Changing land-use pattern in India: has there been an expansion of fallow lands?

Abstract

This paper examines dynamics of land-use pattern in India with a focus on fallow lands. We find significant changes in the land-use pattern, and a continuous expansion of fallow lands in spite of increasing demand for land for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes. The fallow lands are distributed across the country but have a greater concentration in the states of Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Karnataka. These changes in the temporal and spatial distribution of fallow lands are due to increasing variability in the precipitation and irrigation water, and low level of mechanization. If these lands can be brought under cultivation would enhance agricultural production and food security of the poor and marginal farmers.