The Determinants and Extent of Crop Diversification among Farmers with Small-Sized Land Holdings

This research was conducted in Jalandhar district of Punjab with aim of assessing the determinants and extent of crop diversification among farmers with small - sized   land holdings. Multi-stage sampling technique was used in conducting the research. Out of the ten blocks of the district, seven blocks were randomly selected. In each of the seven selected block, a single village was further selected for sampling. Seventy questionnaires were distributed to the farmers in order to assess the factors hindering them from going for diversification. The result shows that 86.7 percent of the farmers grows rice and wheat while 3.3 percent grows rice, wheat and sugarcane. 6.7 percent grows rice, wheat and potato. The remaining 3.3 percent of the farmers grows other crops. Similarly, 55 percent of the farmers attributed the reasons of mono-cultural farming to profitability of rice and wheat. While 13.3 percent of the farmers attributed it to issue of food security. While 5 percent of the farmers attributed it to absence of any alternative crops which they can grow in place of rice and wheat. They said this absence is the cause ischolar_main for their sticking to growing of rice and wheat every season. 23.3 percent of the farmers believed that the cause of mono-cultural farming is declining soil fertility, lack of assurance of income (MSP), yield and vulnerability of other crops to insect and pest attacks. For they believed that rice and wheat are more resistant to weather changes than other crops. While 3.3 percent of the farmers have adopted mono-cultural farming system due to uncertainty of monsoonal rains, perishability of the crops, poor soil condition and lack of income security in form of Minimum Support Price (MSP). It was recommended that authorities should extend the minimum support price to a wider range of other crops which farmers are willing to cultivate. For they will remove the fear of uncertainty of income at the end of the season and this will induce farmers to go for diversification. Likewise, they should make available the seeds of improved varieties of rice likes Basmati which needs less fertilizer and less rainfall and which is thus environmentally friendly.