Madhya Pradesh: Agriculture and animal husbandry

The state's agriculture department calls agriculture the backbone of Madhya Pradesh's economy: about 72 per cent of the population lives in rural areas, and most holdings are small or marginal. The state ranks first in India in the production of maize, linseed, summer moong and sesame, and second in soybean, gram, wheat, urad and lentil.

Land and farmers

• Geographical area (agriculture department): 307.56 lakh hectares, 9.38 percent of India's land area; the state is the second largest by area.
• About 155.45 lakh hectares are cultivable.
• Madhya Pradesh ranks fifth in the country in population; about 72 per cent of people live in rural areas.
• The department gives the population shares of SC as 15.6 per cent and ST as 21.1 per cent, with very small holdings.
• Small farmers (1 to 2 hectares) are 27.24 per cent; marginal farmers (up to 1 hectare) are 48.3 per cent.
• Based on its diverse climate, the state has 11 climatic zones and 5 crop areas.

Crops and seasons

• As per the final estimates for 2024-25, Kharif crops cover about 144.04 lakh hectares and Rabi crops about 136.50 lakh hectares.
• Cropping intensity: 193.68 percent.
• Soybean is the most extensively sown Kharif crop, at present on about 58.72 lakh hectares. Other Kharif crops: paddy, maize, arhar, moong, urad, jowar, bajra, kodo, kutki, sesame and cotton.
• Rabi crops: wheat, gram, pea, lentil, mustard, sugarcane and linseed; wheat occupies the largest area, and its productivity has risen significantly.
• Cotton and sugarcane are important cash crops; the state portal also lists oil seeds.
• Mandsaur is the largest opium producing district in the country.

National ranks in production

• First: maize, linseed, summer moong (zaid) and sesame.
• Second: soybean, gram, wheat, urad and lentil.
• Third: ramtil (niger seed).
• The state portal's industry page says the state is in first position in pulses, producing 25% of India's pulses.

Irrigation

• Total irrigated area from government and private sources: about 181.47 lakh hectares.
• Irrigation depends mostly on the Narmada, Chambal, Tapti, Betwa, Sone, Shipra, Kali Sindh and Tava rivers.
• The department promotes drip and sprinkler irrigation to save water and distribute it equally.

Department's methods for higher income

• Custom hiring or subsidised purchase of farm equipment.
• Sowing certified seed of improved varieties on 10% of the farm each year to produce the next year's seed.
• "Shri" method for paddy, "Ridge & Faro" or "Raised bed" for soybean and "Dharwad Method" for tur, with inter-cropping.
• Organic pesticides from indigenous materials and integrated pest and disease control.
• Selling at the best price using e-marketing information.
• Extra income from horticulture, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries and sericulture, and value addition through food processing.

Allied bodies

• M.P. State Agricultural Marketing (Mandi) Board, M.P. State Seed & Farm Development Corporation, M.P. State Seed Certification Agency, M.P. State Organic Certification Agency and the Directorate of Agricultural Engineering, all at Bhopal.
• State Institute of Agricultural Extension and Training (SIAET), Barkhedikalan, Bhopal.

Education and research

• Agricultural universities: Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (JNKVV), Jabalpur, and Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Agricultural University (RVSKVV), Gwalior.
• Agricultural colleges: Jabalpur, Gwalior, Sehore, Rewa, Indore and Khandwa; Horticulture College at Mandsaur; Agriculture Engineering College at Jabalpur.
• Zonal research stations: Chhindwara, Rewa, Jabalpur, Tikamgarh, Morena, Jhabua, Khargone, Indore and Powark (Hoshangabad).
• Regional research stations: Sagar, Gwalior, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Khandwa, Dindori and Waraseoni.
• ICAR office: Bhopal (Nabibagh).
• Horticulture training centres: Pachmarhi, Govindgarh (Rewa) and Indore.
• The state lists 308 nurseries and farms, including 254 nurseries, 45 station gardens and 9 vegetable seed farms.