UPSC gs3 paper agriculture notes

1. Agriculture
UPSC CSE Mains
BY:MOHAN PUJAR

2. Syllabus & Key Topics
•Cropping patterns & major crops
•Irrigation systems
•Storage, transport & marketing of agri-produce
•Farm subsidies & MSPs, PDS, buffer stocks
•Technology in agriculture
•Food processing, allied industries
•Land reforms
•Agricultural finance & credit institutions
•Crop insurance & risk management

3. Cropping Patterns & Major Crops
• Definition, types (mono-, mixed, inter-,
multi-cropping)
• Influencing factors: soil, climate, market,
irrigation
• Examples:
– Rice–wheat in Indo-Gangetic plain
– Millets in semi-arid zones
• Issues: monoculture, soil exhaustion,
climate impacts

4. Irrigation Systems
• Types: canal irrigation, tanks,
tube-wells, micro-irrigation
(drip/sprinkler)
• Pros & cons: water efficiency
vs. cost & environmental
issues
• Policy: National Water Policy,
AIBP, PMKSY

5. Storage, Transport & Marketing
• Supply chain overview: field →
mandi → consumer
• Infrastructure: warehouses,
cold chains, FCI
• Reforms: APMC, eNAM, FPOs,
contract farming
• Gaps: high transit losses,
fragmented agri-markets

6. Subsidies & Pricing Policies
• Subsidies: fertilisers, electricity,
irrigation
• MSP rationale & economics
• PDS objectives, limitations, reforms
(DBT, Shanta Kumar committee)
• Buffer stocks: stabilising prices,
storage issues

7. Agri-Tech & Smart
Farming
• ICT, drones, satellite tech (Krishi-
DSS, FASAL, Bhuvan)
• Emerging tech: precision farming,
AI/ML, UAVs, blockchain
• Benefits: yield forecasting, input
optimization, market linkage
• Challenges: cost, digital literacy,
infra

8. Food Processing & Allied Sectors
• Scope: dairy, meat,
fisheries, horticulture,
animal husbandry
• Food processing benefits:
value-addition,
employment, export
• Schemes: PM-SAMPADA,
cold chain incentives, FPO
support

9. Land Reforms
• Objectives: equity, productivity, tenure
security
• History: abolition of intermediaries,
consolidation, land leasing policy
• Challenges: implementation variability,
tenancy reforms

10. Agricultural Finance & Credit
• Importance & features of agri-credit
• Institutions: Co-op banks, RRBs,
commercial banks, NABARD
• Schemes: Kisan Credit Card, RIDF
• Issues: access, interest rates, NPA,
land-based collateral

11. Crop Insurance & Risk Mgmt
• PMFBY: features, comparison with
earlier schemes
• Challenges: low uptake, claim delays,
moral hazard
• Disaster management linkage:
weather-index insurance

12. Sustainable Agriculture &
Climate
• NMSA: goals & achievements – soil &
water conservation, micro-irrigation,
agroforestry
• Natural & organic farming initiatives
(ZBNF, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas
Yojana)
• Climate concerns: degradation,
resilience strategies

13. Crop Diversification
• Why diversify: income, risk reduction, resilience
• Barriers: market, infrastructure, policy bias
• Enablers: biotech, precision agriculture, AI, IoT

14. Stages in agriculture

16. Definition of Agriculture
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines
agriculture as “the science, art, and practice of cultivating
the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock.”
• It focuses more on the specific activities involved in
agriculture, such as growing crops and raising livestock.
• As per the Niti Aayog, the irrigated area out of the net
cropped area of 140 million hectares has increased to 55%
from 47% in the last six years.

17. Importance of agriculture
•Contribution to GDP
•Employment
•Food security
•Exports
•Socio-cultural significance

19. • Contribution to Economy: The share of agriculture in total Gross Value
Added (GVA) of the economy has declined from 35% in 1990-91 to 15%
in 2022-23.
• The agricultural sector is estimated to constitute 18% of India’s GVA in FY24.
• Employment Generation: According to the Periodic Labour Force
Survey (PLFS) about 45.76% of the total workforce is engaged in
agriculture and allied sectors during 2022-23.
• Foreign Earnings: During the year 2022–2023, the agricultural exports
amounted to USD 43.37 billion, registering an increase of 6.04% over
the exports of USD 40.90 billion during the corresponding period of the
previous financial year 2021-2022.
• India ranks second-largest producer of fruits, vegetables, tea, farmed fish,
sugarcane, wheat, rice, cotton, and sugar. The horticulture production was 355.25
million tonnes which is the highest ever for Indian Horticulture.
• Significance: The total food grains production for FY23 was 329.7
million tonnes, marking a rise of 14.1 million tonnes compared to the
previous year.

20. • Rice, wheat, pulses, Nutri/coarse cereals, and oilseeds witnessed
record increases in production.
• India’s global dominance extends across agricultural commodities,
making it the largest producer of milk, pulses, and spices
worldwide.
• The agricultural sector is the bedrock of the nation’s economy.
• Despite challenges posed by the global health crisis and variability in climate
conditions, the sector has demonstrated remarkable tenacity and
resilience, contributing significantly to India’s economic recovery and
development.

21. Features of Agriculture in India
Some of the salient features of Agriculture in India are as follows:
• Subsistence Agriculture – Subsistence agriculture in India is a prevalent practice. This agriculture type
primarily focuses on producing crops for self-consumption, with no surplus left for sale in the market.
• Commercial Agriculture – Commercial Agriculture is also practised in India, such as tea plantations in
Assam, coffee in Karnataka, and coconut farming in Kerala. Commercial agriculture involves the production
of crops on a large scale, with the goal of selling the produce in the market to generate profits. However,
with limited land resources in India, the growing population is increasing pressure on agricultural activities.
• Mechanisation – After the Green Revolution, there has been an increasing trend in the use of machines in
farm operations, leading to agriculture’s mechanisation in India. Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh,
the River valleys of Andhra, and Tamil Nadu are major agriculturally mechanised areas in India.
• Monsoon Dependent – Due to a lack of irrigation facilities, 2/3 of agriculture in India depends on monsoon
rains.
• Variety of Crops – Due to the presence of different types of topography, diverse soil (like Alluvial, Red, and
Black cotton soil, etc.), and other types of climate, India is blessed with the production of different
varieties of crops in various regions. For example, Hilly areas are suitable for tea cultivation, and plains are
ideal for rice cultivation.
• Predominance of Food Crops – Due to the predominance of subsistence agriculture, food crops are mainly
grown to meet the food security demands of the huge Indian population. India has three basic cropping
seasonal patterns: Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid.

22. Major Challenges Faced by the Agricultural Sector
• Lack of access to credit & finance: Small and marginal farmers often
face difficulties in accessing credit and financial services.
• Limited availability of affordable credit restricts their ability to invest in
modern farming equipment and quality seeds and fertilizers, hampering their
productivity.
• Small landholdings: Average farmers are small landholders, leading to
fragmented and uneconomical farming practices.
• This makes it challenging for them to adopt modern agricultural methods and
technologies, resulting in lower productivity.
• Outdated farming practices: A significant portion of Indian farmers
still rely on traditional and outdated farming methods.
• Limited access to information, lack of awareness about modern techniques
and resistance to change hinder the adoption of advanced farming practices.

23. • Climate change & natural disasters: Increasingly unpredictable
weather patterns, climate change and occurrences of natural
disasters—such as floods, cyclones and droughts can lead to crop
losses, livestock mortality and increased vulnerability for farmers.
• Lack of farmers’ empowerment: Farmers’ voices and representation
in policy-making processes are often inadequate.
• Restricted farmers’ empowerment and involvement result in policies and
initiatives that may not address their specific challenges effectively.
• Pests and Diseases: Outbreaks of pests and diseases can significantly
damage crops, leading to yield losses.
• Lack of proper pest management practices and awareness exacerbate the
problem.

24. • Water scarcity & irrigation: India’s agriculture is heavily dependent on monsoon rain,
making it vulnerable to droughts and inconsistent rainfall patterns.
• Access to irrigation facilities and water management are crucial challenges, particularly in regions
with limited water resources.
• Soil degradation & land erosion: Improper land use practices, excessive use of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides and inadequate soil conservation measures
contribute to soil degradation and erosion.
• This leads to reduced soil fertility and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases, besides
reducing agricultural productivity.
• Inadequate agricultural infrastructure: Insufficient storage and cold chain facilities,
inadequate rural roads and limited access to markets contribute to post-harvest losses.
• These infrastructure gaps add to the cost of production and limit farmers’ ability to fetch fair prices
for their produce.
• Lack of access to markets: Small farmers in India often have difficulty accessing
markets to sell their products, which can limit their income and economic growth.
• Market volatility & price fluctuations: Farmers in India often face price volatility due
to lack of effective market linkages, intermediaries and price information.

25. Steps Taken by Government for the Growth of
Agricultural Sector
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): Launched in 2019, PM-
KISAN is a direct income support scheme for farmers.
• Under this program, eligible farmers receive financial assistance of Rs. 6,000 per year
in three equal installments.
• National Agriculture Market (e-NAM): The e-NAM is an online platform
that aims to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
• It enables farmers to sell their produce to buyers anywhere in the country,
promoting transparency and fair pricing.
• Soil Health Card Scheme: This initiative provides farmers with soil health
cards, which contain information about the nutrient status of their soil.
• It helps farmers make informed decisions about crop selection and appropriate
fertilizer use.

26. • Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): PMFBY is a crop
insurance scheme that provides financial support to farmers in case
of crop failure or damage due to natural calamities, pests, or diseases.
• Agricultural Infrastructure Fund: The government has introduced a
dedicated fund to support the development of agricultural
infrastructure, including cold storage, warehouses, and processing
units.
• MSP (Minimum Support Price) Increase: The government
periodically announces minimum support prices for various crops to
ensure that farmers receive a fair and remunerative price for their
produce.
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY): This scheme focuses
on improving water use efficiency in agriculture.
• It includes components such as micro-irrigation, watershed development, and
the promotion of efficient water management practices.

27. • PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan
Abhiyan): This scheme aims to ensure that farmers get remunerative
prices for their produce.
• It comprises Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme
(PDPS), and Pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPPS).
• Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme: The KCC scheme provides farmers
with credit at subsidized interest rates, facilitating timely access to
credit for agricultural and allied activities.

28. Cropping pattern
• Cropping pattern describes the proportion of land allocated to different
crops at a particular time, and how these proportions change over time.
Types of Cropping Systems:
• Monocropping: Growing a single crop repeatedly on the same land.
• Multiple Cropping: Growing more than one crop on the same land in a
year.
• Crop Rotation: Growing different crops in a sequence on the same land to
improve soil fertility and manage pests.
• Intercropping: Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same
land

29. Factors Influencing Cropping Patterns:
• Climate: Rainfall, temperature, and sunlight play a vital role in determining which
crops can be grown in a particular region.
• Soil Type: Different soils have varying nutrient levels and water-holding
capacities, which influence crop suitability.
• Water Availability: Access to irrigation is crucial for crops like rice, which require
significant water.
• Government Policies: Policies related to subsidies, minimum support prices, and
agricultural research can influence farmers' choices.
• Market Demand and Prices: Farmers tend to grow crops that are in high demand
and fetch better prices.
• Technology: Adoption of new technologies like high-yielding varieties and
irrigation systems can impact cropping patterns.
• Socio-economic Factors: Landholding size, labor availability, and cultural
preferences also play a role.

30. Cropping Seasons:
India has three main cropping seasons:
• Kharif: Sown during the monsoon season (June-July) and harvested
in autumn (September-October). Examples: Rice, Maize, Cotton.
• Rabi: Sown in winter (October-November) and harvested in spring
(March-April). Examples: Wheat, Barley, Gram.
• Zaid: A short season between Rabi and Kharif, primarily for
vegetables and fodder.

31. Changes in Cropping Pattern (UPSC 2023)
•Shift from cereals to high value crops
•Decline in Coarse Cereals and Pulses
•Expansion of commercial crops
•Rise in Horticulture and Floriculture
Drivers Behind Changes
1. Changing Consumption patterns
2. Market and Policy Incentives
3. Globalization & Trade