Research on World Agricultural Economy

This study looks into the spatial disparities in food production, landholding structure, agricultural resources, irrigation infrastructure, fertilizer and energy use, and allied sector performance across the 13 undivided districts of Andhra Pradesh during Triennium Ending (TE) 2021–22. The central objective is to identify which districts are best positioned to sustain and expand the state’s food production up to 2047—marking 100 years of Indian Independence—and to understand the structural constraints that shape regional agricultural potential. The analysis shows that agriculture and allied sectors contribute between 23% and 36% of GVA in nine of the thirteen districts; the coastal belt—East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Nellore—forms the core food-producing region of the state. All these districts reap the benefits of the Krishna–Godavari canal systems, high irrigation intensity (70–90%), relatively balanced fertilizer use, mechanization, and strong diversification into aquaculture. Fisheries have emerged as major economic drivers in East and West Godavari, especially vannamei shrimp farming, contributing over 70% of Andhra Pradesh’s aquaculture output. In sharp contrast, the Rayalaseema districts of Ananthapuramu, Kurnool and YSR Kadapa depend heavily on livestock due to semi-arid conditions and unstable crop yields, with animal husbandry contributing 25–35% of agricultural GVO. The landholding pattern indicates sharp structural inequalities: even as 75–88% of the holdings belong to marginal farmers, a lion’s share of the operated land remains concentrated among medium and large farmers, particularly in Chittoor, Guntur and West Godavari. Gini coefficients range from 0.38 for Ananthapuramu to 0.48 for Nellore, indicating persistent inequality that limits broad-based growth. Even the cropping pattern exhibits clear spatial differentiation: though paddy remains dominant in the coastal districts, millets and pulses are the dominant crops in the uplands but contribute little to total output. All in all, the findings suggest three critical factors which would determine whether Andhra Pradesh will be able to meet its food production requirements by 2047: irrigation intensity and water infrastructure, which continue to favour coastal districts; consolidation of landholdings and productivity enhancement of smallholders, which assumes significance for improving yields in high-inequality regions; and the expanding contribution of allied sectors, particularly fisheries and livestock, which increasingly supplement and stabilize the state’s food system.