Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Crop Diversification vis-á-vis Shifting Cultivation in Karbi Anglong District of Assam: An Empirical Analysis


Affiliations
1 School of Social Sciences, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Umiam 793 103, India
2 Department of Agricultural Economics, M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Gajapati 761 211, India
 

The present study estimates crop diversification in the Karbi Anglong district, Assam, North East India, as well as the cost and returns from shifting cultivation in the hilly areas, along with policy measures for maintaining their sustainability in the long run. The study comprised both primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected from four blocks of the Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Two villages from each block were selected based on the intensive shifting practices, and 10 respondents from each village were selected randomly, making a total sample of 80 respondents. The average crop diversification in the region was greater than 0.8, indicating that the region is highly rich in diversity. The variable cost mainly consisted of hired human labour and seeds, of which labour cost was highest for cultivation because shifting cultivation is labour-intensive. Though the returns over total cost and variable cost for different crop mixes showed positive outcomes, it was necessary to recommend a policy to reduce human labour costs in hilly regions. So, a policy has been recommended to make small farm machinery (smaller than power tillers) readily available to farmers for cultivation in hilly regions. This will help reduce the human labour cost, thereby increasing the net returns of the farming community and distribution of higher-yielding seeding materials among them. This would enhance their income, so farmers in the study region must be encouraged to increase the extent of crop diversification.

Keywords

Crop Diversification, Farm Income, Hilly Regions, Shifting Cultivation, Sustainability.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Anon., India: Distribution of the workforce across economic sectors from 2019. Statista; https://www.statista.com/statistics/271320/distribution-of-the-workforce-across-economic-sectors-in-india/ (accessed on 26 March 2023).

  • Mertz, O., Padocb, C., Fox, J., Cramb, R. A., Leisz, S. J., Lam, N. T. and Vien, T. D., Swidden change in Southeast Asia: understanding causes and consequences. Hum. Ecol., 2009, 37(3), 259–264.

  • Fujisaka, S., Hurtado, L. and Uribe, R., A working classification of slash and burn agricultural systems. Agrofor. Syst., 1996, 34(2), 151–169; https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00148159.

  • Ramakrishnan, P. S. and Toky, O. P., Cropping and yields in agricultural systems of the north-eastern hill region of India. Agro-Ecosyst., 1981, 7(1), 11–25.

  • Singh, L. K. and Devi, S. R., Important traditional soil and water conservation techniques practices for sustainable agriculture in North East India. Indian J. Hill Agric., 2018, 31(2), 220–226.

  • Ramakrishnan, P. S. and Toky, O. P., Soil nutrient status of hill agro-ecosystems and recovery pattern after slash and burn agriculture (Jhum) in North-Eastern India. Plant Soil, 1981, 60(1), 41–64.

  • Anon., Integrated Jhoomia Development Programme Cell. Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of Assam, 2011.

  • Ramakrishnan, P. S., Toky, O. P., Mishra, B. K. and Saxena, G. K., Slash and burn agriculture in North-Eastern India. Fire Regimes and Ecosystem Properties, Proceedings of the Conference General Technical Report WO-26, US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington DC, 1981, pp. 570–586.

  • Chand, R., Doubling farmers’ income: strategy and prospects. Indian J. Agric. Econ., 2017, 72(1), 1–23.

  • Khanam, R., Bhaduri, D. and Nayak, A. K., Crop diversification: an important way-out for doubling farmers' income. Indian Farm., 2018, 68(1), 31–32.

  • Cuddy, J. D. A. and Della, V. P. A., Measuring the instability of time series data. Oxf. Bull. Econ. Stat., 1978, 40(1), 79–85; https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0084.1978.mp40001006.x (accessed on 7 July 2022).

  • Simpson, E. H., Measurement of diversity. Nature, 1949, 163(1), 688; http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/163688a0.

  • Mech, A., An analysis of growth trend, instability and determinants of rice production in Assam. Indian J. Agric. Res., 2017, 51(4), 1–5.

  • Takbipi, J., A study on the trend of area, production and productivity of ginger in Assam with special reference to Karbi Anglong district, an important ginger pocket in Assam. Int. J. Res. Dev., 2016, 1(5), 14–18.

  • Pandey, D. K., Adhiguru, P., Devi, S. V., Dobhal, S., Dubey, S. K. and Mehra, T. S., Quantitative assessment of crop species diversity in shifting cultivation system of eastern Himalaya. Curr. Sci., 2019, 117(8), 1357–1363.

  • Bey, B. S., Singh, R., Gogoi, J., Ahmed, R., Lapasam, R., Buragohain, R. and Deka, N., Resource use in sugarcane cultivation under tenant and owner farms of Assam: a comparative economic analysis. Indian J. Agric. Econ., 2022, 77(2), 243–256; https://doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.23645.90089.


Abstract Views: 177

PDF Views: 112




  • Crop Diversification vis-á-vis Shifting Cultivation in Karbi Anglong District of Assam: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract Views: 177  |  PDF Views: 112

Authors

Brota S. Bey
School of Social Sciences, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Umiam 793 103, India
Rizwan Ahmed
School of Social Sciences, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Umiam 793 103, India
Ram Singh
School of Social Sciences, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Umiam 793 103, India
Saddam Hossen Majumder
Department of Agricultural Economics, M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Gajapati 761 211, India

Abstract


The present study estimates crop diversification in the Karbi Anglong district, Assam, North East India, as well as the cost and returns from shifting cultivation in the hilly areas, along with policy measures for maintaining their sustainability in the long run. The study comprised both primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected from four blocks of the Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Two villages from each block were selected based on the intensive shifting practices, and 10 respondents from each village were selected randomly, making a total sample of 80 respondents. The average crop diversification in the region was greater than 0.8, indicating that the region is highly rich in diversity. The variable cost mainly consisted of hired human labour and seeds, of which labour cost was highest for cultivation because shifting cultivation is labour-intensive. Though the returns over total cost and variable cost for different crop mixes showed positive outcomes, it was necessary to recommend a policy to reduce human labour costs in hilly regions. So, a policy has been recommended to make small farm machinery (smaller than power tillers) readily available to farmers for cultivation in hilly regions. This will help reduce the human labour cost, thereby increasing the net returns of the farming community and distribution of higher-yielding seeding materials among them. This would enhance their income, so farmers in the study region must be encouraged to increase the extent of crop diversification.

Keywords


Crop Diversification, Farm Income, Hilly Regions, Shifting Cultivation, Sustainability.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv125%2Fi5%2F536-543