Enhancing Agricultural Diversification

• 13 May 2025

For Prelims: Rice, Wheat, Cotton, Soybean, Minimum Support Prices (MSP), GM Crops, Public Distribution System, PM-KISAN, Malnutrition, Monoculture, Monsoon, Millets, Pulses, Oilseeds, Horticulture Crops, Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), Farmer Producer Organizations, National Millet Mission, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) 

For Mains: Concerns related to rice and wheat cultivation, Measures to be adopted to enhance agricultural diversification in India. 

Source: IE 

Why in News? 

Agricultural trends in India highlight a consistent increase in the area planted with rice and wheat cultivation, driven by supportive policies, better breeding, and reliable yields, while other crops see fluctuating acreages due to lower returns and price instability.

What are the Trends in Crop Cultivation in India? 

• Wheat and Rice: Rice cultivation has increased significantly, especially in Punjab (from 29.8 lakh hectares (lh) to 32.4 lh) and Telangana (from 10.5 lh to 47 lh) between 2015-16 and 2024-25. 
  • Wheat and rice acreages in Madhya Pradesh have, likewise, gone up from 59.1 lh to 78.1 lh and from 20.2 lh to 38.7 lh respectively in between 2015-16 and 2024-25. 
• Cotton: Cotton cultivation in Punjab dropped drastically from 3.4 lh in 2015-16 to 1 lh in 2024-25.  
  • In Telangana, the area declined from 23.6 lh in 2020-21 to 18.1 lh in 2024-25. 
• Chickpea (Chana): Area under chickpea in Madhya Pradesh declined from 30.2 lh in 2015-16 to 20.1 lh in 2024-25. 
• Soybean: Soybean acreage in Madhya Pradesh decreased from 59.1 lh in 2015-16 to 57.8 lh in 2024-25, after peaking at 66.7 lh in 2020-21 due to high prices. 

Why are Rice and Wheat the Most Preferred Crops Among Farmers? 

• MSP Procurement: The government ensures near-guaranteed procurement of rice and wheat at Minimum Support Prices (MSP), offering price stability and income assurance, which makes them less risky than crops without such support. 
• Irrigation Support: Rice and wheat are mainly grown with irrigation, reducing dependence on rainfall and lowering yield risk, as access to canal and groundwater makes cultivation more reliable. 
• Continuous Genetic Improvement: Both crops benefit from strong public research support, leading to development of high-yielding, disease-resistant, and climate-smart varieties. 
  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) used CRISPR-Cas to create Kamala, a genetically edited Samba Mahsuri rice that produces 450–500 grains per panicle (versus 200–250 in the parent), yields 5.37–9 tonnes/hectare, matures in 130 days (15–20 days faster), and conserves water and fertilisers through enhanced root biomass. 
  • ICAR scientists used CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)-Cas to edit the Drought and Salt Tolerance (DST) gene in the rice variety Cottondora Sannalu (MTU-1010), creating Pusa DST Rice 1, which is more tolerant to heat, salinity, and water stress by suppressing the gene that limits abiotic stress resistance. 
  • In wheat, the Green Revolution varieties like Kalyan Sona and Sonalika not only increased yields significantly (from 1-1.5 tonnes per hectare to 3.8 tonnes) but also improved resistance to diseases and environmental stresses.  
  • In contrast, crops like cotton, oilseeds, and pulses have seen limited R&D and no major GM breakthroughs since Bt cotton (2002–06), resulting in stagnant yields, unstable returns, and fluctuating cultivation. 
• High Demand & Stable Market: Rice and wheat, staple foods with consistent domestic and global demand, are used in Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-Day Meals, and welfare schemes, ensuring steady sales. 
• Policy & Infrastructure Bias: Procurement infrastructure (such as mandis and storage) is better developed for cereals than for other crops, and loan waivers and subsidies often favor staple crops. 
  • Government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) and fertilizer subsidies support rice and wheat production. 

What are the Implications of Excessive Focus on Rice and Wheat? 

• Nutritional Deficiencies: Excessive reliance on rice and wheat limits nutritional diversity, as they are mainly carbohydrates with fewer proteins and micronutrients, contributing to malnutrition (such as protein and iron deficiencies). 
• Soil Degradation: Overuse of water for rice, combined with chemical fertilizers, contributes to soil salinity and nutrient imbalance, gradually reducing soil health. 
  • Salinity-affected areas are projected to increase from 6.7 million hectares to 11 million hectares by 2030. 
• Water Scarcity: Rice cultivation’s high water consumption and excessive groundwater extraction strain water resources, threatening agriculture sustainability. 
  • Groundwater depletion has become a serious concern in Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana, where the extraction rate has exceeded the recharge rate by 66, 51, and 34%, respectively. 
• Market Distortions: The MSP system can distort the market by promoting monoculture farming and neglect of more profitable or sustainable crops, resulting in overproduction, price fluctuations, and unsustainable practices. 
  • E.g., Neglect of pulses, oilseeds, and millets leads to import dependency (e.g., 60% of edible oil is imported). 
• Regional Disparities: Policy and procurement bias toward rice and wheat benefits irrigated northwestern states, leaving out rainfed and tribal regions with diverse cropping patterns. 
• Monoculture Risk: Reduced crop diversity increases vulnerability to pests, diseases, and climate shocks, threatening food security. 
  • E.g., Wheat blast disease is a fungal infection caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum (MoT) that primarily affects wheat crops. 

What are India’s Initiatives Regarding Crop Diversification? 

• Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) 
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) 
• Mission for Cotton Productivity 
• Mission for Self-reliance in Pulses 
• National Mission on High Yielding Seeds

What Measures can be Adopted to Enhance Agricultural Diversification in India? 

• Policy & Institutional Reforms: Expand MSP coverage to include millets, pulses, oilseeds, and horticulture crops under assured procurement. 
  • Compensate farmers under Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) if prices fall below MSP and strengthen Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and local mandis for non-cereal crops through decentralized procurement. 
• Promote Climate-Resilient Crops: Incentivize millets (jowar, bajra, ragi) through the National Millet Mission, boost pulses and oilseeds production, and expand the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) for fruits, vegetables, and floriculture. 
• Strengthen Market Linkages: Expanding National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) for better price discovery, promoting contract farming and agri-startups through corporate partnerships (e.g., ITC’s "e-Choupal"), and focusing on export promotion of high value products like spices, and organic produce. 
• Infrastructure & Technology Support: Provide post-harvest support through cold chains, warehouses, and food processing units under the PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana to increase shelf life of perishable products. 
• Financial Support Measures: Expand PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to cover diversified crops, and offer lower interest rate loans for non-cereal crops and agro-processing.  
  • Provide farmer training through Skill India and Kisan Drones for modern farming techniques. 
• Regional-Specific Strategies: In Punjab-Haryana, shift to cotton, maize, and agroforestry to reduce groundwater stress; in Eastern India, promote flood-resistant rice varieties and aquaculture; and in rainfed areas, focus on dryland farming with millets and pulses.

Conclusion 

India’s focus on rice and wheat cultivation, driven by MSP and irrigation support, is leading to nutritional, environmental, and market imbalances. Diversifying agriculture through policy reforms, climate-resilient crops, and improved infrastructure can help sustain agriculture and address these issues while enhancing farm incomes and food security. 

Drishti Mains Question:

Q. What measures can be adopted to enhance agricultural diversification in India?

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Prelims

Q. In the context of India’s preparation for Climate -Smart Agriculture, consider the following statements: 

1. The ‘Climate-Smart Village’ approach in India is a part of a project led by the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), an international research programme. 
2. The project of CCAFS is carried out under Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) headquartered in France. 
3. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India is one of the CGIAR’s research centres. 

Which of the statements given above are correct? 

(a) 1 and 2 only 

(b) 2 and 3 only 

(c) 1 and 3 only 

(d) 1, 2 and 3 

Ans: (d)

Q. With reference to the ‘Global Alliance for ClimateSmart Agriculture (GACSA)’, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2018) 

1. GACSA is an outcome of the Climate Summit held in Paris in 2015. 
2. Membership of GACSA does not create any binding obligations. 
3. India was instrumental in the creation of GACSA. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below:  

(a) 1 and 3 only   

(b) 2 only  

(c) 2 and 3 only   

(d) 1, 2 and 3  

Ans: (b)

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Mains 

Q. How did India benefit from the contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Dr. M.S. Swaminathan in the fields of water engineering and agricultural science respectively? (2019)

Q. Explain various types of revolutions, took place in Agriculture after Independence in India. How have these revolutions helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India? (2017)