Micro and Macro-level Analysis of Crop Diversification: Evidence from an Agrarian State West Bengal


Published On: 2020-12-16 08:33:19

Price: ₹ 500



Author: Rukhsana

Author Address: Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Aliah University, Park Circus, Gorachand Road 17 Kolkata-700014 (West Bengal)

Keywords: Agriculture, crop diversification index, household, income, satisfaction index of food

JEL Codes: Q01, Q12, Q50


Abstract

The farming system in West Bengal is being shifted by integration between the set of cash crops and the main food harvest process.

This change in diversified farming systems, where smallholders have a production base in rice can complement production; affect

technical efficiency and farm performance. The goal of this study was to investigate the status of crop diversification on

smallholders in West Bengal. First, crop diversification regions were developed in West Bengal based on the Herfindahl index,

which were categorized into three regions. Three sample districts were studied separately at the block level, and 915 small farmers

from 41 sample villages of 9 sample blocks were interviewed through a good structure questionnaire for field studies from the

sample districts. West Bengal was gradually moving towards multiple crop production. Furthermore, increasing rice production

reduced the marginal use of inputs for the production of other crops. Farming and other vital factors such as HYVs area to GCA,

average holding size and per capita income in some districts of West Bengal can be identified as determinants of crop

diversification.




Description

Indian Journal of Economics and Development
Volume 16 No. 4, 2020, 489-499
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35716/IJED/20037
 Indexed in Clarivate Analytics (ESCI) of WoS
Scopus: Title Accepted 
NAAS Score: 4.82