Trends of Major Cereal Productivity in South Asia

The trend analysis in the time series of crop production is an important tool to make future plans and to take the appropriate decisions for sustainability in food production and future food security. The objective of this study was to assess the trend analysis of the yield of five different major kinds of cereal (paddy, maize, millet, wheat, and barley) from 1985 to 2018 in six South Asian countries (Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh). The average annual yields of cereals in five quadrennial drought years (1985, 1989, 1993, 1997, and 2002) were estimated. The results revealed that the yield of major cereals had an increasing trend over the study period. The reasons for the fluctuations in the production were due to the changing climates, increasing global warming, the development of new hybrids and cultivars, the adoption of new practices by the farmers, economic constraints, and agronomic constraints. For improving the production of cereal crops, the use of modern technology should be increased, and the agricultural organizations should provide full support at the country level.