Agricultural Growth and Productivity in Maharashtra—Trends and Determinants

Maharashtra is an important state of India so far as its contribution to the agriculture development of the country is concerned. During the last four decades the agricultural sector of Maharashtra has undergone lots of changes. Though agricultural performance improved during the last forty years its progress was not sustained and showed wide fluctuations. In fact the important characteristics of Maharashtra agriculture are the instability in crop production and significant regional variations in the performance of agriculture in the state. The recent farmer suicides in Vidarbha and Marathawada have once again highlighted regional disparity in Maharashtra. The agrarian crisis in Vidarbha has spun almost out of control. There are a number of factors which limit the growth of agriculture over the years in the state. It is therefore necessary to look into the factors affecting agricultural growth.