Critically discuss the existing imbalance in the cropping pattern of food grains in India.

Hint Answer: In India, there is an existing imbalance in the cropping pattern of the food grains because a large proportion of the area under food grains is occupied by rice and wheat. Further, there is a gradual shift from non-food grains to food grains.
Reasons of imbalance in Crop Pattern
Prices of food grains have been rising quite fast and the farmers have started growing food crops in the similar way they grow commercial crops like cotton, oil seed crops sugarcane etc.
Cultivation of food grains has become highly remunerative and productive under the influence of new technology and  reasonably high Minimum Support Prices for wheat and rice. There has been a change in the consumption pattern and people have moved from coarse cereals to wheat and rice for their main dietary grain. This is because of the increase in the income of the people and coarse cereals being the inferior goods. [151 words]

Topics: GS-III: Major Crops Cropping Patterns in Various Parts of India