How do farm subsidies impact crop diversity, cropping patterns and agricultural sustainability in India?

Subsidies are indirect and direct incentives given to farmers on food, fuel and fertilisers, costing nearly 2-2.5% of GDP. Impact of subsidies: A Crop Diversity: 1) Subsidies have led to rice-wheat predominance. Eg: Wheat subsidy → 2 major crop cycle in green revolution zone between 2002 and 2020. 2) Reduced the diversity in theory of millets, oilseeds pulses etc. 3) Surplus of rice-wheat. B Cropping Pattern - yearly spatial sequence of crops in a given year. C Agricultural Sustainability: 1) Ground water depletion in Punjab (161/L), Haryana (144/L) → full subsidy → false security. 2) Chemical inputs like fertilisers: 137 mHA from 0.5 MHA 10/W 1997 and 2020, due to 0.57 HDF on fertilisers subsidy. 3) Reduced nutritional security. 4) Salinization and acidification in green revolution areas. Thus, subsidies have increased productivity and farmer's income, but has tested a huge physical or fiscal strain.

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