Land distribution structure, marginalisation of holdings and dimensions of viability crisis in indian agriculture: A state level analysis

Abstract

The paper analyses the changes in the land distribution structure and marginalisation of holdings between 1982 and 2013 and their implications towards viability of agriculture in sixteen major states of India using NSS data. The three important findings are: first, over the period land distribution has become less skewed in most of the states in terms of decrease in the values of Gini ratio and increase in the concentration of land at the bottom 50 per cent. Second, there is a huge proliferation of holdings up to half an hectare, up to one hectare and up to two hectares resulting into extremely low average size of such holdings. Third, even holdings above two hectares are becoming increasingly non-viable in terms of decrease in the proportion of operated area accounted for by them which, in 2013, was less than 50 per cent in half of the major states. These findings have far reaching implications towards viability of Indian agriculture.