What is net sown area (NSA)?
Net sown area (NSA) is the total area of land that is sown with crops and orchards in a particular year. It is calculated by counting the area of land that is sown once, even if the same land is sown more than once in the same year. For example, if a field is sown with wheat in the spring and then with rice in the fall, it would only be counted once in the NSA calculation.
The NSA is an important indicator of agricultural production potential. It is used to calculate the gross cropped area (GCA), which is the total area of land that is sown with crops and orchards, regardless of whether it is sown once or more than once in a year. The GCA is also used to calculate the cropping intensity, which is the average number of crops that are grown on a piece of land in a year.
The NSA is affected by a number of factors, including:
* **Climate:** The NSA is higher in areas with a favorable climate for agriculture.
* **Soil:** The NSA is higher in areas with fertile soil.
* **Water availability:** The NSA is higher in areas with reliable water sources.
* **Government policies:** Government policies, such as subsidies for agricultural inputs, can also affect the NSA.