YUVA - Research Paper

Rethinking India's Cropping
Pattern: A Proposal to
Eliminate Food Scarcity and
Boost Yield
Chirag Bhatia
College of Technology, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture
& Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand
Since the independence, the Indian economy & population have significantly depended
on agriculture. The major concern of the government since that time was to fulfill the
growing population's food demand. India being the 7th largest country in the world with
a population of more than 1.4 crores and the 5th largest GDP in the world, with a
contribution of 67.5% in 1950-51 and more than 22% in the 2000s, agriculture has
always been a prominent contributor to the economy of India. The country's ever-
growing population from 340 million to 1.41 crores today has always demanded a
surplus of food crops, hence giving birth to the Green Revolution.
The Green Revolution comparing the production from 20 million tonnes in 1970 to
more than 100 million tonnes today has been a great achievement in the agricultural
sector.
But the population is still growing and urbanization is at its peak. The HYV(High
Yielding Variety) provides more yield but degrades the land. It has several demerits to
soil and human health.
Impacts of Green Revolution:

1) Significant increase in the use of pesticides, leading India to become the largest
producer of pesticides in Asia.
2) Increased need for water by the HYV variety. India has the highest demand for
freshwater usage globally, and 91% of water is used in the agricultural sector.
3) Air pollution because of the burning of agricultural waste. Due to the short
duration of HYV crops, the natural sowing pattern is being disturbed causing an
increased amount of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane & nitrogen
oxide.
4) The crop cycle and use of high nutrients along with the use of pesticides caused
soil degradation.
Soil as a Resource:
Soil being a vital and non-renewable resource, supporting the growth of plants &
crops and fulfilling the growing population’s food demand needs to be preserved and
kept with care. The increased use of pesticides & insecticides contributes significantly to
soil degradation. Soil degradation in India is estimated to be about 147 million hectares,
including 16 million hectares from acidification. In Punjab, 39% of the cultivated soil is
degraded by excess use of fertilizers and pesticides. According to the reports, the Malwa
region has topped the cancer list. The use of excessive use of pesticides in cotton
production in south-west Punjab is one of the factors.
Noting the above reports, we need to focus on soil health and we must think about a
New Cropping Pattern in India.
The Trend:
India today is just following the trend being established. For example, Rajasthan
has sandy soil which can grow millets and crops like jatropha with the best yield.
However, according to Rajasthan Tourism, the major crop in Rajasthan is wheat. If this
land is utilized in the production of market-valuable crops, we can say that the country
is developing.
But the farmers in our county are a trend follower. Therefore, for the
development of our country and to meet the growing population’s food demand, we
have to qualitize agriculture and demand a New Cropping Pattern.
Introduction to the New Cropping Pattern:
A slight glimpse of the present challenges includes soil degradation, increasing

population, health issues by excess use of pesticides, farmers committing suicides, and
youth showing disinterest in the agriculture sector. All these challenges are focused on
the models considering all aspects.
The basic idea of the new cropping pattern is simply growing the crop that is best
suited to the soil present in a particular region.
We have noticed that agriculture is depending more and more on the trend.
Farmers are following the trend set up by their ancestors years ago. For example, out of
the total cultivated area of 16.5 million ha in Uttar Pradesh, 9.2 million ha is cultivated
by wheat, and in Punjab, 3.19 million ha out of 4.2 million ha total cultivated area is
sown by rice. Also, paddy accounts for 62% of the total production in Tamil Nadu.
However, according to several studies, we see that the sucrose content is higher
in the tropical variety of sugarcane grown in southern India due to the availability of
moisture. Cotton is best cultivated in the black soil, which is significantly present in
Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. But the agricultural sector is following the herd and is
concerned about the trend.
Major Crops Analysis:
 Jatropha:- “Jatropha Curcas – Cultivable hope for future biodiesel hope”.

Several studies by the National Institutes of Health, OSTI.gov, Science.gov,
and Britannica claim Jatropha as an alternative renewable biofuel replacing the
emissions from automobiles and other services. It is considered as an excellent
source of biofuel.
It is best suited to well-aerated sandy-loamy soil, but can also be grown in
wastelands and poorly fertile soils. It is a drought-resistant crop and, hence can
be grown in low rainfall regions also.
Jatropha plantation according to studies can be yielding in states like
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
“Jatropha can lead to fuel independency of the country and become a new
renewable source of fuel”
 Moringa:- “Moringa – The next Superfood”.

All parts of this tree such as – bark. Pods, leaves, nuts, seeds, tubers, roots,
and flowers, all are edible and have several benefits for eradicating malnutrition
and medicinal uses such as treating cancer, edema, asthma, diabetes, fighting
bacterial infections, preventing arthritis, kidney stones, and many countless
benefits.
It requires well-drained, deep sandy-loamy soil and it can withstand low
rainfall and can be cultivated easily. But the production of moringa is limited.
Since COVID-19, the demand for moringa has been on a perpetual rise in the
market.
It can be cultivated in any region but is majorly grown in southern regions
like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
“Moringa can raise the country’s economy because of its market and has
limitless medicinal uses”
 Millets:- “Millets for all ages – Healthy millets, Healthy people”

As proposed in the International Year of Millets 2023, “Let’s embrace
millets and their role in promoting sustainable, resilient and inclusive food
systems.”. it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the multiple benefits of
millet, from nutrition and health to environmental sustainability and economic
development.
Millets, compared to others have high micronutrients profile and are good
sources of iron, zinc, and calcium. These are gluten-free and prevent diabetes.
These are protein-rich and can be used for dual purposes as food as well as
fodder. Millet cultivation also helps to reduce carbon footprints.
Millets can be grown on arid lands with minimal inputs and are resilient to
changes in climate.
“Millets are highly nutrient-based products and can be the next staple food
for the increasing population of the country.”
Implementation of the New Cropping Pattern:
 Role of Government:- Under the Soil Health Card(SHCs) Scheme introduced in

2015, the government of India must conduct soil tests and generate
corresponding SHCs for free. It must be mandatory to conduct the soil test from
village to village.
 Role of Youth:- Here, the youth must work as an organization. This project will
work as an entrepreneurship business.
- The youth will reach out to the farmers in a particular village and will go through
the SHC of that soil.
Let’s assume the soil is black soil and has all the nutrients required for the
growth of cotton, but the village is following the paddy and wheat cultivation as a
trend.
-The youth here must ask the group of farmers to grow crops like cotton and
supply the necessary equipment and assure them regarding the income.
-The firm must buy that crop from the farmer and it should have a direct
connection with the government and should directly sell it to the government.
-The government must use it appropriately for the betterment of the country and
to achieve economic targets through exports.
Solution Summary:
The new cropping pattern is a solution to the following challenges:
 Economic Growth:- The pattern enables farmers to grow valuable, in-demand
crops with high value in the market. The government can purchase these
harvests and export them for maximum economic growth. Since agriculture has
always been a major source of the economy, slight improvements can also lead
to great variation in our economy.
 Soil Conservation:- Since soil is the most dynamic and important natural
resource, its conservation is essential. Our plan focuses majorly on soil health.
If we grow the crops most suitable in that soil according to the SHCs, the
soil is capable of providing the essential nutrients to it. Hence, we don’t need to
add an extra amount of excessive fertilizers as that in most of India. Hence
protecting the 146.8 million ha of the land being degraded according to The
National Bureau of Soil Survey.
 Food Supply:- The ever-increasing population of the country is generating a
never-ending food demand. In order to fulfill this demand, we need more yield
from the same piece of land. In the plan discussed above, if the plant is getting all
the nutrients required for growth naturally, it naturally will bloom and will give
more yield.
Also, in the example of sugarcane discussed above, the sucrose content
enrichment in the southern varieties can help in providing more sugar from the
same piece of land. If we are getting the same yield of sucrose in 80% of that
land, we can use the remaining 20% effectively for other uses.
 Agricultural Income:- Thousands of farmers commit suicide every year and the
data says it maximum in 2004 with a figure of 18,241. All these farmers commit
suicide due to financial losses. The pattern concerns this issue deeply. Hence, the
pattern involves youth as a medium to convince the farmers to grow a particular
crop and will assure them about the purchase of the harvest at great prices
themselves.
This scheme can be an assured to the financial crisis and suicides among
the farmers.
Conclusion:
The new cropping pattern is an approach involving the plantation of crops in the
soil composition in which it is most suitable to thrive. It is a change for the betterment
of the country in all aspects. It conserves the soil, ponders about health, provides more
yield & income, increases the country’s economy, and many more. The only task is the
implementation of the plan with the hand-in-hand support of the government.
The pattern can lead the country to one of the world’s biggest economies. Also,
the production of biofuels and medicinal crops will lead India to great heights in the field
of Science and Technology.
References:
National Institutes of Health

National Council of Educational Research and Training
https://www.forbesindia.com/article/explainers/top-10-largest-economies-in-
theworld/86159/1
https://pib.gov.in
https://nbsslup.icar.gov.in
https://farmech.dac.gov.in/FarmerGuide/UP/index1.html#:~:text=The%20total
%20geographical%20area%20of,68.5%25%20of%20cultivable%20area).
https://soilhealth.dac.gov.in
https://osti.gov
https://Britannica.com
https://static.mygov.in/indiancc/2022/07/mygov-1000000000878888621.pdf

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Rethinking India's Cropping

Impacts of Green Revolution:

Introduction to the New Cropping Pattern:

A slight glimpse of the present challenges includes soil degradation, increasing

Major Crops Analysis:

 Jatropha:- “Jatropha Curcas – Cultivable hope for future biodiesel hope”.

 Moringa:- “Moringa – The next Superfood”.

 Millets:- “Millets for all ages – Healthy millets, Healthy people”

Implementation of the New Cropping Pattern:

 Role of Government:- Under the Soil Health Card(SHCs) Scheme introduced in

National Institutes of Health

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