10th Agriculture Census : India vs UP

Introduction

The first detailed agriculture census in India was carried out for the reference year (1970-71) as a part of World Census of Agriculture. Since then, Agriculture census has been being carried out every five year.

The Department of Agriculture and farmers welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers welfare, Government of India conducts Agriculture Censuses in India in collaboration with States/UTs following standard concepts, definitions and methodology.

Since the launch of first Agriculture Censuses in 1970-71, the country has conducted ten Agriculture Censuses so far and the present census  with reference year 2020-21 will be in the series.

Agriculture Census 2015-16

In January 2020 final data of phase- II of Agriculture Census 2015-16 are released as “All India Report on Agriculture Census 2015-16”.

Important highlights of the report have been presented in following points:

• The total number of operational holdings in the country have increased from 138.35 million in 2010-11 to 146.45 million in 2015-16 showing an increase of 5.86%.
• The highest percentage share in 2015-16 was observed in marginal category (68.5%) following by small (17.6%) semi-medium (9.6%), medium (3.8%) and large category (0.6%).
• The total operated area in the country has decreased from 159.59 million ha. in 2010-11 to 157.82 million ha. in 2015-16 showing a decrease of 1.11%.
• The average size of operational holdings has declined to 1.08 ha. in 2015-16 as compared to 1.15 ha. in 2010-11.
• There has been continuous decline in the average size of operational land holding which was 2.28 ha. in 1970-71; which subsequently declined to 1.15 ha. in 2010-11 and in 2015-16 has comes to 1.08 ha.
• The percentage share of female operation holders has increased from 12.79% in 2010-11 to 13.96% in 2015-16 with corresponding figures of 10.36% and 11.72% in operated area.
• In 2015-16, participation of female operational holders was highest under marginal category (72%) followed by small (17%) and semi-medium (8.1%).
• The share of female operational holders belonging to SC and ST social groups were estimated at 11.4% and 7.9% respectively.
• The percentage share of wholly-owned and self-operated holdings in total operational holdings has remained static about 98% in 2010-11 and 2015-16.
• The number of wholly leased-in holdings was estimated at 5.31 lakh (0.36%) in 2015-16.
• The Gross cropped area has decreased marginally from 193.76 million hectares in 2010-11 to 191.76 million hectares in 2015-16. Uttar Pradesh has the highest share (14%) in gross cropped area followed by Rajasthan (12.8%) Madhya Pradesh (12.1%) and Maharashtra (11.9%).
• The percentage share of net shown area in operated area has increased marginally from 88.5% in 2010-11 to 88.7% in 2015-16. Gujarat had the highest share (98.3%), followed by Madhya Pradesh (95.5%), Karnataka (95.1%) and Uttar Pradesh (94.4%).
• The Percentage share of net irrigated area to net sown area has increased from 45.7% in 2010-11 to 48.7% in 2015-16. Among major states, Uttar Pradesh has the highest share (83.2%) followed by West Bengal (68.2%), Tamil Nadu (62.2%).
• The percentage of gross irrigated area to gross cropped area has increased from 45.3% in 2010-11 to 49.8% in 2015-16. Among major states, Uttar Pradesh has the highest share of 79.5% followed by Bihar (68.2%), Tamil Nadu (62.3%), West Bengal (59.4%) and Gujarat (51.9%).
• The cropping intensity has remained static at 1.37 during 2015-16 and 2010-11. Among states, Punjab recorded the highest cropping intensity of 1.97 and Mizoram recorded the lowest cropping intensity of 1.00.
• The percentage share of all food crops in gross cropped area has gone down marginally from 76.3% in 2010-11 to 75.1% in 2015-16, while the percentage share of all non-food crops has increased marginally from 23.7% to 24.9% during the same period.

On the basis of operated area, operation holdings are classified in following ways in Agriculture census —

S. No.	Category	Operated Area
1.	Marginal Holdings	Less than 1.00 hectare
2.	Small Holdings	1.00 – 2.00 hectare
3.	Semi-medium Holdings	2.00 – 4.00 hectare
4.	Medium Holdings	4.00 – 10.00 hectare
5.	Large Holdings	10.00 hectare and more

• In year 2015-16, among the States/ UTs Nagaland has the highest (4.87 hectare ) average size of operational land holdings and Kerala has the smallest (0.18 hectare) average size of operational land holdings. In Uttar Pradesh it is at the level of 0.73 hectare.
• Small and marginal holdings taken together (0.00-2.00 hectare) constituted 86.08% of the total holdings in 2015- 16 against 85.01% in 2010-11.
• Their share in the operated area stood at 46.94% in the current Census as against 44.58% in 2010-11.
• The semi-medium and medium operation holdings (2.00-10.00 Ha) in 2015-16 were only 13.35% with 43.99% in operated area. The corresponding figures for 2010-11 Census were 14.29% and 44.82%
• The large holdings (10.00 Ha and above) were merely 0.57% of total number of holdings in 2015-16 and had a share of 9.07% in the operated area as against 0.70% and 10.59% respectively for 2010-11 Census.
• For Uttar Pradesh in 2015-16, the percentage share of marginal, Small, Semi-Medium, Medium and Large holdings in state’s total operational holdings is 80.18, 12.63, 5.51, 1.58 and 0.10 respectively which was 79.45, 13.01, 5.72, 1.71 and 0.11 respectively in 2010-11.
• 14 out of 36 States/UTs in the country accounted for about 91.01% of the total number of operational holdings and 88.19% of the total area operated in the country.
• These 14 states were Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
• In total of 146.45 operational holdings in the country, the highest number of operational holders belonged to Uttar Pradesh (23.82 million) followed by Bihar (16.41) million), Maharashtra (15.29 million), Madhya Pradesh (10.00 million), Karnataka (8.68 million), Andhra Pradesh (8.52 million), Tamil Nadu (7.94 million), Rajasthan (7.66 million) Kerala (7.58 million) etc.
• As regards operated area, out of a total of 157.82 million ha. the highest operated area was contributed by Rajasthan (20.87 million ha.) followed by Maharashtra (20.51 million ha.), Uttar Pradesh (17.45 million ha.), Madhya Pradesh (15.67 million ha.), Karnataka (11.81 million ha.) etc.
• The percentage increase in number of operational holdings in 2015-16 as compared to Agriculture Census 2010-11 worked out to 5.86%.
• Among states the highest increase in holdings was observed in the case of Madhya Pradesh (15.67%) followed by Andhra Pradesh (11.85%), Maharashtra (11.58%), Rajasthan (11.12%), Karnataka (11.02%), Meghalaya (10.90%) Karnataka (10.83) and Nagaland (10.16%) etc. Whereas in the case of Uttar Pradesh it was 2.13%.

India vs UP

Summary of Agriculture census 2015-16 in relation to India & UP

INDIA No. Of operation holdings – 146.454 million. Area of operation holdings – 157.817 million hectare. Percentage share in total operational holdings are : Marginal – 68.5 % Small – 17.6 % Semi-medium – 9.6 % Medium – 3.8 % Large – 0.6 % Average size of holdings : Marginal – 0.38 hectare Small – 1.40 hectare Semi-medium – 2.69 hectare Medium – 5.57 hectare Large – 17.07 hectare Average size of operational holdings – 1.08 hectare

UTTAR PRADESH No. Of operation holdings – 23822000 Area of operation holdings — 17450000 hectare Percentage share in state’s total operational holdings are : Marginal – 80.18 % Small – 12.63 % Semi-medium – 5.51 % Medium – 1.58 % Large – 0.10 % Average size of holdings : Marginal – 0.38 hectare Small – 1.39 hectare Semi-medium – 2.71 hectare Medium – 5.51 hectare Large – 14.98 hectare Average size of operational holdings – 0.73 hectare

Some key concepts

Operation Holdings : All land which is used wholly or partly for agricultural production and is operated as one technical unit by one person alone or with others without regard to the title, legal form, size or location.

Operated Area : Operated area includes both cultivated and uncultivated area, provided part of it is put to agricultural production during the reference period.

Operational Holder : An operational holder is the person who has the responsibility for the operation of the agricultural holding. The operational holder may be Individual/Joint/Institutional.

11^th Agriculture Census is going on

The Eleventh Agricultural Census (2021-22) was launched in the country today by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. Agriculture Census is conducted every 5 years, which is being undertaken now after delay due to corona pandemic. The field work of agricultural census will start in August 2022. Agricultural Census is the main source of information on a variety of agricultural parameters at a relatively minute level, such as the number and area of ​​operational holdings, their size, class-wise distribution, land use, tenancy and cropping pattern, etc. This is the first time that data collection for agricultural census will be conducted on smart phones and tablets, so that data is available in time. Source : PIB, 28 July 2022

Physiography of Uttar Pradesh