essay on rainfed farming

Rainfed agriculture is a type of farming that relies on rainfall for water. It provides much of the food consumed by poor communities in developing countries. Out of 143 m ha cultivated land about 43 m ha are under irrigation and the rest of the...

Rainwater management in-situ, as well as runoff water harvesting and reprocessing, is critical for long-term rainfed farming sustainability. Effective use of land, water, and farm management strategies in an integrative manner are intended to make rainfed farming more productive, affordable, and ecological.

Rainfed farming covers most of the world’s cropland (80%) and produces most of the world’s cereal grains (more than 60%), generat- ing livelihoods in rural areas and producing food for cities.

Rainfed agriculture constitutes 80% of global agriculture, and plays a critical role in achieving global food security. However, growing world population, water scarcity, and climate change threaten rainfed farming through increased vulnerability to droughts and other extreme weather events.

Apart from water, upgrading rainfed agriculture requires investments in soil, crop, and farm management and improved infrastructure, markets, and better and more equitable access to and security over land and water resources.

Here, four categories of rainfed farming systems are distinguished: high-latitude rainfed systems with cold winters; mid-latitude rainfed systems with mild winters; subtropical and tropical rainfed highland farm systems; and semi-arid tropical and subtropical farming systems.

Rainfed agriculture is a type of farming that relies on rainfall for water. It provides much of the food consumed by poor communities in developing countries.

Rainfed agriculture will continue to play a dominant role in providing food and generating livelihoods, particularly in poor countries. The global hotspots in terms of water, food and livelihoods are in the dryland regions; i.e., the savannah and steppe regions.

The importance of rainfed agriculture varies regionally, but it produces most food for poor communities in developing countries. The proportion of rainfed agriculture is 95% in SSA, 90% in Latin America, 60% in SA, 65% in East Asia, and 75% in Near East and North Africa (FAO, 2003).

Rainfed agriculture is practiced in 52% of net cultivated area in India and contributes to about 40% of country’s food production, thus important for country’s food security and economy. Climate change impacts are evident in rainfed agriculture in India.