
A large majority of people who reside in the rainfed areas own livestock. These livestock are vital to their livelihoods and hence non-forest grazing areas are especially important in the Rainfed context. There is an overlap of districts that have extensive livestock economies with rainfed districts
Three very different regions of India have such extensive pastoralism and the presence of livestock economies (western India, south central and northeastern part of India). The majority of non-forest grazing areas are found in Rajasthan, central parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka and eastern parts of Tamil Nadu.
Distribution of rainfall in India Rainfall in India is highly varied. India receives an average annual rainfall of 4000 km3. However, nearly 75-80% of it receives during 4 months of Monsoon.
The rainfed areas of India receive on average more rainfall than the irrigated areas of India. Some of these rainfed regions can receive rainfall as high as 1500 mm per annum. Rainfedness does not imply low rainfall.
1529
1039
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
This Map shows average rainfall across India between 1981-2011. The South-West monsoons provide rainfall in the Western Ghats. This creates a rain-shadow region in the mid-south and central regions of India. Data Source: Rainfall data, 1981-2011, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
Irrigated
Rainfed
Graph shows average annual rainfall in rainfed and irrigated
In India, the South-West monsoons provide rainfall in the Western Ghats. This creates a rain-shadow region in the midsouth and central regions of India. The average rainfall increases steadily as we move from the southwest to the northeast of the country, with pockets of high rainfall in the western and central Himalayan tracts
Rainfall variation in India We have talked about how Rainfed India on average receives more rainfall than Irrigated India. However, rainfed parts of India also show more variation in the rainfall levels. There is a positive correlation which exists between aggregate rainfall and rainfall variability across India. This means that regions which receive the lowest rainfall have the highest variability and vice versa
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Map of average annual rainfall (1981-2011)
This map shows variability of rainfall within districts by showing annual rainfall anomalies (i.e. number of years when total rainfall was lower than 20% from 30-year average.
Data Source: Rainfall data, 1981-2011, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
Part II Livelihoods in Rainfed Areas
Part 2 takes an in-depth look at the components that constitute livelihoods in Rainfed Areas, namely crops and livestock.
Irrigated and rainfed area under all crops 105.9 87.7 The contribution of Rainfed areas to Agriculture is very significant. It accounts for 56% of total cropped area, 48% of the area under food crops and 68% of that under non-food crops. At the same time livestock are an integral part of rainfed economies. They are used for cultivation, food and they also generate income for many families, who sell them.
Irrigated
Rainfed
Source: Agricultural Census 2010-11
Millets
17.6
2.2
Irrigated
Rainfed
Total millet area under the rainfed and irrigated areas.
Millets are a group of highly-variable, small seeded grasses widely used as cereal crops or for fodder. They are used in many parts of India, where they have been traditionally grown for years. Millets have many different varieties like Bajra, Jowar and Ragi.
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Geographical distribution of millets. For each district, map shows proportion of area under millets in India in that district.
These millets have their own geographies and regions. For instance, the central region of India comprising parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have high concentrations of Jowar while the regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat have high concentrations of Bajra. Dominant millet geographies across India
Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
Pulses
Irrigated
Rainfed
Total pulses area under the rainfed and irrigated areas
India is the biggest producer, as well as the largest consumer and importer of pulses. Pulses have many different varieties like Tur, Masoor and Moong. Pulses have their own geographies and regions. For instance, Tur is grown in parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana while Masoor is grown in parts of UP, MP, West Bengal, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand.
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Gram is one of the dominant pulses and widely concentrated in the districts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra Punjab and Haryana.
Dominant pulses geographies across India
Geographical distribution of pulses. For each district, map shows proportion of area under pulses in India in that district. Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
Oilseeds Oilseeds are important in the context of Indian agriculture. Not only are they pressed for oil but the discarded seeds are pressed and made into ‘oilcakes’ which are fed to cattle. There are many different varieties of Oilseeds with their own geographies. Different varieties include soyabean, rapeseed, groundnut and mustard.
Dominant oilseeds geographies across India
17.2
Graph shows total oilseeds area under the rainfed and irrigated areas
7.6
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Geographical distribution of oilseeds. For each district, map shows proportion of area under oilseeds in India in that district
Irrigated Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
Rainfed Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
India is one of the world’s largest Producers of cotton producing more than 6 million tonnes annually.
Cotton
Interestingly, rainfed India produces the majority of cotton in India, Some of the top cotton producing states include Gujarat, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
Graph shows total cotton area under the rainfed and irrigated areas
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts. Geographical distribution of cotton. For each district, map shows proportion of area under cotton in India in that district
Irrigated Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
Rainfed
29.5
Rainfed paddy
Paddy has a long history of being grown in Rainfed India under traditional forms of farming.
20.1
Though the focus has shifted to Irrigated Paddy in recent decades, these traditional paddy systems are still alive and thriving and form a significant share of the overall paddy production in India, even though it receives but a fraction of the investments and farming support as Irrigated India. Irrigated
Rainfed
Graph shows total cotton paddy area under the rainfed and irrigated areas
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Geographical distribution of irrigated rice For each district, map shows proportion of area under irrigated rice in India in that district. Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
Irrigated paddy
One of the major changes brought about by the Green Revolution and the PDS was that the cultivation of paddy shifted to Irrigated India. Hence places like Punjab and Haryana which do not traditionally grow paddy are now the largest producers in the country. Paddy requires and receives enormous levels of investment and institutional support in Irrigated India. (We have discussed these in great detail in Part 3).
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Geographical distribution of rainfed rice For each district, map shows proportion of area under rainfed rice in India in that district. Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
Wheat Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in India. It is a rabi crop which is sown in the beginning of winter and is harvested in the beginning of summer. It is grown mainly in the plains of Northern and north-western India. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana grow are some of the largest producers of wheat. The contribution of Rainfed India to wheat production is much less compared to Irrigated India.
26.6
4.2
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Geographical distribution of wheat For each district, map shows proportion of area under wheat in India in that district. Source: Agricultural Census, 2010-11
Irrigated
Graph shows total wheat area under the rainfed and irrigated areas
Rainfed
Livestock
Photo credits: Emily Reisman
Dairy cattle and buffaloes
India’s Dairy Industry is one of the largest in the world and is one of the most important components of Indian Agriculture. This is largely concentrated in the Irrigated areas of India,.
71
29 Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Geographical distribution of dairy animals For each district, map shows proportion of dairy animals in India in that district.
Irrigated Source: Livestock Census 2012
Rainfed
Graph shows the total percentage of dairy animals in rainfed and irrigated districts.
It is important to emphasize however that Dairy cattle are extremely vital in rainfed areas as well and that livestock systems in these areas require proper support systems in order to grow.
Male indigenous cattle (Draught power)
63.5 Unlike dairy cattle, the distribution of male indigenous cattle is much higher in rainfed India, as opposed to Irrigated India. Draught cattle refers to the male cattle that are used for agricultural work like preparing cropping fields.
36.5
These are extremely important especially for small farmers who do not have access to mechanized power.
Irrigated
Rainfed
Graph show total percentage of male indigenous cattle in rainfed and irrigated districts.
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Geographical distribution of male indigenous cattle For each district, map shows proportion of male indigenous cattle in India in that district.
Source: Livestock Census 2012
Small ruminants
53.5 46.5
Graph show the total percentage of small ruminants in rainfed and irrigated districts.
Irrigated
Small ruminants consist of sheep and goats. Small ruminant based economies are extremely important especially in the Rainfed context.
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Geographical distribution of male indigenous cattle For each district, map shows proportion of male indigenous cattle in India in that district.
Source: Livestock Census 2012
Rainfed
Goats
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
49.99
50.01
The distribution of goats is spread out quite evenly between irrigated and rainfed India.
Geographical distribution of goats For each district, map shows proportion of goats in India in that district.
Goats are part of an ever growing stall-fed economy,-where they are raised inside a shed or house without being allowed to graze outside. Stall-fed goat rearing is considered to be more profitable and is gaining more prominence than before.
For each district, map shows the density of goats per 1000 ha of forest area which have the concentration mainly in western Rajasthan and parts of UP, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Source: Livestock Census 2012; State Forest Report 2013
Irrigated
Rainfed
Graph shows the total percentage of goats in irrigated and rainfed districts.
Sheep
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
58.94
Geographical distribution of sheep For each district, map shows proportion of sheep in India in that district.
In contrast to goats, the distribution of sheep is much greater in rainfed areas. Sheep are largely part of the grazing economy,. They are inexpensive to maintain and provide wool, meat and manure.
41.06
For each district, map shows the density of sheep per 1000 ha of non forest grazing area which have the concentration mainly in J& K and southern India. .
Irrigated Source: Livestock Census 2012 Total percentage of sheep in irrigated and rainfed districts.
Rainfed
56.9
Indigenous poultry
Indigenous poultry refers to the backyard poultry systems found throughout India and not the largescale commercial chicken farming systems.
43.1
Poultry is an extremely valuable asset in rainfed India,, providing meat and eggs while being relatively cheap to maintain. Irrigated
Rainfed
Graph shows the total percentage of indigenous poultry in rainfed and irrigated districts.
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts.
Geographical distribution of indigenous poultry For each district, map shows proportion of indigenous poultry in India in that district.
Source: Livestock Census 2012
Part III Nature of Public Investments
Part 3 discusses the trends and flows of Public Investments and their impact on Rainfed Agriculture.
The Green Revolution in India
The Green Revolution has had far-reaching impacts on Indian Agriculture. It led to an increase in the use of fertilizers, pesticides and Hybrid Yield Variety (HYV) seeds which has in turn increased the need for irrigation. In this section we look at the impact of some of the changes that took place during this time and effect it has had.
Key messages • A drastic increase in the usage of fertilizers, pesticides, HYV, ground water etc. with the advent of Green Revolution in India. • Usage of fertilizers, HYV seeds and irrigation all have high concentrations in the same regions. • Public investment and government support is skewed in extreme in favor of rice and wheat from irrigated areas. • Given the size, weight and socioeconomic and ecological significance of rainfed agriculture, it is critical that the rainfed agriculture receive more government attention and public investment.
The fertilizer story State
Fertilizer Consumption (Thousand Tonnes)
Fertilizer Subsidy (Crores)
Proportion of total subsidy
Uttar Pradesh
4257.75
11424.97
15.32
Andhra Pradesh
3342.35
8968.64
12.03
3022.15
8109.44
10.87
2335.55
6267.06
8.40
1918.06
5146.80
6.90
1891.98
5076.82
6.81
1733.06
4650.38
6.24
1617.20
4339.49
5.82
1428.05
3831.94
5.14
Maharashtra Karnataka Punjab Madhya Pradesh Gujarat West Bengal Haryana India
27790
More evidently, the analysis of these trends also suggests that there is a huge disparity in the usage of fertilizers between the rainfed and irrigated areas. The use of fertilizer (kg/ha) in rainfed areas is far less than fertilizers used in irrigated areas. Fertilizer usage (kg/ha) is 3 times more in the irrigated areas compare to the fertilizer use in rainfed areas.
During Green Revolution, agriculture in India witnessed major changes such as increased agricultural production, economic growth, and increased use of agricultural inputs particularly fertilizers. The fertilizer use has increased at a rapid rate where consumption of fertilizers increased from 2.18 million tonnes to 28.1 million tonnes – a 12 times increase - in just 4 decades between 1971 and 2011. While the usage and consumption of fertilizer increased over the years, there was a marked concentration of this usage in certain states and areas.
Graph shows the fertilizer use (kg/ha) for rainfed and irrigated areas for all the crops
The majority of fertilizer subsides are lopsided in favour of these same states as well. Uttar Pradesh accounts for the highest share of fertilizer consumption and subsidies followed by Andra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Source: FAO,2003-04
74569.87
Graph shows decadal fertilizer consumption in India from 1971 -2011 .
Map show fertilizer usage (kg/ha) (left map) and fertilizer subsidy (in crores) at state level (right map). Source: Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
1971
1981
1991
2001
2011
High Yield Variety (HYV) seeds and pesticides We can see that the density of fertilizer retailers is higher in irrigated areas than rainfed ones. Irrigation is associated with higher fertilizer and pesticide usage and HYV
seeds. The Green Revolution technology encouraged the combined use of HYV seeds, pesticides and fertilizers along with increased irrigation. This is seen in the accompanying graphs.
Map of rainfed and irrigated districts. Graph shows the proportion of irrigated areas that have both HYV and fertilizers and proportion of rainfed areas that have both HYV and fertilizers (Dataset: Input Survey 2012)
Graph shows the proportion of irrigated areas that have both HYV and pesticides and proportion of rainfed areas that have both HYV and pesticides (Dataset: Input Survey 2012)
Source: Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Exploiting ground-water well beyond capacity has led to a dire situation of water shortage and scarcity in many parts of India. The maps offer a visual picture of the state of groundwater exploitation across the Indian landmass over a period of 7 years. The darkest shade marks the areas where groundwater has been overexploited.
Irrigation
The lightest shade denotes the safe level of exploitation. The intermediate two shades denote critical and semicritical levels of groundwater exploitation. The regions with critical levels of ground water exploitation include the irrigated regions of Punjab and Haryana.
1951
1961
1971
1981 year
Groundwater
While a large part of India remains rainfed, the area under irrigation increased manifold during the last six decades; with certain areas beginning to increasingly depend on the exploitation of ground water. Irrigation from all sources covered a mere twenty million hectares of net sown area and the single largest contribution came from canals at the time of India’s Independence.
1991
2001
2011
Canals
Over the years canals and ground water usage has both increased from 1951 onwards. However canals soon leveled out, while ground water has only increased. The net addition to irrigated areas comes largely from groundwater. 1951
1961
1971
1981 year
1991
2001
2011
Maps show stage of groundwater development in 2011. Groundwater utilized <70% is safe, 70-90% is semi critical, 90% - 100% is critical and > 100% is over exploited
Graph shows increase in proportion of ground water usage to total net irrigated area between 1950 and 2011 Source: Agricultural Census,1996-2011
Source: Central Groundwater Board 2004 and 2011
The big picture of public investments It is important to understand certain trends or patterns in the flow of public investments. It clearly suggest that fertilizers, HYV seeds and irrigation all have high concentrations in the same regions. The reason for this is that higher agricultural production is achieved most easily from the use of fertilizers and HYV seeds but these cannot be deployed without assured irrigation according to the crop time-table. We shall now explore these Public Investments in detail.
Procurement
10.46 4.41 35.03
6.22
Graph and table show the proportion of rice and wheat procurement of top 7 states to the total procurement of rice and wheat of India
7.5 8.9 12.34
Punjab Haryana Andhra Pradesh Uttar Pradesh
15.14
Madhya Pradesh Chhatisgarh Odisha Others
A key feature of government support for the agrarian sector is through fixing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) and through the procurement of agricultural produce.
State
A large portion of total public investment in agriculture is taken by this measure. It is apparent, however, that the public investment in agriculture is lopsided towards procurement of rice and wheat.
Punjab
199.78
189.01
35.00
Haryana
80.66
81.74
15.14
74.38
66.68
12.35
52.37
49.48
9.16
Madhya Pradesh'
32.84
40.58
7.52
Chhattisgarh
37.27
33.63
6.23
26.18
23.86
4.42
560.16
540.01
It is important to note that out of the total of INR 540 Thousand Crores that the government spent in procuring rice and wheat from Punjab alone accounts for 35 % of the national total followed by Haryana, and Andhra Pradhesh. Together these three states account for more than three-fifths of the total public investment in the procurement of wheat and rice.
Map shows percentage of both rice and wheat procured to the total procurement of both rice and wheat in India over a decade Source: : FCI, 2003-2013 : FCI, 2003-2013
Thousand Crores
Proportion of total Value
Andhra Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Odisha Public investment in procurement, therefore is heavily skewed.
Million Tonnes
India
Public investment
NREGA investments
RKVY investments
IWMP investments
Maps show district and state-level maps of different sources of public investments in rainfed areas.
Government investment and support is skewed in extreme in favor of rice and wheat. This translates into a corresponding imbalance in favor of the Green Revolution areas of Punjab, Haryana, Godavari Basin and western part of Uttar Pradesh.
Rainfed agriculture cannot match the productivity of the Green Revolution areas, but its contribution to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agricultural production and to the life and well-being of agrarian populations is by no means small. Given its size, weight and significance, it is of critical importance to look at the extent of public investment and governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention, that rainfed agriculture is able to attract.
Rice and Wheat Procurement Fertilizer Subsidy National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Integrated Watershed Management Programme Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
Graph shows different public investments from 2010-11 to 2013-14 at a national level
When we look at some of the Public investments that go towards rainfed areas like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Integrated Water Management Programme (IWMP), the differences in public investment are made even starker.
While Procurement and Fertilizer subsidies together account for 461.6 thousand crores; NREGA, RKVY and IWMP accounted for 152.82 thousand crores in 2010-11 to 2013-14. Investing in rainfed agriculture would have huge implications for the ecological, social and economic well being of the large and diverse populations that inhabit it. It is in this light that one has to look at the share of rainfed agriculture in the overall public investment in agriculture.
Parts 1-3 of the Atlas looked at the nature and characteristics of Rainfed agriculture and discussed the trends and flows of public investments. Part 4 tries to re-imagine how these public investments can be restructured by presenting case studies and instances of good practices. It offers opportunities and possibilities to work on several aspects of Rainfed Agriculture..
The cumulative effects of these led to the success of the Green Revolution which increased agricultural output, allowing India to become selfsufficient in the production of food grains. The Green Revolution sought to reform and improve the state of Indian agriculture and address the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems of hunger and malnutrition by increasing agricultural output. In order to do this, what was needed
was a layering of different approaches, investments, technological innovations, legislative reforms, institutional and infrastructural support.
However, even though the Green Revolution successfully increased agricultural output, it was responsible for an over-reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, a loss of biodiversity, widespread pollution and gave rise to some of the factors that have contributed to debt-ridden farming communities. The negative impacts of the Green Revolution are still visible today. What we are interested in, is replicating the success of the Green Revolution without replicating its mistakes. In this part of the Atlas, we focus on how best to implement layered approaches in Rainfed India looking at different aspects of agriculture..
Millets are a group of highly-variable, small seeded grasses widely used as cereal crops or for fodder. They have traditionally been grown in many parts of India and have been part of the local diets.
There are many benefits to millets. For one, they grow extremely well in drought-prone areas or areas with less rainfall, since they are hardy and show great resilience to variations in weather. They are also extremely nutritious and are high in minerals, protein and fibre. A growing health industry in India can provide a good market for millets.
The true potential of millets is seen in the story of Medoddi Vinodha, a farmer from Medak in Telangana. Vinodha started growing millets instead of cotton or rice and today grows more than 25 varieties. She was able to ensure food and fodder for her cattle and family as well as make a profit of Rs. 2 lakh. Moreover, her crops did not require chemical fertilizers or pesticides and used very little water compared to other crops grown in the region. Farmers who grow millet are also able to save enough of the seeds and they do not have to buy these from outside. In a region that faces severe drought as well as an increasing number of debtridden farmers, millets might offer a solution .
Compared to Rice and Wheat, different varieties of millets are grown in almost every state.
The Production of Rice and Wheat is the concentrated in Punjab and Haryana with the advent of the Green Revolution.
Some state governments are procuring millets but it is not as widespread as Rice and Wheat
The procurement of Rice and Wheat is done mainly from Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Due to the procurement of rice and wheat from these states and the distribution through the PDS, these crops travel many miles through the entire length and breadth of India
Rice and Wheat are distributed through the Public Distribution System all over India.
Through this wide-scale distribution of rice and wheat, many household all over India have changed their traditional diets and switched to rice and wheat
Since millets are grown all over India, they can be procured locally and have to travel fewer miles.
There are several different varieties of millets like jowar, bajra, ragi etc. that are easy to grow and require minimum inputs. These grow all over India.
Millets have been part of the traditional diet of many households. They are nutrient dense and consumed in several states across India
Poultry and Small ruminants form an important component of the livestock economy, especially for Rainfed agriculture. Poultry and small ruminants (comprising mainly of goats and sheep) can be bought and maintained at a low cost, and is a lowrisk investment. They are also a nutritious source of food. When they are sold, they provide families with a steady income; and provide output in terms of meat, milk, eggs, skin and fibre.
Self Help Group can also create an exchange programme between members, wherein someone with access to chicken can provide chicks to a member
However, investment in poultry and small ruminants has often been neglected. Though there are efforts made by the government from time to time, much more needs to be done to ensure that the poultry and small ruminant economy is strengthened.
Safe and hygienic shelters can be built under the NREGA for livestock and poultry
Since credit access is often a major hurdle, local SelfHelp groups can come together to help members with loans or insurance
Local livestock Associations are very important as they can come together and help each other with better market negotiations. They are also important when it comes to better disease reporting and preventive measures among livestock and poultry breeders
The DAH can also create education programmes at the Block or Gram Panchayat level, that helps educate and create awareness of proper care techniques, disease
The Department of Animal Husbandry trained vets who can then provide vaccinations, first aid and animal care.
Goats and chicken graze in the common area that is decided by village groups or on land leased by the Forest Department
Fisheries are among the most promising and least funded economic activities in India. With a coastline of 8000 km, over 50 lakh water bodies and 1.5 crore people engaging in fisheries and related activities, India is the third largest fish producer globally.
Yet, the full potential of fisheries as a livelihood opportunity for small farmers is unrealized. With adequate support and right policy direction, fisheries can emerge as a strong production system allied with agriculture and a sustainable livelihood option for many small farmers in rainfed area.
Products can be created for a wider market like filets, boneless fish etc. which can be funded by private companies
Fishing ponds can be constructed with NREGA
Clean and hygienic kiosks can be provided by the Block, Panchayat or even NFT
In Bogabaid village in the district of Bankura, West Bengal farmers have collectivized to maximize outputs from fishing. In the 90s, the main pond in their village was renovated by the Zila Parishad, who then took control of it and used it for commercial fishing. Bogabaidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s villagers realized the large amounts of profits that were being generated from fishing, which they were not benefiting from. They villagers of Bogabaid collectivized and agitated against the Panchayat forcing it to rescind its fishing activities and its claim to the ownership of the pond. Currently, the ownership of the pond is held by 40 families. The fish is mainly used for self-consumption. Families invest money equally and purchase fish spawn and are able to produce enough fish for their families, as well as sell the surplus for profit.
Hatcheries can be built from funds given by the FIGs, FIPO, NRLM, NFDP or even from the State Government
Fish Feed can be prepared from agri-waste. Funds can come from the fishery department, NFDP etc.
Fish needs to be transported to the markets and infrastructure like iceboxes and vehicles can be provided Fish nets, baskets and other fishing equipment and essentials can be prepared by SHGs.
When paddy fields are flooded with water, they can be used for storing fish
Soil health is another vital component of agriculture, but one that is often neglected. Soil health for any crop is very important as improved organic matter helps in retention of water capacity
which in turn affects the crop productivity. For rural livelihoods, soil plays an integral part as their economy is predominantly agrarian. Good soil helps increase crop productivity leading to better income
In January 2013, three villages of Sakrawas panchayat in Rajsamand district in Rajasthan, implemented a program to improve soil health. This was an initiative for Village Advancement implemented by PYXERA Global and funded by John Deere Foundation. Farmers were given training to improve soil health. They learnt the process of soil collection and testing to understand the nature of their soil and how to improve it though activities like vermicomposting. In one year the carbon content of the soil increased leading to improved soil fertility resulting in higher yields of crop. Women of these villages have especially benefitted by setting up gardens for household consumption where they sell the surplus. They are able to grow vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, tomatoes, chili ,brinjal, carrot, radish and coriander leaves. This experiment through a participatory approach helped to improve soil health and crop yield.
Land leased by the Forest Department to SHGs for collecting leaves and other organic matter
SHGs collect organic matter from the forest
Compost pit built under NREGA Compost manure and fertilizers put back into agricultural land to improve the condition of the soil.
Compost collected for selling in the market