Trend And Performance Of Agriculture Production In Haryana: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Agriculture held a significant position in Haryana's economic landscape, accounting for approximately 18-20 percent of the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) (PHDCCI, 2019). Moreover, it served as a crucial source of employment for a substantial segment of the population, primarily characterized by its emphasis on achieving high crop yields in staple crops such as wheat and rice. Therefore, the cultivation of labor-intensive high-value crops has the potential to offer stable employment and income to a significant proportion of rural households that experience the serious issues of seasonal unemployment and underemployment within a mono-crop economy (Vaidyanathan, 1986; Chand & Singh, 2023). Haryana also pursued agricultural diversification, with a growing focus on sectors like horticulture and dairy farming (Rakshit, et al., 2021). The main crops grown in Haryana are expanding as a result of increased output levels brought about by the deployment of technology (Ramphul, 2012). Haryana’s main Rabi crops include wheat, tobacco, grams, linseed, rapeseed, and mustard. They are planted in late October or early November and harvested in March and April[1]. 86 percent of the land is arable, and 96 percent is under cultivation. Furthermore, nearly 75 percent of the region is irrigated by a large network of canals and tube Wells (Sharma et. al., 2018). Although one-fifth of the state is rain-fed, it is best suited for growing rapeseed and mustard, pearl millet, cluster beans, agro-forestry, and dry horticulture. Because irrigation is available throughout the bulk of the state, a rice-wheat production system is the most realistic alternative. Agroforestry, dairying, poultry, fishing, desert horticulture, mushroom farming, beekeeping, and other related industries have enormous potential, but they are also dependent on agriculture. A major factor in increasing farmers’ income is agricultural marketing because farmers in Haryana are required to sell their produce on the spot market. Agricultural marketing practices in India are unethical due to unjust rates and a lack of on-the-spot purchases for farmers.