Annual Report 2009-2010 - Department of Agriculture & Co-operation

Annual Report 2009-2010
106
21.5 During 2008-09, the All India Report on
Agriculture Census 2000-01 was published, and
is available on http://agcensus.nic.in. The salient
points brought out in the report are:
A consistent trend of increase in the number
of operational holdings since the launch of
the first Agricultural Census in 1970-71 with
operational holdings increasing up to 119.9
million during 2000-01 from 115.6 million in
1995-96.
A marginal decline in the operated area to
159.4 million hectares in 2000-2001, from
163.3 million hectares in 1995-96.
A further reduction of the average size of
holdings to 1.33 hectares in 2000-01, from
1.41 hectares in 1995-96.
21.6 The All India Report on Input Survey 2001-
02 has been published, and the data has been
made available on www.agcensus.nic.in. The
salient features brought out in this report are:
The inclusion, for the first time, of data on
the educational qualifications of operational
holders, which showed that marginal holders
had the highest percentage (63.5 per cent)
of illiterates, followed by small, semimedium,
medium and large holders.
91.6 per cent of irrigated area was treated
with different chemical fertilizers while 53.5
per cent was the corresponding figure for the
un-irrigated area. Similarly, 24.6 per cent of
irrigated area was treated with farmyard
manure, against the corresponding figure of
32.6 per cent for the un-irrigated area.
44 per cent of irrigated area was treated with
pesticides, as against 22.9 per cent in unirrigated
areas.
Certified seeds were more popular than other
seed varieties (notified, hybrid) across
different size groups of holdings.
20.2 per cent of operational holders availed
of institutional credit for agricultural purposes
(14 for marginal, 27.7 for small, 31.6 for semimedium,
33.1 for medium, and 29.4 for large).
21.7 Achievements during 2009-10:
The field work of Agriculture Census 2005-
06 and Input Survey 2006-07 has been
completed in all the States / UTs except Bihar,
Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Delhi and Gujarat.
Data entry, validation / error correction and
generation of tables of Agriculture Census
2005-06 / Input Survey 2006-07 is in progress.
The data on number and area of operational
holdings for Agriculture Census 2005-06 has
been finalised in respect of 18 states / UTs
and the same is in an advanced stage for four
states. In the remaining states / UTs,
finalization of data is in progress. In the states
of Maharashtra and Jharkhand, field work has
not yet started.
The work of Agriculture Census 2010-11 and
Input Survey 2011-12 has been initiated.
21.8 The Agriculture Census scheme was
converted from a Centrally Sponsored Scheme
to a Central Sector Scheme in 2007-08.
Therefore, 100 per cent financial assistance is
now given to states and UTs for payment of
salaries, office expenses, honoraria, tabulation
costs and printing of schedules, etc.
21.9 Gender-Based Information in Agriculture
Census: On the recommendation of the Central
Statistical Organisation (CSO), the Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation, New
Delhi, the collection of gender-based data was
introduced for the first time in Agriculture Census
1995-96. Since then, data on this aspect has been
collected in successive censuses, namely, 2000-
01 and 2005-06. The scope of data collection has
been restricted to the number of operational
holdings and the corresponding operated area
by different size classes of holdings, social
groups, gender (male and female), and types of
holdings (individual, joint, and institutional). The
collected information indicates the participation
of women in the operation and management of
agricultural holdings in the country.