India's agriculture is
composed of many crops, with the foremost food staples being rice and wheat.
Indian farmers also grow pulses, potatoes, sugarcane, oilseeds, and such
non-food items as cotton, tea, coffee, rubber, and jute (a
glossy fiber used to make burlap and twine). India is a fisheries giant as
well. A total catch of about 3 million metric tons annually ranks India among
the world's top 10 fishing nations. Despite the overwhelming size of the
agricultural sector, however, yields per hectare of crops in India are generally low
compared to international standards. Improper water management is another
problem affecting India's agriculture. At a time of increasing water shortages
and environmental crises, for example, the rice crop in India is allocated
disproportionately high amounts of water. One result of the inefficient use of
water is that water tables in regions of rice cultivation, such as Punjab, are
on the rise, while soil
fertility is on the
decline. Aggravating the agricultural situation is an ongoing Asian drought and
inclement weather. Although during 2000-01 a monsoon with average rainfall had been expected,
prospects of agricultural
production during
that period were not considered bright. This has partially been due to
relatively unfavorable distribution of rainfall, leading to floods in certain
parts of the country and droughts in some others.
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