From plate to plough:Agri-contribution to GSDP declines by half in 10-years 

Srinagar:  In a worrying slide, Jammu and Kashmir’s agriculture contribution to Gross State Domestic Production has declined by half in a decade from 28.16 % in 2004-05 to 15.89% in 2015-16, the state government revealed on Tuesday.  

Agriculture plays a very prominent role for development of state’s economy as around 70% of the population resides in the rural areas and directly or indirectly depend upon the sector for their livelihood and employability.  “It is a matter of serious concern that the contribution of Agriculture and allied sectors to the Gross State Domestic Production has been steadily declining over the past decades. More recently, it has declined from 28.16 % in 2004-05 to 15.89% in 2015-16,” the state government said through the address of governor to joint session of the state legislature. 

The government claims to vigilant to the decline. In a bid to revive the agriculture sector, it said steps were being taken to double the farmers’ income by 2022 in line with the national targets.  “Besides, farmers are being given remunerative prices for their produce. Also, steps are afoot to arrange for an appropriate insurance coverage for their crops,” it said. However, ground realities ate contrary to claims. 

The government has utterly failed to arrest conversion of the arable land amid growing urbanization as result of which the food dependence of state continues to grow with imports rising to 50% in 2015-16 compared to 2002-03. 

According to the economic survey report, the import of food grains has increase from 503 thousand metric tonnes in 2002-03 to 755.85 thousand MTs in 2015-16. 

While the import has registered a regular increasing trend since 2012-03, in last few years it hovered around 750 thousand MTs.

During the year 2013-14, the report says, the import of foodgrains was 756.80 thousand MTs, same as previous year. In 2015-16, the import was recorded at 755.85 thousand MTs, the report says.  

In 1950-51, the food deficit was just 32 percent, which later fell to 23 percent in 1980-81 as a result of advancement in agriculture. 

The highest deficit, as per the survey, was in 2011-12 with imports increasing to 908.22 thousand MTs—20% more than previous year (2010-11).

“The local production of foodgrains in the State does not keep pace with the requirement, as the agriculture sector faces challenges on various fronts,” the report says. 

On the supply side, it says, the yield of principal crops—rice, maize, and wheat, was “not significantly improving” over the years. 

“More or less stagnant trend in the yield rates of these crops has been experienced. Moreover, the scope for increasing net area sown, is very limited and the land holding is shrinking due to continuous breakdown of joint family system, growing urbanization and population explosion,” it says.

 The deficit is met by imports for meeting commitments under Targeted Public Distribution System, other welfare schemes and emergency relief measures, it says. “Import of food grains, thus helps in augmenting supplies, maintaining food security and buffer stock and ensuring price stability,” the report says.  

According to the official record, the area under paddy cultivation was 1,58,000 hectare in 2012, shrinking to 1,41,000 hectare in 2015-16.

It also reveals that the arable land in the state has shrunk from 0.14 hectare per-person in 1981 to 0.08 hectare per-person in 2001 and further to 0.06 hectare per-person in 2012.

The survey also highlights declining interest in agriculture as other major threat. Referring to survey by National Sample Survey Office (2005), 41% of farmers in India wanted to leave agriculture if any other option was available. “Census 2011 reveals that J&K has 5.66 lakh cultivators for whom farming is their main occupation and this number has scaled down from 9.49 lakh in 2001,” it says.

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