Crop Diversification as a Measure of Sustainable Agriculture and Production Growth

Abstract

The agriculture in West Bengal is mainly of intensive subsistence nature. There is a predominance of single cropping of rice from the distant past. The rural, as well as urban people of West Bengal, are totally dependent on agriculture and allied industries for their livelihood. Thus, it is very interesting to know the degree of crop diversification so far achieved in the rural areas of West Bengal, as the sustainable income and employment of people are largely dependent on the nature and degree of diversification of crops. Crop diversification generally means, raising varieties of crops in a given area in one cropping season. Thus, the sustainability of agriculture in any area mainly depends on the degree of crop diversification in that area. Therefore, to acquire knowledge about the crop diversification and production growth in rural West Bengal two typically agricultural districts have been taken into account for the present study, namely, Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur. About 80–90% population of both the districts are directly or indirectly engaged in agricultural activities. The present chapter tries to study the pattern of crop diversification and growth in agricultural production during the period 2000–2001 and 2014–2015. The variation in crop diversification is a response to the fast-changing physical and socio-cultural conditions which helps in attaining agricultural sustainability. The index of crop diversification has been employed by using the Gibbs-Martin Index of Crop Diversification (1962). The study highlights that there has been a shift in the cropping behaviour from cereals towards non-foodgrain crops, and the production of major crops has also increased manifolds in both districts.

Appendixes

1.1 Appendix A: Block-Wise Index of Crop Diversification (ICD) and Production of Major Crops in Uttar Dinajpur District, 2000–2001

Blocks	ICD	Rice		Wheat	Potato	Masur	Maskalai	Khesari	Till	Mustard	Linseed	Gram	Jute
Chopra	0.67	A	24,760	4730	1750	NA	100	NA	3840	390	1570	NA	12,780
		P	44,090	9250	31,820	NA	40	NA	1850	320	350	NA	66,100
Islampur	0.61	A	23,965	3120	950	5	130	5	2080	2580	240	20	8230
		P	48,365	5740	23,390	5	60	5	1260	2230	60	10	53,710
Goalpokhar-I	0.51	A	30,095	4290	570	5	150	NA	1020	3510	5	NA	4700
		P	57,705	8300	12,950	5	60	NA	720	2840	5	NA	42,580
Goalpokhar-II	0.63	A	19,945	3730	1020	30	820	NA	80	3310	350	70	5770
		P	48,625	7990	22,990	10	340	NA	30	2430	110	30	47,920
Karandighi	0.28	A	49,445	1940	110	50	NA	NA	NA	5140	80	NA	2030
		P	128,235	5050	2090	40	NA	NA	NA	4530	20	NA	19,910
Raiganj	0.57	A	45,210	6880	280	210	70	90	NA	8860	520	240	10,100
		P	123,470	21,160	6990	210	40	100	NA	6460	270	110	97,600
Hemtabad	0.55	A	17,965	4420	480	130	280	5	NA	2100	170	70	2430
		P	42,135	9640	7570	60	340	5	NA	1580	70	30	21,620
Kaliaganj	0.39	A	34,520	2700	350	50	20	5	NA	2940	150	50	3950
		P	53,700	4580	5930	20	10	5	NA	1740	40	20	25,860
Itahar	0.59	A	37,340	5700	1230	1190	60	5	NA	5500	5	1240	9010
		P	82,290	14,530	19,640	530	20	5	NA	4890	5	570	82,170

1. A Area (in Hectare), P Production (in Tonnes)
2. Source: ICD Calculated by the researcher on the basis of Gibbs-Martin Index from Statistical Handbook of Uttar Dinajpur, 2000–2001

1.2 Appendix B: Block-Wise Index of Crop Diversification (ICD) and Production of Major Crops in Uttar Dinajpur District, 2014–2015

Blocks	ICD	Rice		Wheat	Potato	Masur	Maskalai	Till	Mustard	Gram	Jute	Maize	Sugarcane
Chopra	0.64	A	11,891	3067	684	NA	24	341	916	NA	3806	682	NA
		P	45,946	7788	24,709	NA	17	245	574	NA	50,848	1193	NA
Islampur	0.70	A	15,935	2260	2730	NA	45	338	4177	20	4885	1603	NA
		P	51,669	3921	96,453	NA	33	193	1728	19	68,927	4077	NA
Goalpokhar-I	0.68	A	25,667	5380	1480	24	446	412	6296	NA	5351	4456	2
		P	105,901	9938	32,756	18	322	236	3089	NA	79,409	11,334	214
Goalpokhar-II	0.56	A	21,618	5109	859	NA	NA	NA	3612	NA	3126	NA	NA
		P	100,505	11,216	35,335	NA	NA	NA	2072	NA	58,144	NA	NA
Karandighi	0.57	A	32,709	5999	1564	105	47	24	4004	NA	6530	955	183
		P	116,715	11,580	37,755	81	34	15	3043	NA	101,737	2429	19,584
Raiganj	0.58	A	34,025	3413	1076	240	64	NA	7771	NA	7614	896	240
		P	152,157	6761	24,926	164	46	NA	8228	NA	14,657	2279	25,683
Hemtabad	0.62	A	15,766	4585	1001	57	183	72	3296	32	2606	NA	NA
		P	73,623	14,382	34,143	55	190	44	4121	30	45,735	NA	NA
Kaliaganj	0.62	A	25,317	2970	1442	203	439	NA	4169	NA	9897	682	NA
		P	107,899	7576	35,552	169	267	NA	3276	NA	16,043	1735	NA
Itahar	0.60	A	35,487	5729	857	37	15	NA	13,031	NA	6511	NA	NA
		P	155,330	16,462	36,083	25	7	NA	17,779	NA	115,375	NA	NA

1. A Area (in Hectare), P Production (in Tonnes)
2. Source: ICD calculated by the researcher on the basis of Gibbs-Martin Index from Statistical Handbook of Uttar Dinajpur, 2014–2015

1.3 Appendix C: Block-Wise Index of Crop Diversification (ICD) and Production of Major Crops in Dakshin Dinajpur District, 2000–2001

Blocks	ICD	Rice		Wheat	Potato	Masur	Maskalai	Mustard	Linseed	Gram	Jute
Kushmandi	0.40	A	34,450	2240	990	60	760	4460	60	30	2170
		P	67,990	4850	17,150	20	460	2570	10	10	16,950
Harirampur	0.59	A	9300	1250	590	5	5	2440	NA	5	1940
		P	26,240	3290	8710	5	5	1500	NA	5	23,220
Banshihari	0.42	A	21,700	940	500	5	40	3570	NA	NA	2250
		P	45,780	2290	6850	5	20	2530	NA	NA	18,650
Gangarampur	0.23	A	28,620	1040	160	5	10	1140	5	5	1800
		P	50,790	2700	2240	5	10	870	5	5	23,220
Kumarganj	0.34	A	28,060	1290	470	10	5	2390	10	5	2690
		P	51,570	3720	7610	5	5	1960	5	5	28,880
Tapan	0.33	A	44,320	1410	430	5	10	5810	NA	5	2850
		P	94,460	4000	6280	5	10	5260	NA	5	38,400
Balurghat	0.31	A	36,370	1080	1320	10	100	2210	5	NA	2930
		P	71,330	2770	15,170	5	60	1990	5	NA	28,010
Hili	0.27	A	8260	280	230	5	5	360	5	NA	530
		P	17,230	620	3110	5	5	390	5	NA	5200

1. A Area (in Hectare), P Production (in Tonnes)
2. Source: ICD calculated by the researcher on the basis of Gibbs-Martin Index from Statistical Handbook of Dakshin Dinajpur, 2000–2001

1.4 Appendix D: Block-Wise Index of Crop Diversification (ICD) and Production of Major Crops in Dakshin Dinajpur District, 2014–2015

Blocks	ICD	Rice		Wheat	Potato	Masur	Maskalai	Mustard	Gram	Jute	Maize
Kushmandi	0.54	A	23,738	2398	905	75	NA	5181	NA	3980	42
		P	68,218	9273	30,405	58	NA	5411	NA	57,909	102
Harirampur	0.51	A	16,241	4215	220	NA	NA	2939	NA	632	NA
		P	38,854	15,916	6800	NA	NA	3798	NA	8583	NA
Banshihari	0.35	A	15,885	988	190	NA	NA	1685	NA	1165	NA
		P	37,962	2603	6528	NA	NA	957	NA	16,042	NA
Gangarampur	0.44	A	28,025	1081	1392	187	306	4893	NA	2479	NA
		P	83,095	3286	40,113	160	137	7866	NA	45,093	NA
Kumarganj	0.38	A	23,497	825	550	NA	157	1975	11	3150	130
		P	63,372	2338	19,367	NA	62	1170	15	48,447	317
Tapan	0.25	A	37,835	542	271	12	NA	4363	NA	956	NA
		P	113,109	1564	8666	6	NA	6174	NA	16,032	NA
Balurghat	0.47	A	28,627	1849	1662	NA	250	2910	NA	4762	NA
		P	83,265	5008	41,598	NA	143	2966	NA	66,192	NA
Hili	0.45	A	7528	394	411	NA	NA	865	NA	1144	NA
		P	22,850	1031	9559	NA	NA	841	NA	14,517	NA

1. A Area (in Hectare), P Production (in Tonnes)
2. Source: ICD calculated by the researcher on the basis of Gibbs-Martin Index from Statistical Handbook of Dakshin Dinajpur, 2014–2015