The Changing Agricultural Demography of India

Abstract

The demography of Indian agriculture is changing fast. There are clear signs of people fast moving out of agriculture, especially in the form of rural youth practicing farming part-time and ageing of the farmer population in several pockets of the country. Given the current growth performance of Indian economy, such changes in agriculture are only expected to intensify. What would Indian agriculture look like in 2025/2050? Who will stay and who will move on? In an attempt to answer these questions, this article takes a look at one of the leading indicators and important demographic trends in Indian agriculture, that is, withdrawal of rural youth from farming, covering 14 locations in 13 states across the country.