Livestock in the hilly region forms an integral part of the age-old croplivestock mixed farming s... more Livestock in the hilly region forms an integral part of the age-old croplivestock mixed farming system and assumes additional significance as the livelihood options are limited in these areas. Though the livestock population seems to have stabilized during the past three decades or so in Himachal Pradesh, its composition has undergone noticeable changes. These changes have implications on increased demand for the livestock products and issues like draught power availability, ecological pressure, etc. Further, no study seems to have been made on the role of the state in the livestock development from a broader policy perspective. With this background in mind, the present article has examined (a) various spatial and temporal changes in the composition of the livestock population, (b) ecological implications of livestock pressure on the natural resources of the state, and (c) the role of the state, in the livestock development in Himachal Pradesh.
Artha Vijnana: Journal of The Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
During the past six decades, perceptible development has taken place across various regions in In... more During the past six decades, perceptible development has taken place across various regions in India. Not withstanding all these achievements, issue of uneven development has reared its ugly head more often than expected. This disparate development achievement has, led to serious socioeconomic and political ramifications. Himachal Pradesh has become a quintessence of success of development planning for the mountain areas of the Indian subcontinent. This article attempts to sketch out different levels of development at a disaggregated level of districts during 1991-2001. The findings clearly brought out that the process of development has been more favourable to high hill districts as compared to mid and low hill districts. The tribal districts have witnessed spectacular development during this period. While the overall disparities in development across the districts appear to be on a 'converging mode', those with respect to some of the individual indicators were found to be 'diverging'. For instance, while the disparities in development with respect to industrialization, health facilities, sex ratio. etc. appear to have grown, those for education. per capita income, etc. have come down during the study period. Thus, there is a need to apply corrective policy interventions with respect to these indicators so as to have equitable development across districts.
Oilseeds are very important due to being an integral part of Indian kitchen and imports basket. T... more Oilseeds are very important due to being an integral part of Indian kitchen and imports basket. The diverse agro-ecological conditions in India favour growing of many oilseeds, whose demand goes unmet domestically. Area, production and yield of oilseeds in India have witnessed positive growth over time. But these appear to be missing crops in Himachal Pradesh. Sesamum in kharif and rapeseed & mustard in rabi are the most important crops. The present study analysed the trends in area, production and yields of oilseed crops in Himachal Pradesh using time-series data for the period 1974-75 to 2016-17. The economics of these two crops was also studied to examine their profitability. The results revealed negative and significant growth rate for area under all oilseeds in the state, while the same for the yield was positive and significant. The growth in production of rapeseed & mustard was contributed both by acreage as well as yield during the study period. The area under sesamum observed a steep fall in the state, more so during the past two and a half decades. Human labour alone accounted for the highest cost in these crops on sample farms. The cost and returns analysis clearly brought out that the two oilseed crops were profitable only when paid out cost were considered. Also, sesamum turned out to be more profitable as compared to rapeseed & mustard due to higher output price. These results call for incentivized approach to repopularise these crucial crops in the state through an appropriate mix of technology and extension services. Oilseeds constitute an important group of commercial crops. These provide easily available and highly nutritious food to human beings and animals. About 95 per cent of the oils extracted from oilseeds are consumed as edible oil and the rest are used as raw materials for
The present study was conducted in Palampur, Kangra district of himachal Pradesh to examine the c... more The present study was conducted in Palampur, Kangra district of himachal Pradesh to examine the comparative economics of tea production on small and large tea farms (estates). The study was carried out during 2016 based on a random sample of 50 small tea growers and 3 tea estates chosen using stratified random sampling technique. The results of the study revealed that among different components of operational cost, the share of expenditure on human labour was highest (84-85%) on small farms as well as in estates. Per hectare tea leaf production was 54.5q in case of small and 57q on large tea farms. The cost of production on the small farms was observed to be ` 1, 561 per quintal while it was ` 1,356 in estates. The economic viability of tea production was higher in estates as compared to small farms partially due to mechanization of some operations and the economies of scale. Output-input analysis showed that the production of made tea was more profitable on estates as compared to small farms. Among the factors affecting tea production, labour days used, area under tea and experience in tea cultivation had positive and significant influence on production of tea. in order to boost tea production in the state, incentivized machine use in tea cultivation and enhancing marketing scope of homemade tea are some of the efforts that need attention of policy makers.
Despite a recent slowdown in Indian agriculture, the growth of horticulture sector continues to b... more Despite a recent slowdown in Indian agriculture, the growth of horticulture sector continues to be encouraging. The diversification of agriculture towards high value horticultural crops and livestock products for improving the incomes of the peasantry finds place in policy prescriptions across the board. Due to natural agro-climatic advantages in Himachal Pradesh, vegetable cultivation during the past has catapulted the state’s agriculture to new heights. However, over time the cost of cultivation has increased substantially due to hike in input costs, especially the human labour. The present article seeks to examine the contribution of vegetable crops to the economy of Himachal Pradesh along with the changing economics of vegetable cultivation. The study is based on both the secondary as well as primary data. The results of the investigation revealed that the contribution of vegetables to the total value of output in agriculture and allied activities in the state has increased noticeably. A scrutiny of the growth in area, production and productivity of vegetables crops indicated that the last decade saw higher growth than that achieved in the previous decade. Among various crops, peas (green) and tomato accounted for about fifty per cent of the total area and production of all vegetables in the state. The regional production scenario revealed that there has an increase in the area in mid and low hills districts. The changes in the cost and returns of vegetable growing showed that the increase in net returns was not commensurate with the increased costs during the past two and a half decades despite hikes in productivity. Thus, the profitability of vegetable farming in the state is on the decline which needs to be reversed so as to provide income security to the farmers.
Livestock in hills forms an integral part of the age old mixed crop-livestock farming system and ... more Livestock in hills forms an integral part of the age old mixed crop-livestock farming system and it assumes further significance as the livelihood options are limited in these areas. Though the livestock population seems to have stabilized during the past three decades or so in Himachal Pradesh, its composition has undergone noticeable changes. These changes have implications not only from the view point of increased demand for the livestock products but also from the viewpoint of such issues as draught power availability, ecological pressure, etc. Furthermore, the role of the state in the livestock development has not been studied from a broader policy perspective. With this background in mind, the present article examined (a) various spatial and temporal changes in the composition of the livestock population, (b) ecological implications of livestock pressure on the natural resources of the state and (c) the role of the state in the livestock development in Himachal Pradesh.
The findings of the study revealed that there has been an increase in the population of buffaloes and goats on one side and a small decline in the cattle and sheep population on the other. Within cattle, the slowdown of replacement of indigenous animals by the crossbreds during 1990s is another revelation. The decline in the population of local bulls and a perceptible increase in the crossbred bull population, which is not rated very high as a source of draught power, has implications for the natural resources of hills and its agriculture. Furthermore, the findings revealed that as per cent of the total plan outlay, the share of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department was much higher in 1970s as compared to 1980s and 1990s. The results showed that at present around 2/3rd of the outlay is going for the Animal Husbandry component while the remaining 1/3 rd was being equally shared by the other two components, viz Dairying and Animal Husbandry Education. This has resulted in increased milk production in the state alongwith the enhanced output of other livestock products. The regional variations of the livestock output brought out clearly that livestock is more important in the districts of Kangra, Bilaspur, Hamirpur,Chamba, Solan and Mandi as compared to the mainstream agriculture. This has an important implication from the viewpoint of the overall agricultural development of the state in terms of higher attention to livestock development in these low and mid hill districts and that to horticulture and off-season vegetables in the high hill districts so as to cash in on the comparative climatic advantage enjoyed by the state.
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for majority of the people in Himachal Pradesh. Plan... more Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for majority of the people in Himachal Pradesh. Plan allocations to agriculture have declined over the successive five year plans. While the irrigation, soil and water conservation have received liberal fund allocations over the plans, some activities such as marketing, animal husbandry and dairying have received declining allocations in the recent past. The state has emerged as a model of agricultural diversification towards high-value cash crops. But further momentum to the ongoing process seems to be in jeopardy due to paucity of two vital resources of cultivable land and the water. Also, irrigation which is vital for commercial farming has not increased at all these years. With this background, the present article seeks to examine the patterns of allocation to agriculture sector during various five year plans and also raise the issues that should be given priority in the Twelfth Five Year Plan. The results of the investigation revealed that the plan allocations were quite high during the period from mid 1960s to mid1970s. It was during the sixth five year plan (1985-80) that the allocation to agriculture dipped to around 17 per cent and remained at around that level till Eighth Plan. But after that it further slid down to 10-12 per cent in Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Plans. Also, there is an increasing diversion of cultivated area to non-agricultural uses in the state that needs to be halted. Irrigated area needs to be increased if the comparative advantage of commercial horticultural activities is to be maintained. There is even an impending need to increase agricultural productivity in the state as productivity levels of most of the crops are well below the national yields. Lastly, the human resource required to carry out all these activities should also be not overlooked in the plan as reaching out to the farmers in the land locked terrains is a costly and time consuming process.
Land is the most critical factor of production. The problem of scarcity of land is more acute in ... more Land is the most critical factor of production. The problem of scarcity of land is more acute in mountainous regions due to uneven population pressure. Various socio-economic and political factors interact over time and space to determine the pattern of land utilization and cropping in any region.
The present investigation attempts to scrutinize these changes during the past three and a half decades in Himachal Pradesh. The findings revealed that the growth rate of net sown area turned out to be negative during the overall study period with the decline being quite strong in the post 1990s period.
The area put to non-agricultural uses registered very high growth rates, more so after the 1990s. The growing marginalization of the holdings gets reflected in the fact that about 87 per cent of the farmers who are marginal and small, own just about 52 per cent of the land. The cropping pattern has shifted in favour of horticultural crops and major cereals (maize and wheat) in the state and the cropping intensity has increased marginally during the study period. The production of maize, wheat, total cereals, foodgrains and potato witnessed significant increase while that of barley, other cereals and pulses declined significantly in the state during the study period. The area under rice, barley, pulses, oilseeds and ‘other cereals’ declined during this period. The productivity grew up for most of the
crops and crop groups during the study period, the increase being higher only during the post 1990s period.
Livestock in the hilly region forms an integral part of the age-old croplivestock mixed farming s... more Livestock in the hilly region forms an integral part of the age-old croplivestock mixed farming system and assumes additional significance as the livelihood options are limited in these areas. Though the livestock population seems to have stabilized during the past three decades or so in Himachal Pradesh, its composition has undergone noticeable changes. These changes have implications on increased demand for the livestock products and issues like draught power availability, ecological pressure, etc. Further, no study seems to have been made on the role of the state in the livestock development from a broader policy perspective. With this background in mind, the present article has examined (a) various spatial and temporal changes in the composition of the livestock population, (b) ecological implications of livestock pressure on the natural resources of the state, and (c) the role of the state, in the livestock development in Himachal Pradesh.
Artha Vijnana: Journal of The Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
During the past six decades, perceptible development has taken place across various regions in In... more During the past six decades, perceptible development has taken place across various regions in India. Not withstanding all these achievements, issue of uneven development has reared its ugly head more often than expected. This disparate development achievement has, led to serious socioeconomic and political ramifications. Himachal Pradesh has become a quintessence of success of development planning for the mountain areas of the Indian subcontinent. This article attempts to sketch out different levels of development at a disaggregated level of districts during 1991-2001. The findings clearly brought out that the process of development has been more favourable to high hill districts as compared to mid and low hill districts. The tribal districts have witnessed spectacular development during this period. While the overall disparities in development across the districts appear to be on a 'converging mode', those with respect to some of the individual indicators were found to be 'diverging'. For instance, while the disparities in development with respect to industrialization, health facilities, sex ratio. etc. appear to have grown, those for education. per capita income, etc. have come down during the study period. Thus, there is a need to apply corrective policy interventions with respect to these indicators so as to have equitable development across districts.
Oilseeds are very important due to being an integral part of Indian kitchen and imports basket. T... more Oilseeds are very important due to being an integral part of Indian kitchen and imports basket. The diverse agro-ecological conditions in India favour growing of many oilseeds, whose demand goes unmet domestically. Area, production and yield of oilseeds in India have witnessed positive growth over time. But these appear to be missing crops in Himachal Pradesh. Sesamum in kharif and rapeseed & mustard in rabi are the most important crops. The present study analysed the trends in area, production and yields of oilseed crops in Himachal Pradesh using time-series data for the period 1974-75 to 2016-17. The economics of these two crops was also studied to examine their profitability. The results revealed negative and significant growth rate for area under all oilseeds in the state, while the same for the yield was positive and significant. The growth in production of rapeseed & mustard was contributed both by acreage as well as yield during the study period. The area under sesamum observed a steep fall in the state, more so during the past two and a half decades. Human labour alone accounted for the highest cost in these crops on sample farms. The cost and returns analysis clearly brought out that the two oilseed crops were profitable only when paid out cost were considered. Also, sesamum turned out to be more profitable as compared to rapeseed & mustard due to higher output price. These results call for incentivized approach to repopularise these crucial crops in the state through an appropriate mix of technology and extension services. Oilseeds constitute an important group of commercial crops. These provide easily available and highly nutritious food to human beings and animals. About 95 per cent of the oils extracted from oilseeds are consumed as edible oil and the rest are used as raw materials for
The present study was conducted in Palampur, Kangra district of himachal Pradesh to examine the c... more The present study was conducted in Palampur, Kangra district of himachal Pradesh to examine the comparative economics of tea production on small and large tea farms (estates). The study was carried out during 2016 based on a random sample of 50 small tea growers and 3 tea estates chosen using stratified random sampling technique. The results of the study revealed that among different components of operational cost, the share of expenditure on human labour was highest (84-85%) on small farms as well as in estates. Per hectare tea leaf production was 54.5q in case of small and 57q on large tea farms. The cost of production on the small farms was observed to be ` 1, 561 per quintal while it was ` 1,356 in estates. The economic viability of tea production was higher in estates as compared to small farms partially due to mechanization of some operations and the economies of scale. Output-input analysis showed that the production of made tea was more profitable on estates as compared to small farms. Among the factors affecting tea production, labour days used, area under tea and experience in tea cultivation had positive and significant influence on production of tea. in order to boost tea production in the state, incentivized machine use in tea cultivation and enhancing marketing scope of homemade tea are some of the efforts that need attention of policy makers.
Despite a recent slowdown in Indian agriculture, the growth of horticulture sector continues to b... more Despite a recent slowdown in Indian agriculture, the growth of horticulture sector continues to be encouraging. The diversification of agriculture towards high value horticultural crops and livestock products for improving the incomes of the peasantry finds place in policy prescriptions across the board. Due to natural agro-climatic advantages in Himachal Pradesh, vegetable cultivation during the past has catapulted the state’s agriculture to new heights. However, over time the cost of cultivation has increased substantially due to hike in input costs, especially the human labour. The present article seeks to examine the contribution of vegetable crops to the economy of Himachal Pradesh along with the changing economics of vegetable cultivation. The study is based on both the secondary as well as primary data. The results of the investigation revealed that the contribution of vegetables to the total value of output in agriculture and allied activities in the state has increased noticeably. A scrutiny of the growth in area, production and productivity of vegetables crops indicated that the last decade saw higher growth than that achieved in the previous decade. Among various crops, peas (green) and tomato accounted for about fifty per cent of the total area and production of all vegetables in the state. The regional production scenario revealed that there has an increase in the area in mid and low hills districts. The changes in the cost and returns of vegetable growing showed that the increase in net returns was not commensurate with the increased costs during the past two and a half decades despite hikes in productivity. Thus, the profitability of vegetable farming in the state is on the decline which needs to be reversed so as to provide income security to the farmers.
Livestock in hills forms an integral part of the age old mixed crop-livestock farming system and ... more Livestock in hills forms an integral part of the age old mixed crop-livestock farming system and it assumes further significance as the livelihood options are limited in these areas. Though the livestock population seems to have stabilized during the past three decades or so in Himachal Pradesh, its composition has undergone noticeable changes. These changes have implications not only from the view point of increased demand for the livestock products but also from the viewpoint of such issues as draught power availability, ecological pressure, etc. Furthermore, the role of the state in the livestock development has not been studied from a broader policy perspective. With this background in mind, the present article examined (a) various spatial and temporal changes in the composition of the livestock population, (b) ecological implications of livestock pressure on the natural resources of the state and (c) the role of the state in the livestock development in Himachal Pradesh.
The findings of the study revealed that there has been an increase in the population of buffaloes and goats on one side and a small decline in the cattle and sheep population on the other. Within cattle, the slowdown of replacement of indigenous animals by the crossbreds during 1990s is another revelation. The decline in the population of local bulls and a perceptible increase in the crossbred bull population, which is not rated very high as a source of draught power, has implications for the natural resources of hills and its agriculture. Furthermore, the findings revealed that as per cent of the total plan outlay, the share of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department was much higher in 1970s as compared to 1980s and 1990s. The results showed that at present around 2/3rd of the outlay is going for the Animal Husbandry component while the remaining 1/3 rd was being equally shared by the other two components, viz Dairying and Animal Husbandry Education. This has resulted in increased milk production in the state alongwith the enhanced output of other livestock products. The regional variations of the livestock output brought out clearly that livestock is more important in the districts of Kangra, Bilaspur, Hamirpur,Chamba, Solan and Mandi as compared to the mainstream agriculture. This has an important implication from the viewpoint of the overall agricultural development of the state in terms of higher attention to livestock development in these low and mid hill districts and that to horticulture and off-season vegetables in the high hill districts so as to cash in on the comparative climatic advantage enjoyed by the state.
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for majority of the people in Himachal Pradesh. Plan... more Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for majority of the people in Himachal Pradesh. Plan allocations to agriculture have declined over the successive five year plans. While the irrigation, soil and water conservation have received liberal fund allocations over the plans, some activities such as marketing, animal husbandry and dairying have received declining allocations in the recent past. The state has emerged as a model of agricultural diversification towards high-value cash crops. But further momentum to the ongoing process seems to be in jeopardy due to paucity of two vital resources of cultivable land and the water. Also, irrigation which is vital for commercial farming has not increased at all these years. With this background, the present article seeks to examine the patterns of allocation to agriculture sector during various five year plans and also raise the issues that should be given priority in the Twelfth Five Year Plan. The results of the investigation revealed that the plan allocations were quite high during the period from mid 1960s to mid1970s. It was during the sixth five year plan (1985-80) that the allocation to agriculture dipped to around 17 per cent and remained at around that level till Eighth Plan. But after that it further slid down to 10-12 per cent in Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Plans. Also, there is an increasing diversion of cultivated area to non-agricultural uses in the state that needs to be halted. Irrigated area needs to be increased if the comparative advantage of commercial horticultural activities is to be maintained. There is even an impending need to increase agricultural productivity in the state as productivity levels of most of the crops are well below the national yields. Lastly, the human resource required to carry out all these activities should also be not overlooked in the plan as reaching out to the farmers in the land locked terrains is a costly and time consuming process.
Land is the most critical factor of production. The problem of scarcity of land is more acute in ... more Land is the most critical factor of production. The problem of scarcity of land is more acute in mountainous regions due to uneven population pressure. Various socio-economic and political factors interact over time and space to determine the pattern of land utilization and cropping in any region.
The present investigation attempts to scrutinize these changes during the past three and a half decades in Himachal Pradesh. The findings revealed that the growth rate of net sown area turned out to be negative during the overall study period with the decline being quite strong in the post 1990s period.
The area put to non-agricultural uses registered very high growth rates, more so after the 1990s. The growing marginalization of the holdings gets reflected in the fact that about 87 per cent of the farmers who are marginal and small, own just about 52 per cent of the land. The cropping pattern has shifted in favour of horticultural crops and major cereals (maize and wheat) in the state and the cropping intensity has increased marginally during the study period. The production of maize, wheat, total cereals, foodgrains and potato witnessed significant increase while that of barley, other cereals and pulses declined significantly in the state during the study period. The area under rice, barley, pulses, oilseeds and ‘other cereals’ declined during this period. The productivity grew up for most of the
crops and crop groups during the study period, the increase being higher only during the post 1990s period.
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The findings of the study revealed that there has been an increase in the population of buffaloes and goats on one side and a small decline in the cattle and sheep population on the other. Within cattle, the slowdown of replacement of indigenous animals by the crossbreds during 1990s is another revelation. The decline in the population of local bulls and a perceptible increase in the crossbred bull population, which is not rated very high as a source of draught power, has implications for the natural resources of hills and its agriculture. Furthermore, the findings revealed that as per cent of the total plan outlay, the share of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department was much higher in 1970s as compared to 1980s and 1990s. The results showed that at present around 2/3rd of the outlay is going for the Animal Husbandry component while the remaining 1/3 rd was being equally shared by the other two components, viz Dairying and Animal Husbandry Education. This has resulted in increased milk production in the state alongwith the enhanced output of other livestock products. The regional variations of the livestock output brought out clearly that livestock is more important in the districts of Kangra, Bilaspur, Hamirpur,Chamba, Solan and Mandi as compared to the mainstream agriculture. This has an important implication from the viewpoint of the overall agricultural development of the state in terms of higher attention to livestock development in these low and mid hill districts and that to horticulture and off-season vegetables in the high hill districts so as to cash in on the comparative climatic advantage enjoyed by the state.
The present investigation attempts to scrutinize these changes during the past three and a half decades in Himachal Pradesh. The findings revealed that the growth rate of net sown area turned out to be negative during the overall study period with the decline being quite strong in the post 1990s period.
The area put to non-agricultural uses registered very high growth rates, more so after the 1990s. The growing marginalization of the holdings gets reflected in the fact that about 87 per cent of the farmers who are marginal and small, own just about 52 per cent of the land. The cropping pattern has shifted in favour of horticultural crops and major cereals (maize and wheat) in the state and the cropping intensity has increased marginally during the study period. The production of maize, wheat, total cereals, foodgrains and potato witnessed significant increase while that of barley, other cereals and pulses declined significantly in the state during the study period. The area under rice, barley, pulses, oilseeds and ‘other cereals’ declined during this period. The productivity grew up for most of the
crops and crop groups during the study period, the increase being higher only during the post 1990s period.
The findings of the study revealed that there has been an increase in the population of buffaloes and goats on one side and a small decline in the cattle and sheep population on the other. Within cattle, the slowdown of replacement of indigenous animals by the crossbreds during 1990s is another revelation. The decline in the population of local bulls and a perceptible increase in the crossbred bull population, which is not rated very high as a source of draught power, has implications for the natural resources of hills and its agriculture. Furthermore, the findings revealed that as per cent of the total plan outlay, the share of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department was much higher in 1970s as compared to 1980s and 1990s. The results showed that at present around 2/3rd of the outlay is going for the Animal Husbandry component while the remaining 1/3 rd was being equally shared by the other two components, viz Dairying and Animal Husbandry Education. This has resulted in increased milk production in the state alongwith the enhanced output of other livestock products. The regional variations of the livestock output brought out clearly that livestock is more important in the districts of Kangra, Bilaspur, Hamirpur,Chamba, Solan and Mandi as compared to the mainstream agriculture. This has an important implication from the viewpoint of the overall agricultural development of the state in terms of higher attention to livestock development in these low and mid hill districts and that to horticulture and off-season vegetables in the high hill districts so as to cash in on the comparative climatic advantage enjoyed by the state.
The present investigation attempts to scrutinize these changes during the past three and a half decades in Himachal Pradesh. The findings revealed that the growth rate of net sown area turned out to be negative during the overall study period with the decline being quite strong in the post 1990s period.
The area put to non-agricultural uses registered very high growth rates, more so after the 1990s. The growing marginalization of the holdings gets reflected in the fact that about 87 per cent of the farmers who are marginal and small, own just about 52 per cent of the land. The cropping pattern has shifted in favour of horticultural crops and major cereals (maize and wheat) in the state and the cropping intensity has increased marginally during the study period. The production of maize, wheat, total cereals, foodgrains and potato witnessed significant increase while that of barley, other cereals and pulses declined significantly in the state during the study period. The area under rice, barley, pulses, oilseeds and ‘other cereals’ declined during this period. The productivity grew up for most of the
crops and crop groups during the study period, the increase being higher only during the post 1990s period.