ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the national- and state-level changes and emerging regional patterns in area, production and yield of food grains and crops. Agriculture in India, despite the slow growth, has had significant advancements in the Post-Independence era. When India is compared with other countries in the Indian sub-continent, the statistics show signs of rapid growth and numerous episodes of productivity gains. Gross Cropped Area increased from 168 million ha during the Green Revolution to 190 million ha in the Post-Liberalisation phase. Agriculture growth is represented through three key parameters, including area, production and yield. Relative performance of production growth is calculated by the Incremental Input-Output Ratio, which is the change in agricultural output per unit of change in inputs. High physiographical diversity and agro-ecological conditions in India make a regional approach imperative to understand inter-state and inter-district variations in agriculture practices and cultivation regimes.
