Telangana, the 11th largest state in India, has a geographical area of 276.95 lakh acres (112.08 lakh hectares). The land use pattern during 2022-23 is as follows:
- Net Sown Area:61% of the state’s area is under cultivation.
- Forest Cover:70% of the area is covered by forests.
- Land for Non-Agricultural Use: 7.62% is utilized for non-agricultural purposes.
- Fallow Land:78% of the area lies fallow.
- Barren and Uncultivable Land:42% of the land is categorized as barren and uncultivable.
Culturable Waste, Permanent Pastures, and Miscellaneous Tree Crops: 3.87% of the area is under these categories, which are not included in the net sown area.
Landholding Pattern
- According to the 11th Agriculture Census (2021-22), the landholding pattern in Telangana is characterized by a predominance of small and marginal farmers:
Total Operational Holdings: The state has 70.60 lakh operational holdings, covering 63.12 lakh hectares.
Marginal and Small Farmers:
- They constitute 91.4% of all landholdings, with each holding less than 4.94 acres.
- These farmers account for 68.2% (43 lakh hectares) of the total area.
Semi-Medium, Medium, and Large Farmers:
- Semi-Medium Farmers: Hold 7.1% of the landholdings and operate 20.5% of the area.
- Medium Farmers: Hold 1.4% of the landholdings and account for 8.7% of the area.
- Large Farmers: Hold 0.1% of the landholdings and operate 2.6% of the area.
Average Landholding Size: The average landholding size in Telangana has decreased to 0.89 hectares in 2021-22, down from 1.00 hectare in 2015-16, indicating further fragmentation of agricultural land.
Between 2015-16 and 2021-22, Telangana witnessed significant changes in the distribution and number of agricultural holdings:
- Total Number of Holdings: The total number of agricultural holdings increased from 59.48 lakh in 2015-16 to 70.60 lakh in 2021-22. This indicates a notable rise in the number of operational holdings within the state.
Marginal Holdings (Below 2.47 Acres):
- The proportion of marginal holdings rose from 64.6% in 2015-16 to 68.7% in 2021-22. This increase suggests that a growing number of landholders own smaller plots of land, reflecting a trend toward further fragmentation of agricultural land.
Small Holdings (2.48-4.94 Acres):
- The share of small holdings slightly decreased from 23.7% in 2015-16 to 22.7% in 2021-22. While the change is relatively small, it indicates a slight consolidation or reduction in the number of small-sized farms.
Landholding Patterns by Social Group
In Telangana, the distribution of agricultural landholdings among different social groups reveals important insights into land ownership dynamics:
Scheduled Castes (SC):
- SCs own 13.9% of the total landholdings, which cover 9.7% of the total agricultural area.
- Between 2015-16 and 2021-22, the proportion of landholdings owned by SCs increased from 11.8% to 13.9%, indicating a positive trend in land ownership among this group.
Scheduled Tribes (ST):
- STs own 11.8% of the total landholdings, covering 11.9% of the total agricultural area.
- There was a slight decrease in the proportion of landholdings owned by STs, from 12% in 2015-16 to 11.8% in 2021-22.
Others
- The majority of the landholdings, 74.3%, belong to the category labelled “Others,” covering 78.2% of the total agricultural area.
- This category saw a decrease in its share of total landholdings from 76.2% in 2015-16 to 74.3% in 2021-22.
- These changes indicate a slight shift towards more equitable land distribution, though the majority of land still remains with the “Others” category
District-wise Average Landholding Size
The average landholding sizes across different districts in Telangana vary significantly, reflecting the diverse agricultural practices and conditions within the state:
Larger Average Landholdings:
- Adilabad: Average landholding size of 1.5 hectares.
- Kumuram Bheem: Average landholding size of 1.4 hectares.
- Bhadradri: Average landholding size of 1.3 hectares.
- These districts have relatively larger average landholdings, suggesting more extensive agricultural activities, possibly due to factors such as lower population density, different land use practices, or availability of larger contiguous tracts of agricultural land.
Smaller Average Landholdings
- Warangal, Karimnagar, Medak, and Kamareddy: Average landholding sizes range from 0.6 to 0.8 hectares.
- These districts have smaller average landholdings, which may indicate more intensive, small-scale farming practices, higher population density, or different land utilization patterns, such as a focus on high-value crops or intensive farming methods.
Sown Area
- The gross sown area in Telangana saw a significant increase between the agricultural years 2021-22 and 2022-23, reflecting an overall positive trend in agricultural activity.
