Agrotechnology

Structural transformation of an economy in the context of crop diversification: Crop concentration, specialization and its determinants

3^rd International Conference on Agriculture & Horticulture

October 27-29, 2014 Hyderabad International Convention Centre, India

Supriya Jadhav, K V Deshmukh and Chavan R V

Posters: Agrotechnol

Abstract:

Diversification is an integral part of the process of structural transformation of an economy, diversification in agriculture can mean any of the two situations i.e, (1) A shift from less profitable crop (or enterprise) to more profitable crop (or enterprise) (2) Using resources in diverse but complementary activities (Vyas,1996). Due to variations in the soil type, rainfall, cropping pattern and natural conditions for cultivations, the analysis for the study was extended to two divisions of Marathwada i.e. Aurangabad and Latur and for Marathwada region as a whole to examine the cropping pattern changes in different districts of Marathwada region over a period of time and to study extent of crop diversification in different districts of Marathwada region. The districts selected for the present study are viz. Parbhani, Nanded, Latur, Jalna, Beed, Hingoli, Aurangabad and Osmanabad. The study was based on secondary data. Time series (secondary) data on the area, production and productivity of selected crops, total food production, etc have been collected for the period 1980-81 to 2010-11. The data was pertain to a period of 31 years i.e. from 1980-81 to 2010-11. The time points at which analysis of cropping pattern has been done are 1980-81,1985-86,1990-91,1995-96,2001-05 and 2010-11. (Venkatramanan and Prahaladachar, 1980). Cropping pattern in terms of percentage share of individual crops in gross cropped area was worked out at points of time. Crop diversification index and cropping intensity are indicators for observing and quantifying cropping pattern changes. Entropy index (EI), Modified Entropy index (MEI) and Composite Entropy Index (CEI) was used to quantify the crop diversification. The result showed that there exist wide temporal change in cropping pattern i.e., area of Sorghum replaced by soybean and soybean attained prestigious position in the cropping pattern of Marathwada region. Latur division and Marathwada region diversified more than that of Aurangabad division. Osmanabad, Parbhani and Nanded districts showed increasing level of diversification while Jalana and Latur districts showed low level of diversification. Aurangabad and Beed are more or less stable in the case of crop diversification.In case of cereals group ,mechanization showed significant impact on crop diversification in Aurangabad district where fertilizer use was significantly effect on crop diversification in Latur district. In the case of oilseed group, percentage of small and marginal land holders in total holding showed positively significant impact on oilseed group in Aurangabad district where average size of holding showed positive significant impact on crop diversification in Latur division.

Biography :

Supriya Jadhav is PhD Scholar in Department of Agricultural Economics at VNMKV, Parbhani. She has completed her Post graduation (MSc Agri.) in the Department of agricultural economics from VNMKV, Parbhani also Diploma in foreign trade from Mumbai University. She has got near about four years Academic experience from college of Agriculture Business Management, Mumbai. She has got state level special merit award and International award for best poster presentations.