Now Reading: India’s cultivable land shrinks, crop area climbs
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India’s cultivable land shrinks, crop area climbs
India's total cultivable land has declined for three straight years, the government told Rajya Sabha. It fell from 179.98 million hectares (mh) in 2022-23 to 179.43 mh in 2024-25, according to the…
The Story in Brief
India's total cultivable land has declined for three straight years, the government told Rajya Sabha. It fell from 179.98 million hectares (mh) in 2022-23 to 179.43 mh in 2024-25, according to the Land Use Statistics 2024-25 cited by Union Minister Ramnath Thakur. Yet the gross cropped area jumped from 198.28 mh in 2014-15 to 225.19 mh in 2024-25, driven by a rise in cropping intensity from 142.2% to 159.7%, meaning the same land is being used more often through multiple crops. Foodgrain production also rose to 376.56 mt (advance estimate for 2025-26) from 252.02 mt in 2014-15.
Separately, the minister said makhana production in 2025-26 reached 80,590 tonnes, with Bihar leading at 60,000 tonnes. A new high-yield variety, Swarna Vaidehi, gives 28-30 quintals per hectare, nearly double the conventional yield.
The Indian Opinion
The ministry points to rising cropping intensity to argue that land loss is no worry. But the numbers deserve scrutiny: the total cultivated area can rise only if farmers grow two or three crops on the same plot each year. That demands water, credit, and stable markets, all of which remain uneven across states. Will the current cropping-intensity growth of 1.5 percentage points a year be enough to make up for the steady erosion of farmland? The real test is whether double-cropping can keep expanding without draining aquifers.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
