Agriculture and Allied Sectors

6.1–6.3 Role and dependence

• Agriculture and allied activities produce a smaller share of output than of jobs.
• About 47% of Telangana's workers were in agriculture in 2022-23, though the sector produced about 17% of the State's value added.

6.2 Crops and allied sectors

• The sector has four parts: crops, livestock, forestry and fishing.
• In 2025-26, livestock was the largest part, ahead of crops.

6.4 Land holdings

• Most farms are marginal or small: about 91% of operational holdings were below 2 hectares in 2021-22.
• The average holding shrank from 1.00 ha (2015-16) to 0.89 ha (2021-22).

6.5–6.6 Cropping pattern and crops

• Rice rose from about a quarter to about half of the gross cropped area between 2014-15 and 2022-23.
• Cotton stays the main commercial crop; pulses and oilseeds lost area share.

6.7–6.8 Diversification and productivity

• Livestock, dairy, poultry and fisheries spread income risk beyond crops.
• Rice output grew mainly through more area, while pulses and coarse cereals grew through higher yield.

6.9–6.10 Change, challenges and development

• Key challenges are small farms, crop concentration, low output per worker and weather risk.
• Development needs workers to move to higher-productivity jobs and agriculture itself to become more productive.