Problems of Indian agriculture

Indian agriculture still faces many problems:

• Dependence on an erratic monsoon: droughts and floods are twin menaces.
• Low productivity, compared with countries like the USA, Russia and Japan, especially in dryland areas.
• Costly inputs (seeds, fertilisers, pesticides) push small farmers into debt.
• Poorly implemented land reforms. Under the British, the zamindari system was the most exploitative, and its effects lasted.
• Small, fragmented holdings, too small to farm efficiently.
• Lack of commercialisation: much farming is only for the family's own needs.
• Underemployment: in unirrigated areas, farmers have no work for 4 to 8 months a year.
• Land degradation: salinisation, alkalisation and waterlogging (especially in irrigated areas), toxic chemicals, the loss of legumes from crop rotations, and soil erosion.

Many problems, so many fixes are needed together.