LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIAN AND PAKISTAN PUNJAB V. K. Sharma Sukhpal Singh and Varinder Pal Singh The states of Punjab in both the countries are main contributor to total agricultural production. The climatic conditions, soil texture and cropping pattern are quite similar in both the states, but due to the differences in water resources and tenurial relations, the input use is higher in the agriculture of Indian Punjab. This paper reviews the pattern of land use in both Punjabs and tries to bring out differences in the productivity of all the crops. The paper also brings out the future prospects aimed at land use pattern by examining the past performances for further sustainable development in agricultural sector of both the Punjabs. Introduction Agriculture was the dominant sector of undivided Punjab and is still the most important sector of both the Punjabs. It contributes more than 20 per cent to the net income in both the states. The divided parts of Punjab (Indian and Pakistan) are still performing the same functions of meeting the food requirements of the country as before partition of India, with many differences and some similarities. The major difference is in production efficiencies where Indian Punjab leads. The productivity of wheat in Indian Punjab is one and half times that of Pakistan Punjab. In case of rice, the differences are even more pronounced. The agrarian economies of both the Punjabs suffered a major jolt due to the partition of India. The agricultural sectors of the two Punjabs were set on their own course of development under two different sets of political regime and public policy. With almost similar climatic conditions, quality of land and cropping pattern, it would be quite interesting to see and show how and why the agricultural sector developed over time in the two Punjabs after partition. The higher production efficiency in Indian Punjab seems to have resulted from different agrarian relations and policies of the state. Keeping in view the above situation in the two Punjabs, the present study mainly examines the changes in land use pattern, shift in cropping pattern and the impact of policies on production and productivity of different crops. Pattern of Land Use Land use pattern deals with the process of putting various types of land to optimum use. Table 1 provides a comparative picture of the land utilisation pattern of the two Punjabs. It may be noted that Indian Punjab has only one-fourth the geographical area of Pakistan Punjab, but its total cropped area is about half of the latter. The forest area and the land not available for cultivation, together, is around 16 percent of the total geographical area of both. The real difference is in the (current) fallow and the cultivable waste land. These two together account for nearly 17 per cent of the total geographical area of Pakistan Punjab, while this is negligible in Indian Punjab. Land not available for cultivation was about six times more in Pakistan Punjab (2980 thousand hectares) than Indian Punjab (505 thousand hectares) during 2005-06. The cultivable waste land is 1540 thousand hectares in Pakistan Punjab but this land is negligible (11 thousand ha) in Indian Punjab. The share of fallow land is relatively very high in Pakistan Punjab (1910 thousand hectares) than Indian Punjab (50 thousand hectares). Indian Punjab is comparatively better placed in regard to irrigation; the unirrigated crop land area in Indian Punjab is just 2.4 per cent, against 12.48 per cent in Pakistan Punjab. Net irrigated area is 4060 V.K. Sharma is Farm Economist, Department of Economics & Sociology, PAU, Ludhiana. Sukhpal Singh is Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics & Sociology, PAU, Ludhiana. Varinder Pal Singh is Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics & Sociology, PAU, Ludhiana.
522 JOURNAL OF INDIAN SCHOOL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY JULY-SEPT 2008 thousand hectares in Indian Punjab and 9293 thousand hectares in Pakistan Punjab. The land utilized for crops is different in both the Punjabs, due to greater irrigation leading to greater intensity of cropping in Indian Punjab. The proportion of area under cultivation in Indian Punjab and Pakistan Punjab during 2005-06 was 82.80 per cent and 51.38 per cent, respectively. Table 1. Land Utilization Pattern in Two Punjabs, 2005-06 (Thousand hectares) Parameters Indian Punjab Pakistan Punjab (1) (2) (3) Geographical area 5036 20630 Forests 288 490 Land not available for cultivation 505 2980 Cultivable waste land 11 1540 Fallow land 50 1910 Net Sown area 4170 10600 Area sown more than once 3698 6070 Total cropped area 7868 16670 Net irrigated area 4060 9293 Gross irrigated area 7680 14590 Per cent area irrigated 97.60 87.52 Area under cultivation (net area sown as % of geographical area) 82.80 51.38 Cropping Intensity (%) 189 157 Source: Government of Punjab [2006]; Federal bureau of statistics [2006] Size of Farms and Land Tenure System In the agricultural sector, farm size has become a topic of extreme concern and the same is very important for farm management. All the activities concerned with agriculture depend upon the size of the farm. Table 2A shows the size distribution of farm holdings in the two Punjabs. Total number of farms in Pakistan Punjab (3.864 million) is more than thrice that in Indian Punjab (1.093 Table 2A. Structure of Operational Land Holdings in Two Punjabs, 2005-06 Parameters Indian Punjab Pakistan Punjab (1) (2) (3) Total No. of farms (million) 1.093 3.864 Operational land holding (million) i) < 2 ha 0.387 (36) 2.165 (56) ii) 2 to 5 ha 0.32 (29) 1.134 (29) iii) 5 to 10 ha 0.306 (28) 0.3683 (10) iv) > 10 ha 0.08 (7) 0.1964 (5) Average size of holding (ha) 3.61 2.91 Figures in parentheses are percentages Source: Government of Punjab, India (2006); Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan (2006).
VOL. 20 NO. 3 LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIAN AND PAKISTAN PUNJAB 523 million). The average size of land holding in Indian Punjab is comparatively high: it is 3.61 hectare as against 2.91 hectare in Pakistan Punjab. The small and marginal farms constitute more than half (56 per cent) of the land holdings in Pakistan Punjab, where as it is just about a third (36 per cent) of all holdings in Indian Punjab. Nearly two-thirds of the farms in India Punjab are medium or large in size, where as it is less than half in Pakistan Punjab. The proportion of medium farms (with 2 hectares to 5 hectares) is the same in both Punjabs (29 per cent). On the other hand, the proportion of large farms (5 hectares to 10 hectares) is higher in Indian Punjab (28 per cent) compared to Pakistan Punjab (10 per cent). Similarly, the proportion of very large farms of holding above 10 hectares is higher in Indian Punjab, 7 per cent, as against 5 per cent in Pakistan Punjab. Tenancy relations make significant impact on the pattern of land use in agrarian society. The tenurial relations in the two states are presented in Table 2B. In case of India Punjab, both - the number of owner operated farms and the land area cultivated by them -greatly increased in absolute and relative terms from 1980 to 2007. In percentage terms, the number of owner operated farms increased from 55.0 per cent to 74.64 per cent and the area cultivated by them increased from 60.0 per cent to 78.4 per cent during this period. On the other hand, the number of owner-cum-tenant farmers decreased greatly both in absolute and in relative terms during this period. Whereas the number of owner-cum-tenant farms decreased from 43.5 per cent to 25.36 per cent during this period, the area operated by them decreased from 38.0 per cent to 21.60 per cent during the same period. The purely tenant operated farms decreased from 0.154 lakh (1.5 per cent) operating 83.82 thousand hectares (2.0 per cent) area during 1980 to 0.055 lakh (0.49 per cent) during 1990 operating 1.27 thousand hectares (0.03 per cent), and the same vanished by 2000. We see from Table 2B that in the case of Pakistan Punjab, owner operated farms increased from 55 per cent, operating 52 per cent of the area during 1980 to 78 per cent cultivating 73 per cent area during 2000, and the same decreased from 19 per cent with 26 per cent area to 8 per cent having 15 per cent area in case of owner-cum-tenant farms during the same time period. The tenant operated farms decreased from 26 per cent during 1980 (having 22 per cent area) to 14 per cent during 2000, having 12 per cent area. A major differences in the land tenure systems in the two states is the existence of tenants, with significant portion of the land under tenancy in Pakistan Punjab whereas Indian Punjab it was very small by 2000. The first thing to notice is that the average size of the operational land holding in the Indian Punjab is higher than in Pakistan Punjab - 3.815 ha as against 2.870 ha. The second point to note is that in Indian Punjab the pure owner-cultivators have, on an average, larger operational holdings compared to that of the owner-cum-tenants. This suggests that the owner-cum-tenant farmers are relatively smaller land owners with some land taken on lease from large and/or small land owners. In Pakistan Punjab the picture is very different. Here the average size of the pure owner operated holdings is small (2.686 ha), smaller than even the average size of all total land holdings ((2.870). The owner-cum-tenant holdings are, on an average, twice as large (5.381 ha), while the average size of the land holdings of the pure tenants is the smallest of all (2.460 ha). It suggests that most probably many of the large land owners lease out all or most of their owned land to middle peasants and/or landless peasants. It is appears that a much larger proportion of the total cultivated land is under tenancy in Pakistan Punjab than in Indian Punjab. This could be an important reason why the extent of lift irrigation, the level of fertilizer application and other technological improvements are lower in the Pakistan Punjab than in Indian Punjab.
524 JOURNAL OF INDIAN SCHOOL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY JULY-SEPT 2008 Table 2B. Changing Tenancy Relations in Two Punjabs Tenure of Farms\ 1980 1990 2000 2007 Years Farm Area Farm Area Farm Area Farm Area Holdings (Th. ha) Holdings (Th. ha) Holdings (Th. ha) Holdings (Th. ha) (lakhs) (lakhs) (lakhs) (lakhs) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) Indian Punjab Owner 5.649 2514.6 7.541 2505.07 7.389 2917.63 8.158 3269.2 (55.0) (60.0) (67.49) (59.39) (74.09) (68.65) (74.64) (78.4) Owner cum 4.468 1592.58 3.578 1711.66 2.584 1332.37 2.772 900.72 tenant (43.5) (38.0) (32.02) (40.58) (25.91) (31.35) (25.36) (21.60) Pure tenant 0.154 83.82 0.055 1.27 0 0 0 0 (1.5) (2.0) (0.49) (0.03) Total 10.271 4191 11.174 4218 9.973 4250 10.93 4170 (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) Pakistan Punjab Owner 20.185 5241.6 25.668 7202 29.952 8044.6 NA NA (55) (52) (69) (65) (78) (73) Owner cum 6.973 2620.8 4.464 2105.2 3.072 1653 NA NA tenant (19) (26) (12) (19) (8) (15) Pure tenant 9.542 2217.6 7.068 1772.8 5.376 1322.4 NA NA (26) (22) (19) (16) (14) (12) Total 36.70 10080 37.20 11080 38.40 11020 NA NA (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) (100) Note: Figures in the parentheses are the percentages. Source: Joshi, et al., [2005-06]; Emerging trends in agricultural practices in Pakistan (www.google.com). Shift in Area under Principal Crops Table 3 shows the allocation of cropped area to various crops and changes in area during 1995-2005. In Indian Punjab, due to the impact of green revolution, favouring high yielding varieties and support prices, the maximum area was under wheat and rice crops and it showed an upward trend during the period 1995-2005. The diversity in the cropping patterns of Indian Punjab declined [Johl, 2002; Sidhu and Singh, 2004, Pp. 4132-35] at a much faster rate than in Pakistan Punjab. On the other hand, in Pakistan Punjab, maximum area is under wheat and cotton crops followed by rice.
VOL. 20 NO. 3 LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIAN AND PAKISTAN PUNJAB 525 Table 3. Area Under Principal Crops in Two Punjabs (Thousand hectares) Crop/year Indian Punjab Pakistan Punjab 1995-96 2004-05 1995-96 2004-05 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Rice 2185 (28.32) 2647 (33.33) 1327.8 (8.35) 1754.2 (10.69) Wheat 3221 (41.77) 3481 (43.84) 5973.5 (37.55) 6378.9 (38.87) Maize 171 (2.22) 154 (1.94) 392 (2.46) 475 (2.89) Cotton 742 (9.62) 509 (6.41) 2463.3 (15.48) 2518.3 (15.35) Sugarcane 136 (1.76) 86 (1.08) 605.6 (3.81) 644.6 (3.93) Gram 20 (0.26) 5 (0.06) 896.6 (5.64) 956.4 (5.83) Groundnuts 8 (0.10) 4 (0.05) 86 (0.54) 94.7 (0.58) Rapeseed & Mustard 101 (1.31) 59 (0.74) 157.2 (0.99) 158.3 (0.96) Potato 39 (0.51) 68 (0.86) 63.1 (0.40) 98.8 (0.60) Fruits 84.42 (1.09) 47.09 (0.86) 345.4 (2.17) 377 (2.30) Source: Government of Punjab, India [1996, 2006]; Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan [2006]. Figures in the parentheses are the percentages. Further, the areas under sugarcane, gram, groundnuts and rapeseed & mustard are relatively higher in Pakistan Punjab and witnessed an upward trend, as against declining trend in Indian Punjab. The area under fruits declined during 1995-96 to 2004-05 in Indian Punjab but it increased in Pakistan Punjab. This happened due to massive uprooting of orchards from the periphery of cities due to spectacular increase in land prices during the late 90s in Indian Punjab. The area under maize, sugarcane, gram, groundnut, rapeseed and mustard, and fruits declined in Indian Punjab due to the following reasons i) Maize: less profitable compared to paddy, lack of assured market due to ineffective minimum support price (MSP), lower yield and mostly grown on poor soils of sub mountainous zone. As irrigation expanded, area under maize declined and was transferred to rice, ii) Sugarcane: lower price; being an annual crop Being an annual crop leads to poor cash flow to the farmers during the year; payment problems with sugar mills; on the other hand, wheat+ paddy during the year gives higher return. iii) Gram: being an unirrigated crop, as irrigation expanded, the area was transferred to wheat; the crop suffers from yield uncertainty and uncertain marketing, iv) Oilseeds like groundnut, rapeseed and mustard: wheat replaced these due to its greater profitability, stable yields and assured markets. v) Fruits: prices crash in years of glut in production. The area under grape, which is a perishable crop, declined; the newly developed variety of grape was having seeds and sour to taste and only suitable for processing for which adequate infrastructure could not be built up. In Indian Punjab, maximum area was under wheat (43.84%) followed by rice (33.33%) and cotton (6.41%) during 2004-05. The area under rice and wheat has shown an upward trend while that under cotton has shown a downward trend during 1995-2005. The area under sugarcane, gram, groundnuts, rapeseed and mustard and
526 JOURNAL OF INDIAN SCHOOL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY JULY-SEPT 2008 fruits is meagre in Indian Punjab and has shown a declining trend over the period. In Pakistan Punjab, maximum area is under wheat and cotton followed by rice. The area under wheat increased marginally (from 37.55 per cent to 38.87 per cent) during 1995-2005. The area under cotton has almost stagnated over the period. The area under rice increased from 8.35 per cent to 10.69 per cent over the period. Similarly, area under sugarcane, gram, groundnuts, rapeseed and mustards and fruits increased slightly during the same time period. Role of Irrigation The expansion of irrigated area played a major role in the development of agricultural sector in Indian Punjab. Irrigation is complementary to the other inputs, e.g., high yielding varieties of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc., in boosting agricultural production. Table 4A shows the irrigated area by different sources in the two Punjabs. It may be noted from this table that proportion of the irrigated area to total cropped area increased from 95.12 per cent to 97.6 per cent during 1995-96 to 2005-06 in Indian Punjab while it increased from 85.23 per cent to 87.52 per cent in Pakistan Punjab. The area under irrigation increased by 5.4 per cent in Indian Punjab whereas it increased by 7.6 per cent in Pakistan Punjab during this period. The area irrigated by tube well irrigation increased by 27.64 per cent in Indian Punjab while in Pakistan Punjab it increased by 14.61 per cent during this period. The share of tube well irrigation has increased from 59.27 per cent to 71.77 per cent in Indian Punjab during 1995-96 to 2004-051 but in Pakistan Punjab, it increased from 18.14 per cent to 19.33 per cent during the same time period. A major proportion of the total cropped area in Pakistan Punjab is irrigated by canals and tube wells together i.e. 48.52 per cent during 1995-96 which increased to 52.84 per cent during 2005-06. There are two reasons for higher use of ground water in Indian Punjab. The first reason is: easily available ground water and the second one is the presence of huge subsidies on electricity for tube wells in Indian Punjab [Bhullar & Sidhu, 2006, Pp. 5353-57]. Owing to free electricity to agriculture in the state, the over exploitation of water resources particularly for rice cultivation resulted in lowering of ground water table by 30 cm every year. It is declining in 77 per cent of Table 4A. Irrigated Area by Different Sources in Two Punjabs. (Thousand hectares) Year Canals Tube wells Both canal and Other sources Total Percent area tube wells* irrigated (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) Indian Punjab 1995-96 1561 (40.52) 2283 (59.27) - 8 (0.21) 3852 (100) 95.12 2005-06 1138 (28.03) 2914 (71.77) - 8 (0.20) 4060 (100) 97.6 Pakistan Punjab 1995-96 2682 (31.05) 1567 (18.14) 4191 (48.52) 197 (2.29) 8637 (100) 85.23 2005-06 2325 (25.02) 1796 (19.33) 4911 (52.84) 261 (2.81) 9293 (100) 87.52 Figures in parentheses are percentages. Source: Government of Punjab [1996, 2006]; Federal bureau of statistics [2006]. * Data regarding area irrigated by both canal and tube wells together are separately not available for Indian Punjab, although it is merged in their respective areas under canals and tube wells.
VOL. 20 NO. 3 LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIAN AND PAKISTAN PUNJAB 527 the total area in the Indian Punjab. A critical water table depth of below 10 meters has been reached in 28 per cent area of the state [Johl, 2003]. Due to larger irrigated area in Indian Punjab (97.6 %), the consumption of other inputs like fertilisers and chemicals is comparatively high which may have led to higher productivity of crops in Indian Punjab. However, one should also recognize the possibility that the wasteful and excessive use of ground water particularly for rice in Indian Punjab due to free electric power is unlikely to lead to better yield, due to spoilage of the land. It is very important to examine the crop-wise irrigation scenario to understand the role of irrigation on input use and productivity. Table 4B shows that except rice and sugarcane, the area under irrigation among other crops is higher in Indian Punjab than its counterpart. In case of rice, the irrigated area (above 99 per cent) is about the same in the two states, whereas in case of sugarcane, irrigated area was slightly higher in Pakistan Punjab (96.83 per cent versus 94.65 per cent). In case of wheat, irrigated area was 97.81 per cent in Indian Punjab compared to 87 per cent in Pakistan Punjab. These figures for maize were 70.26 per cent and 53 per cent respectively in the two states. Irrigation scene in both the states shows that Indian Punjab had an edge over Pakistan. Table 4B. Crop Wise Irrigated Area in Two Punjabs, 2004-05 (Thousand hectares) Crop/Year Indian Punjab Pakistan Punjab Irrigated Un-irrigated Irrigated Un-irrigated (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Rice 2639.9 (99.73) 7.1 1750 (99.76) 4.2 Wheat 3404.8 (97.81) 76.2 5549.6 (87) 829.3 Maize 108.2 (70.26) 45.8 251.8 (53) 223.2 Cotton 506 (99.41) 3 2140 (84.98) 378.3 Sugarcane 81.4 (94.65) 4.6 624.17 (96.83) 20.43 Gram 3.1 (62.0) 1.9 259 (27.08) 697.4 Groundnuts 3.1 (77.5) 0.9 55 (58.08) 39.7 Rapeseed & mustard 42 (71.19) 17 96 (60.64) 62.3 Potato 66 (97.06) 2 94.21 (95.35) 4.59 Source: Government of Punjab, India (2006), Pakistan Agricultural Census (www.google.com). Punjab in terms of irrigated area under different crops particularly wheat, maize, cotton and gram, which led to an increase in chemical fertiliser consumption and higher productivity. The very low ground water table is the reason for more un-irrigated area in Pakistan Punjab. Consumption of Chemical Fertilisers The use of chemical fertilisers played a key role in boosting the agricultural production in both the Punjabs. The utilisation pattern of consumption of chemical fertilisers in the agriculture of both the Punjabs is shown in table
528 JOURNAL OF INDIAN SCHOOL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY JULY-SEPT 2008 5A. In Indian Punjab, per farm consumption of chemical fertilisers increased from 591.21 kg/ha to 773.55 kg/ha during 1995-96 to 2005-06 while this figure increased from 335.90 to 466.44 kg/ha in Pakistan Punjab during the same time period. Category-wise, the consumption of nitrogen and phosphate has increased in both Punjabs during 1995-96 to 2005-06 but consumption of potassic fertilisers has almost stagnated in Pakistan Punjab Table 5A. Consumption of Chemical Fertilisers in the Two Punjabs Indian Punjab (Kg nutrient /ha) Indian Punjab (Kg nutrient /farm) Year Nitrogen Phosphate Potassic Total Nitrogen Phosphate Potassic Total (N) (P2 O5) (K2 O) (N) (P2 O5) (K2 O) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) 1995-96 132.26 29.43 2.08 163.77 477.46 106.24 7.51 591.21 2005-06 159.38 46.90 8.00 214.28 575.36 169.31 28.88 773.55 Pakistan Punjab (Kg nutrient /ha) Pakistan Punjab (Kg nutrient /farm) 1995-96 90.83 23.38 1.22 115.43 264.32 68.04 3.55 335.90 2005-06 122.92 36.23 1.14 160.29 357.70 105.43 3.32 466.44 Source: Government of Punjab, India [1996, 2006]; Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan [2006] and considerably increased in Indian Punjab during same time period. The consumption of fertilisers on per hectare basis was higher in Indian Punjab than its counterpart. On the basis of total cropped area, the consumption of chemical fertilisers increased from 163.77 Kg/ha in 1995-96 to 214.28 Kg/hain 2005-06. The same has increased from 115.43 Kg/ha to 160.29 Kg/ha in Pakistan Punjab during the above period. The better way to compare per hectare input is to take the irrigated crop area than the total crop area. While some fertiliser application in unirrigated crop land is possible, it would be very small at best. So, the proper thing is to use the total irrigated crop area as the denominator. As stated above, the proportion of the irrigated area to total cropped area increased from 95.12 per cent to 97.6 per cent during 1995-96 to 2005-06 in Indian Punjab while this figure increased from 85.23 per cent to 87.52 per cent during the same period for Pakistan Punjab. Using these proportions, it can be easily seen that even on the basis of irrigated area, the consumption of chemical fertilisers in Indian Punjab increased from 172.17 Kg/ha in 1995-96 to 219.55 Kg/ha in 2005-06. The same has increased from 135.43 Kg/ha to 183.15 Kg/ha in Pakistan Punjab during the above period. The reasons for lower use of fertilisers in Pakistan Punjab were: larger area under cotton and basmati rice which were less fertiliser demanding; inadequate supply of fertilisers and lesser fertiliser subsidies than in Indian Punjab [Sidhu & Bhullar, 2005, Pp. 5620-27]. In addition, the poorer irrigation sources themselves are likely to favour less water using crops like cotton than paddy, which simply can not be grown in both Punjabs without heavy irrigation. The poorer irrigation facility in Pakistan Punjab may also be due to the differences in tenancy conditions in the two countries, referred to earlier. Due to the lesser use of fertilisers in Pakistan Punjab agriculture, the productivity of almost all the crops is lower than that of Indian Punjab. Thus, in order to increase the productivity of crops, the availability of water and use of fertilisers shall have to be
VOL. 20 NO. 3 LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIAN AND PAKISTAN PUNJAB 529 enhanced in Pakistan Punjab. How far that would be limited by the prevailing tenancy conditions in that country is of course a moot question. Table 5B depicts the crop-wise use of chemical fertilisers in irrigated as well as un-irrigated areas in both the states. It is seen from the table that the crop-wise use of chemical fertilisers was higher in Indian Punjab among all the crops except cotton crop. Table 5B. Crop-wise Consumption of Chemical Fertilisers in Irrigated as well Un-irrigated Areas in Two Punjabs, 2004-05 (Kg nutrients/hectare) Crop/Year Indian Punjab Pakistan Punjab Irrigated Area Un-irrigated Overall Irrigated Area Un-irrigated Overall Area Area (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) Rice 171.58 94.25 171.37 108.11 54.00 107.98 Wheat 224.36 122.00 222.12 154.05 73.20 143.54 Maize 50.17 23.18 42.14 57.28 25.00 42.12 Cotton 76.49 43.48 76.29 173.37 90.70 160.95 Sugarcane 216.74 109.73 211.02 125.07 60.27 123.02 Gram 24.53 13.13 20.20 28.92 14.03 18.04 Groundnuts 66.19 34.22 59.00 57.50 30.12 46.02 Rapeseed & mustard 97.38 46.29 82.66 81.62 42.03 66.04 Source: Joshi et al., [2005-06]; Commission for agricultural costs and prices (CACP) India [2004-05]; Pakistan Agricultural Census (www.google.com). Again if we have a close look at the crop-wise fertiliser use in irrigated and un-irrigated areas, fertiliser use is higher in Indian Punjab than in Pakistan Punjab in both types of land, except for cotton crop. In fact, there are only four crops in which the use of plant nutrients is significantly different in the two Punjabs - rice, wheat, cotton and sugarcane. Only in case of cotton, is it higher in Pakistan Punjab; in the other three crops it is much higher in Indian Punjab. In Pakistan Punjab, the fertilizers are usually applied to cotton crop through broadcast method. In Indian Punjab, drill method of fertilizer application is mostly adopted which results in better placement of the fertilizer granules in the soil near the roots of the plants. That may be the reason for higher use of fertilizer on cotton crop in Pakistan Punjab. Besides this, the soils of Pakistan Punjab are poor compared to Indian Punjab which necessitates application of more fertilizers to sustain the crop production. Further, there is no recommended variety of cotton in Pakistan Punjab and no package of practice is strictly being followed by the farmers. In both the states, the use of fertiliser in un-irrigated crops is about half that in irrigated crops, since fertiliser is responsive to water application. Status of Farm Mechanisation Farm mechanisation brought a significant improvement in agricultural productivity, through timeliness of farm operations, better quality and precision of operations and higher intensity of cropping. Status of farm mechanisation in the two Punjabs has been shown in Table 6. Despite having only half of Pakistan Punjab s total cropped area, the number of farm machines is greater in Indian Punjab. The number
530 JOURNAL OF INDIAN SCHOOL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY JULY-SEPT 2008 of almost all farm machinery is higher in Indian Punjab. The average size of land holding in Indian Punjab is of course greater. And, the extent of tenancy in Indian Punjab much less, which would facilitate greater mechanisation. The number of electric tube wells is also higher in Indian Punjab, while diesel tube wells are more in Pakistan Punjab. However, the total number of tube wells is higher in Indian Punjab and the reason for this is subsidy on installation of tube well. However, greater intensity of agricultural machinery, especially tractors has resulted into high fixed costs, therefore cutting down the profits in Indian Punjab [Sidhu & Johl, 2002]. Table 6. Mechanisation in the Two Punjabs, 2005-06 Parameters Indian Punjab Pakistan Punjab (1) (2) (3) (Number) Tractors 407,000 352,000 Tillers 300,000 297,000 Disk harrows 310,000 15,200 Seed drills 210,000 63,000 Sprayers 575,000 19,850 Combine harvesters (tractor drawn) 5500 - Combine harvesters (self propelled) 3250 2000 Threshers 350,000 106,700 Tube wells (Electric) 881,000 79,700 Tube wells (Diesel) 1,75,000 717,231 Source: Government of Punjab, India [2006], Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan [2006]. Production and Support Prices of Principal Crops The key difference between the two Punjabs lies in productivities. The production performance of principal crops in the two Punjabs are given in Table 7A. The production of rice increased rapidly in both Punjabs during 1995-2005 and is about three times more in Indian Table 7A. Production of Principal Crops in the Two Punjabs (Thousand metric tonnes) Crop/year Indian Punjab Pakistan Punjab 1995-96 2004-05 1995-96 2004-05 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Rice 6843 10437 1803 2980 Wheat 12510 14695 12430 17375 Maize 307 442 671.3 1935 Cotton 328 355 1483 1896 Sugarcane 6190 5120 26880 33048 Gram 18 4 538 761 Groundnuts 7 4 86 59 Rapeseed& Mustard 112 61 148.6 143 Potato 778 1400 852 1850 Fruits 761 680 3459 4197 Source: Government of Punjab, India [1996, 2006]; Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan [2006]
VOL. 20 NO. 3 LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIAN AND PAKISTAN PUNJAB 531 Punjab. There is not much difference in wheat production in the two Punjabs and it also increased during 1995-2005. The production of sugarcane, gram, groundnuts and rapeseed and mustard declined in Indian Punjab, but increased in Pakistan Punjab during the period. This was probably due to the decline in area under these crops in Indian Punjab and rise in area in Pakistan Punjab. However, despite considerable decline in area under fruits in Indian Punjab, fruit production did not decline much, due to the improved fruit yield per hectare [Govt. of Punjab, 2006]. Similarly, the production of potato also significantly increased during the period in both the Punjabs. Table 7B. Support Price of Principal Crops in the Two Punjabs (in Indian Rupees/quintal) Crop/year Indian Punjab Pakistan Punjab 2002-03 2003-04 2005-06 2002-03 2003-04 2005-06 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) Rice 560 580 600 423 457 567 Wheat 620 630 650 619 650 785 Cotton 1875 1925 1980 1651 1710 1846 Sugarcane 69.5 73 79.5 86.7 86 85 Maize 485 505 540 949 1000 1140 Source: Government of Punjab, India [2006]; Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan [2006]. Table 7B presents the support prices of principal crops in the two Punjabs. The prices of rice and cotton remained relatively higher in Indian Punjab and sugarcane prices were relatively higher in Pakistan Punjab. The support price of wheat increased sharply in Pakistan Punjab compared to Indian Punjab during the period 2002-2006. The price of maize was almost double in Pakistan Punjab. Productivity of Principal Crops The productivity of principal crops of the two Punjabs is given in Table 8. The yield of rice in Indian Punjab, remained more than double than that of Pakistan Punjab during the period. It has shown considerable upward trend in both the Punjabs, i.e., from 3132 kg/ha to 3943 kg/ha in Indian Punjab and from 1358 kg/ha to 1699 kg/ha in Pakistan Punjab during the same period. Similarly, wheat yield is about one and half times that of Pakistan Punjab in Indian Punjab; it has also shown an upward trend during the period. The yield of maize improved in both Punjabs, but at a much higher rate in Pakistan Punjab. The yields of cotton and sugarcane increased in both the Punjabs. But yields of groundnuts, rapeseed and mustard declined in both Punjabs; only gram yield increased in Pakistan Punjab. Yield of potatoes is more in Indian Punjab, but it stagnated during 1995-96 to 2004-05 against an increase in potato yield in Pakistan Punjab. The yield per hectare of fruits has shown a significant improvement during the period 1995-2005 in Indian Punjab, but it increased only marginally in Pakistan Punjab. In case of wheat and rice, the main factors responsible for higher productivity in Indian Punjab are government policies: mainly, effective minimum support prices, subsidised inputs and to some extent research and extension support to the farmers.
532 JOURNAL OF INDIAN SCHOOL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY JULY-SEPT 2008 Table 8. Productivity of Principal Crops in Two Punjab Crop/year Indian Punjab Pakistan Punjab (Kg/ha) 1995-96 2004-05 1995-96 2004-05 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Rice 3132 3943 1358 1699 Wheat 3884 4221 2081 2724 Maize 1793 2738 1713 4073 Cotton 442 697 602 753 Sugarcane 45500 59520 40000 51000 Gram 891 869 599 795 Groundnuts 935 842 1000 618 Rapeseed & Mustard 1108 1032 945 900 Potato 20042 20180 13496 18723 Fruits 9010 14431 10016 11132 Source: Government of Punjab, India [1996, 2006]; Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan [2006]. Juxtaposing relative support prices (admittedly an inadequate proxy for actual relative prices), areas under crops, proportion of irrigated area under each crop, fertilizer consumption, productivities and the rates of increase in productivities of five most important crops in Indian and Pakistan Punjab in Table 9, we can see the effect of support prices on area, fertilizer consumption, productivity of these crops. For cotton, for which the relative support price was much higher in Pakistan Punjab compared to Indian Punjab, the fertilizer consumption and yields per hectare are much higher in Pakistan Punjab compared to Indian Punjab, even though the proportion of irrigated area under cotton was smaller in the former. The use of fertilizers per hectare was more than double in Pakistan Punjab than its counterpart. While this shows up in greater yield of cotton in Pakistan Punjab, the difference in yields is not very great, nor has the yield of cotton in Pakistan Punjab increased as fast as in Indian Punjab. This is possibly the result of the inefficient (broadcast) method of application of fertilisers to cotton crop in Pakistan Punjab compared to that in Indian Punjab (drill method), and the other reasons mentioned earlier in the context of the discussion of the consumption of chemical fertilisers. In the case of maize, fertilizer use was same in both the states and the proportion of irrigated area is much smaller in Pakistan Punjab. What can then explain the higher productivity of maize and the much faster rise in it in Pakistan Punjab? These can not be attributed to higher support price, which can explain the much larger acreage (both irrigated and unirrigated) under maize in Pakistan Punjab, but not the higher yields. Indian Punjab is divided into three agro-climatic zones namely sub montaneous zone (maize-wheat zone), central plain zone (paddy-wheat zone) and south-western zone (cotton-wheat zone). The sub mountainous zone, comprising 9% of the cropped area of the Punjab state, is the maize grown area in which 60-70 per cent area is under this crop alone in the Kharif season. The productivity of maize crop is lower as the land is having undulating topography and quality of the soils of this zone is poor which is deficient in essential nutrients. The good quality soils in Indian Punjab (central zone and south-western zone) are put on use for cultivation of more profitable crops like paddy, cotton, vegetables etc. That may be the obvious reason for poor productivity of maize in Indian Punjab. For sugarcane, for which the
Table 9. Relative Support Prices, Area, Fertiliser Consumption and Productivity of Selected Crops in Indian and Pakistan Punjab Crop/Year Crop-wise Consumption of Chemical Fertilisers Area Under Proportion of for Total Cropped Area Productivities Percentage Increase Relative Support Prices Principal Crops Irrigated Area (kg. nutrients/hectare) kg./hectare from 1995-96 to 2004-05 Indian Pakistan Indian Pakistan Indian Pakistan Indian Pakistan Indian Pakistan Indian Pakistan Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab Punjab 2003-04 2003-04 2004-05 2004-05 2004-05 2004-05 2004-05 2004-05 2004-05 2004-05 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) Rice 1.00 1.00 2647 1754.2 0.9973 0.9976 171.37 107.98 3943 1699 25.89 25.11 (33.33) (10.69) Wheat 1.09 1.42 3481 6378.9 0.9781 0.8700 222.12 143.54 4221 2724 8.68 30.90 (43.84) (38.87) Cotton 3.32 3.74 509 2518.3 0.9939 0.8498 76.29 160.95 697 753 57.69 25.08 (6.41) (15.35) Sugarcane 0.13 0.19 86 644.5 0.9465 0.9684 211.02 123.02 59520 51000 30.81 27.50 (1.08) (3.93) Maize 0.87 2.19 154 475 0.7025 0.5304 42.14 42.12 2738 4073 52.70 137.77 (1.94) (2.89)
534 JOURNAL OF INDIAN SCHOOL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY JULY-SEPT 2008 relative support price was only a little higher in Pakistan Punjab, while the proportion of irrigated area is higher, the fertilizer consumption is much lower leading to a smaller yield. For wheat, even though the relative support price is significantly higher in Pakistan Punjab, the proportion of irrigated area, fertilizer consumption, and yield all are considerably lower, though the wheat yield in Pakistan Punjab also has increased much more rapidly than in Indian Punjab. Why is this so? The total area under irrigation increased by 5.4 per cent in Indian Punjab whereas it increased by 7.6 per cent in Pakistan Punjab during the period from 1995-96 to 2005-06. The area irrigated by tube well irrigation increased by 27.64 per cent in Indian Punjab while in Pakistan Punjab it increased by 14.61 per cent during this period. Indian Punjab has more lift irrigation compared to Pakistan Punjab, 2 which depends to a greater extent on canal or flow irrigation, the supply of water through which is less assured. There is no electricity subsidy in Pakistan Punjab. In Indian Punjab, the electricity is totally free for the crop farming. The Punjab Government provides electricity subsidy of about Rs 2600 crore annually to the farmers of the state. The fast development of tube well irrigation in Indian Punjab is due to electricity subsidy and relatively easily available and better quality ground water. Similarly, the subsidy is also the key factor which affects the fertilizer consumption level in both the states. The fertilisers are highly subsidized in Indian Punjab compared to Pakistan Punjab. This may be the obvious reason for the higher use of fertilizers in Indian Punjab. Also a much larger proportion of the total cultivated land is under tenancy farming system in Pakistan Punjab which has constrained the spread of irrigation, particularly lift irrigation, and fertilizer consumption in Pakistan Punjab. The support price of rice was much lower in Pakistan Punjab compared to that in Indian Punjab in 2002-03, probably resulting in lower fertilizer consumption and yield. In regard to rice, it is also necessary to further examine the varietal differences between the two states. About 84 per cent rice area of Pakistan Punjab is under basmati rice cultivation. That is why the average yield of rice is lower in Pakistan Punjab as basmati is having lower yields but fetches better price than ordinary rice. In Indian Punjab, the percentage area under basmati rice is much less which is only about 23 per cent and hence the yield of rice is more. Generally, the yield level of general varieties of paddy is almost double than that of the Basmati varieties. Conclusions The land of Pakistan is said to be the land of small and marginal farmers; the number and proportion of these farmers is higher than that of Indian Punjab. Contrary to the general perception, the average size of farm in Pakistan Punjab is smaller than that of Indian Punjab. It is 3.61 hectares in Indian Punjab against 2.91 hectares in Pakistan Punjab. The number of owner-cultivated farms and owner-cum-tenant operated farms is high in Indian Punjab. Pure tenancy is prevalent in Pakistan Punjab only; This has vanished in Indian Punjab. In Indian Punjab, major proportion of area is under wheat (43.84 per cent) and rice (33.33 per cent) and in Pakistan Punjab, major proportion of area is under wheat (38.87 per cent), cotton (15.35 per cent) and rice (10.69 per cent). The total production of rice in Indian Punjab is more than three times that of Pakistan Punjab and that of wheat one and half times. Similarly, productivity of rice is more than double in Indian Punjab and that of wheat is one and half times that of Pakistan Punjab. The differences in water resources and tenurial relations, the input use, particularly fertilisers, is quite high in the agriculture of Indian Punjab. The use of fertilisers, and machinery is relatively higher in
VOL. 20 NO. 3 LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIAN AND PAKISTAN PUNJAB 535 Indian Punjab, leading to greater productivity of almost all crops. The expansion of tube well irrigation, mainly due to free power in Indian Punjab is at the root of greater use of water and fertiliser and greater area under rice, at the cost of most other crops, except wheat. The irrigation expansion in Pakistan Punjab is most likely inhibited by the extensive tenancy in the region. In a nutshell, it can be concluded that the productivity of all the crops except cotton and maize, was higher in Indian Punjab than Pakistan Punjab. The main reasons for this higher productivity are higher irrigation and higher doses of fertilisers in Indian Punjab. Moreover, the effective price policy and subsidised irrigation and fertiliser are major determinants for enhancing production and productivity of crops in Indian Punjab. NOTES 1. [Editor s Note: This may be true. But the way the data couldbe presented, it does not automatically follow. Thesharp decline in the area under canal irrigation does not and can not be interpreted to mean that the farm area served by canals has declined. The way the canal-cum-lift area is calculated might explain this. If a larger part of the water is coming from lifts then the area under canal may show a decline, if the area is calculated in proportion to the water from either source. If it is equally divided between the two sources, in the absence of proportion of water data, then a smaller expansion of tube well irrigation relatively to canal irrigated area may also show up in a decline in area under canal. In the absence of full information on the processes of calculation, there is some ambiguity on this point.] 2 Subject to the reservation pointed out in the Editor s Note to Table 4A. REFERENCES Bhullar, A. S. and R. S. Sidhu, 2006; Integrated Land and Water Use: A Case Study of Punjab, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 41, No. 52. Commission for Agricultural Costs And Prices (CACP) India, 2004-05; Report on Cost of Cultivation of Principal Crops, Government of India, New Delhi. Federal Bureau of Statistics, 2006; Pakistan Statistical Year Book, Pakistan. Government of Punjab, 1996, 2006; Statistical Abstracts of Punjab, Economic and Statistical Organisation, Chandigarh. Johl, S. S., 2002; Agricultural Production Pattern Adjustment Programme In Punjab For Productivity And Growth, Expert Committee Report, Government of Punjab. Joshi, A. S., Sukhpal Singh, V.K. Sharma and H.S. Kingra, 2005-06, A Study into the Economics of Farming and the Pattern of Income and Expenditure Distribution in the Punjab Agriculture. A Project Report, Department of Economics and Sociology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Sidhu, R. S. and A. S. Bhullar, 2005; Patterns and Determinants of Agricultural Growth in the Two Punjab s, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 40, No. 53. Sidhu, R. S. and S. S. Johl, 2002; Three Decades of Intensive Agriculture in Punjab; Socio Economic and Environmental Consequences in S. S. Johl Ray, Future of Punjab Agriculture, Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development, Chandigarh. Sidhu, R. S. and Sukhpal Singh, 2004; Agricultural Wages and Employment in Punjab, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 39, No. 37. www.google.com: Emerging Trends in Agricultural Practices in Pakistan. www.google.com: Pakistan Agricultural Census.