Question
Describe the features of small farm size and fragmentation of landholdings in India.
Solution
The features of small farm size and fragmentation of landholdings in India is as described below:
(i)There are a large number of marginal and small farmers in the country. More than 60 percent of the ownership holdings have a size smaller than one (ha). Furthermore, about 40 percent of the farmers have operational holding size smaller than 0.5 hectares (ha).
(ii)The average size of land holding is shrinking further under increasing population pressure. Furthermore, in India, the land holdings are mostly fragmented. There are some states where consolidation of holding has not been carried out even once.
(iii)Even the states where it has been carried out once, second consolidation is required as land holdings have fragmented again in the process of division of land among the owners of next generations. The small size fragmented landholdings are uneconomic.
(i)There are a large number of marginal and small farmers in the country. More than 60 percent of the ownership holdings have a size smaller than one (ha). Furthermore, about 40 percent of the farmers have operational holding size smaller than 0.5 hectares (ha).
(ii)The average size of land holding is shrinking further under increasing population pressure. Furthermore, in India, the land holdings are mostly fragmented. There are some states where consolidation of holding has not been carried out even once.
(iii)Even the states where it has been carried out once, second consolidation is required as land holdings have fragmented again in the process of division of land among the owners of next generations. The small size fragmented landholdings are uneconomic.
