Nine states account for 78% of country’s cropped area

Nine states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and West Bengal together account for about 78 per cent of the gross cropped area in the country, which stood at 193.76 million hectare, as per Agriculture Census 2010-11.

All India level, during 2010-11, the proportion of net irrigated area to net area sown was 45.70 per cent, as per the survey results released by the department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers welfare.

The total number of operational holdings were estimated as 138.35 million while the total operated area stood at 159.59 million hectare.

The average size of the holding has been estimated as 1.15 hectare, the survey said, adding that the average size of holdings has shown a steady declining trend over various Agriculture Censuses since, 1970-71.

Small and marginal holdings accounted for 48.16 per cent of the total 64.57 million hectares of net irrigated area while semi-medium and medium holdings accounted for 43.77 per cent and large holdings 8.07 per cent.

Among various sources of irrigation, tube-wells was main source of irrigation followed by canals.

Cropping intensity as per Agriculture Census 2010-11 works out to 1.37.

For 96.95 per cent of operational holdings, entire operated area was located within the village of residence.

The concept of agricultural operational holdings does not include those holdings which are not operating any agricultural land and are engaged exclusively in livestock, poultry and fishing etc.

On the basis of operated area, operational holdings in Agriculture Census are categorised as: marginal holdings (below 1.00 hectare), small holdings (1.00 – 2.00 hectares), semi-medium holdings (2.00 – 4.00 hectares), medium holdings (4.00 – 10.00 hectares) and large holdings (10.00 hectares and above).

Agriculture Census in India is conducted at five yearly intervals for collection of information about structural aspects of agricultural holdings in the country.