China way ahead of India in agriculture sector

Chine is way ahead of India in the agricultural sphere. The poor average yield of major cereals, pulses and oilseeds has come under the scanner of the Economic Outlook 2007-08 released by the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council on Monday.

Making an observation, the report said the poor agricultural yield of India compared with China was a major source of concern for the country. The report also pointed out that the pace of yield increase over the past decade-and-a-half does not compare favourably with China and some other high-yield major producers.

In terms of fertiliser consumption too, India's usage per acre was pointed out to be half of China's. In terms of aggregate fertiliser consumption, India is one of the largest users of artificial fertilisers. China is the single largest user accounting for 28% of the world's consumption, more than doubling its share of world usage since 2002. India is the third largest user at 11% of the world's usage, but this proportion has doubled from 5% in over 25 years.

"Given that the size of arable land is broadly comparable with that of China, the intensity of usage of chemical fertiliser (per acre) in India does seem to be half that of China, not accounting for differences in cropping pattern, climatic condition, cultural practices and other specificities," said the report.

qPace of yield increase over the past 15 years does not compare favourably with China and some other high-yield major producers
q India is the third largest fertiliser user at 11% of the world's usage, but this proportion has doubled from 5% in over 25 years
In the case of transforming opportunities from the farm sector too, the report pointed out that the proportion of animal husbandry and fishing in the total farm income had increased manifold over the decades, whereas the increase in the proportion of income arriving from the same in India had been by comparison much less.

Drawing a contrast, the report pointed out that in 1980, India's income contribution from animal husbandry and fishing was 23% compared to 17% for China. By 2004-05, the income contribution from the sector in India was 30% compared to 44% for China.

(Financial Express)