LEGAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECT OF LAND FRAGMENTATION IN

INDIA

A number of non-contiguous owned or leased farms of land are farmed as a single production
unit is called land fragmentation exists. Land fragmentation has been a prominent feature in
many countries since at least the 17th century. The existence of fragmented landholdings is
regarded an important feature of less developed agricultural systems. It can be a major
obstacle to agricultural development, because it hinders agricultural mechanization, causes
inefficiencies in production, and involves large cost to alleviate its effects. In view of these
considerations, numerous land consolidation and land reform policies have been implemented
to reduce fragmentation.
Land is a finite, non-reproducible consumption resource held as a source of livelihood and a
financial security transferred as wealth across generations. It is the primary source of
livelihood of a majority of people. The relationship between land and the people is profound.
Peoples standard of living, wealth, social status and aspirations are all closely linked to land.
However, the ownership of land is decreasing rapidly.
Land fragmentation is a state of division of holdings into discrete parcels that are dispersed
over a wide area and usually farmed as single units. It occurs in two parallel directions:
vertical sub-division and horizontal dispersion. The former process leads to gradual reduction
in the size of holdings; the distance between farmsteads, where farm households are located
and agricultural inputs are stored, and land parcels gradually increases due to the latter
process. When landholdings and land parcels are fragmented, they get gradually smaller and
disperse widely. Land fragmentation at the household level depends on external policy and
market factors, agro-ecological conditions, and farm household characteristics. The resulting
level of fragmentation, together with external factors, agro- ecological conditions and farm
characteristics, affects agricultural production. In this study, we consider land fragmentation
as a phenomenon existing in farm management. It exists when a household operates a number
of owned or rented non-contiguous plots at the same time.

NAME- DESH DEEPAK SHEKHAWAT

ROLL NO. - 2015030