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Agriculture of Maharashtra, Development, Agricultural Schemes

Agriculture of Maharashtra is the main occupation and mainstay in the state. Get details of the Agriculture of Maharashtra, its development, and govt schemes.
authorImagePriyanka Gupta31 May, 2024
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Agriculture of Maharashtra

Agriculture of Maharashtra: Maharashtra's primary industry is agriculture. It is what most people do for a living. Approximately 82% of people living in rural areas rely on agriculture for their livelihood. In the state, both cash and food crops are farmed. Mangoes, grapes, bananas, oranges, wheat, rice, jawar, bajra, and pulses are the main food crops grown in Maharashtra. Cash crops include tobacco, sugarcane, turmeric, cotton, and groundnuts.

Most of the state's rainfall falls in the Konkan and the hilly Sahyadri regions. The state has tropical weather. This subject is related to geography, and the MPSC Exam has previously included numerous questions on it. It is crucial to approach this subject matter from an exam perspective.

Agriculture of Maharashtra

Agriculture of Maharashtra: The state has tropical weather, with the Konkan and the hilly Sahyadri region receiving the majority of the state's rainfall. Every region has a different pattern of rain. Sporadic rains are experienced in Central Maharashtra. Roughly one-third of the region has little rainfall, chronic water scarcity, and drought. According to the Maharashtra State Agriculture Portal, 24% of the nation is affected by drought in this state. According to statistics, the state's ninety-nine talukas are impacted by drought on a chronic basis. Due to the region's topography and geology, groundwater resources are scarce. In groundwater-rich areas, excessive groundwater extraction has been noted, with a focus on cash crops including sugarcane, bananas, grapes, and oranges.

Agriculture of Maharashtra Rainfall Pattern

The rainfall patterns in Maharashtra differ from area to area which facilitates the Agriculture of Maharashtra. Central Maharashtra experiences sporadic rainfall. A third or so of the area experiences minimal precipitation, making it perpetually arid and devoid of water. As per the Maharashtra Agricultural Portal, twenty-four percent of India's land is susceptible to drought. Furthermore, the growth rate in agriculture has increased to 1.97%. In an effort to make farming more accessible, the interest rate on loans was reduced to 6%. Reliance on precipitation is a grave concern. The Central Government has approved a plan to assist farmers who are under stress due to the drought circumstances. The Vidarbha region's six districts have been covered by this package, while other areas have been covered by similar plans.

Agriculture of Maharashtra Development

The Agriculture of Maharashtra has developed rapidly throughout the years, and to assist its farmers, Maharashtra is the first state to implement "Dry Land Farming Technology." In addition to being given better short-duration yield seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, and other agricultural supplies, farmers are also receiving training in novel farming methods such as pond irrigation, micro irrigation, intercropping, double cropping, etc. The large yields are proof positive of this technology transfer from the "Agricultural Universities" to the farmers.
  • The goal of Maharashtra, being the first state to adopt "Dry Land Farming Technology," is to assist its farmers.
  • Along with improved short-duration yield seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, and other farming supplies, farmers receive instruction in cutting-edge agricultural techniques like micro irrigation, pond irrigation, double cropping, and intercropping.
  • The high yields demonstrate that farmers have received technology transfer from "Agricultural University".
  • The state leads the country in drip irrigation, with over 60% of its land under this system. It was a pioneer in cooperative water user associations. In order to enhance agricultural productivity in arid regions, effective rainfall collecting and soil preservation techniques are implemented.
  • To take advantage of these benefits, Maharashtra has been focusing more on high-value horticulture than staple crops.
  • Vegetable and fruit growing has taken over large swaths of the state, greatly increasing revenue and opening up new export markets.
  • Agri-export zones have been set up to market the produce.
  • Over the past few years, Maharashtra has overtaken other states as the leading producer of onions (63%), bananas (75%), tomatoes (42%), mandarin oranges (75%), pomegranates, and seedless grapes (78%). Because it has over 150 productive cooperative sugar mills, the state leads the industry in sugar production.

Agriculture of Maharashtra Schemes

The farming industry faces numerous challenges. Floods can occasionally wipe out Maharashtra state's agricultural output, even after a sizable amount of cultivation has been completed. Maharashtra's agriculture is experiencing a drought due to the availability of water. In order to prevent hardship for farmers involved in agricultural activity, the state government of Maharashtra has launched many agriculture-related programs. Below is a discussion of a few of them.

1. The Sanjivani Yojana by Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi

The union and state governments have started a number of initiatives to support farmers. The Maharashtra government has introduced the "Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjeevani Yojana" for farmers. Through this program, the Maharashtra government will assist farmers in areas that are susceptible to drought to eradicate it and enable farmers to harvest good and healthy crops on their farms without any problems. The Maharashtra government's Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Yojana is a part of Krishi Vibhag.

2. The Shetkari Sanman Yojana of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Among the most ambitious programs the Maharashtra government unveiled for the state's agricultural sector in 2017 was this one. Under this recently launched initiative, the state government plans to provide each farmer with a debt relief of Rs 1.5 lakh. Furthermore, the government has made it abundantly evident that any farmer who has regularly repaid their loans would also be qualified for a return benefit, which would be equivalent to roughly 25% of the loan amount.

3. Ambedkar Babasaheb Yojana Krishi Swavalamban

The purpose of the Scheduled Caste Upyojana (Special Component Scheme) was to improve the standard of living and income of the Scheduled Caste neo-Buddhist farmers. It debuted on April 27, 2016.

4. The Tyala Shettale Yojana

The Magel Tyala Shettale Yojana is another significant program pertaining to agriculture in the state of Maharashtra. This plan offers a sustainable irrigation system. Solapur is a district that is prone to drought. The district receives inadequate rainfall because of its plateau terrain, comparatively small amount of forest area, and open, desolate scenery. To address this issue, the Maharashtra government introduced the 'Magel Ayah Shettale' plan in February 2016.

5. Chief Minister Program for Food Processing and Agriculture

The Maharashtra state government introduced this program to increase the potential of the untapped food processing industry. A scheme to support the processing industry is the Chief Minister's Agriculture and Food Processing Scheme. Mango, onion, legumes and oilseeds, grape, orange, pomegranate, cashew, strawberry, tomato, sugarcane, dairy, fishery, and poultry husbandry are among the foods that Maharashtra is well-known for processing on a vast scale. By decree of the government, starting with the 2017–18 fiscal year, the 'Chief Minister Agriculture and Food Processing Scheme' will be in effect for the following five years.

Agriculture of Maharashtra FAQs

Q1. What is the agricultural productivity of Maharashtra?

Ans. Maharashtra is a major producer of Jowar and Arhar, contributing 46.09 and 29.11 %, respectively, to the total production of India. It is the second largest producer of Cotton (22.21%), Soybean (28.14%), and total cereals (13.56%) in the country.

Q2. What is the problem of Agriculture in the state of Maharashtra?

Ans. Some problems are lack of marketing facilities, the impact of climate change, adverse crop patterns, and excessive use of chemical fertilizer.

Q3. What is the main crop of Maharashtra?

Ans. The main crops of Maharashtra include rice, jowar, bajra, wheat, tur, mung, urad, gram, and other pulses.

Q4. What type of agriculture is there in Maharashtra?

Ans. In Maharashtra, both the traditional and modern type of agriculture is practised. Apart from this, cash crops are also cultivated on a large scale.
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