Title: 10 Major Agricultural Problems of India and their Possible Solutions
Headings: 10 Major Agricultural Problems of India and their Possible Solutions
10 Major Agricultural Problems of India and their Possible Solutions
1. Small and fragmented land-holdings:
2. Seeds:
3. Manures, Fertilizers and Biocides:
4. Irrigation:
5. Lack of mechanisation:
6. Soil erosion:
7. Agricultural Marketing:
8. Inadequate storage facilities:
9. Inadequate transport:
10. Scarcity of capital:
Table 22.3 Institutional Credit to Agriculture:

Content: The size of the holdings will further decrease with the infinite Sub-division of the land holdings. The problem of small and fragmented holdings is more serious in densely populated and intensively cultivated states like Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar and eastern part of Uttar Pradesh where the average size of land holdings is less than one hectare and in certain parts it is less than even 0.5 hectare. Rajasthan with vast sandy stretches and Nagaland with the prevailing ‘Jhoom’ (shifting agriculture) have larger average sized holdings of 4 and 7.15 hectares respectively. States having high percentage of net sown area like Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have holding size above the national average. ADVERTISEMENTS: Further it is shocking to note that a large proportion of 59 per cent holdings in 1990- 91 were marginal (below 1 hectare) accounting for 14.9 per cent of the total operated area. Another 19 per cent were small holdings (1-2 hectare) taking up 17.3 per cent of the total operated area. Large holdings (above 10 hectare) accounted for only 1.6 per cent of total holdings but covered 17.4 per cent of the operated area (Table 22.1). Hence, there is a wide gap between small farmers, medium farmers (peasant group) and big farmers (landlords). The main reason for this sad state of affairs is our inheritance laws.