NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over the sustainability of small farms, Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh on Saturday said 91 per cent of the total farm holding would belong to small and marginal farmers by 2030.
According to the Agriculture Census, the total number of operational holdings in India numbered 138.35 million with an average size of 1.15 hectares. Of the total holdings, 85 per cent are in marginal and small farm categories of less than 2 hectares, Singh said.
"These small farms, though operating only on 44 per cent of land under cultivation, are the main providers of food and nutritional security to the nation, but have limited access to technology, inputs, credit, capital and markets," Singh said.
He was speaking at the national convention on challenges in agriculture and future strategies for sustainability at Jabalpur.
Singh said though small and marginal farmers have higher productivity compared with large-sized holdings, they have low marketable surplus and profit.
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