How Efficiently is Chemical Fertilizer Used in Indian Agriculture? Challenges and Alternatives

Abhijit Ghosh and Saurav Kumar Dey
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Abhijit Ghosh: Abhijit Ghosh is Assistant Professor of Economics, Division of Economics, A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna, Bihar, India. E-mail: abhijitghosh2007@rediffmail.com
Saurav Kumar Dey: Saurav Kumar Dey is Officer on Special Duty (CSR), West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation Limited, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. E-mail: sauravkdey@gmail.com

Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, 2014, vol. 3, issue 3, 403-426

Abstract: Chemical fertilizer is one of the main inputs in Indian agriculture. The objective of the article is to study the efficiency of chemical fertilizer use in India over five decades (1962–65 to 2003–06). This period extends from the pre-green revolution to the post-reform era. Chemical fertilizer use is not uniform and efficient throughout the Indian states. For the purposes of this study, the districts of four states, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and West Bengal, have been selected, representing the southern, western, northern and eastern regions, respectively. Data envelopment analysis technique is used to gauge the input-oriented technical efficiency. The results show that there is substantial scope for reducing the use of fertilizer.

Keywords: Indian agriculture; chemical fertilizer; environment; efficiency; data envelopment analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:agspub:v:3:y:2014:i:3:p:403-426

DOI: 10.1177/2277976014560948

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