LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 12 : 6 June 2012
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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An Economic Analysis of Crop Diversification in Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu

V. Kalaiselvi, M.A., M.Phil., M.Sc. (IT) T. S. Kalyani, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

Agriculture is one of the prominent sectors in Tamil Nadu providing livelihood support to 56% of the population. The state accounts 7% of the country’s population and 4% of water resources of the country. About 56% of the total cropped area of the state is under irrigated while around 44% of the area is under dry land farming. The contribution of agriculture in SGDP is 13% in 2006-07. The principal crops raised in the state comprise of food crops like paddy, millets, pulses and oilseeds and non-food crops like cotton and sugarcane. The total cropped area and production of principal crops depend on quantum and spread of precipitation and availability of ground water.

Agricultural sector witnessed deceleration from 1990’s onwards since the growth in agriculture face major constraints such as growing water scarcity, increasing land degrading, declining farm sizes and rise in cost of labour. Agricultural lands have also come under increasing pressure due to rapid urbanization. Moreover, the crop diversification underwent significant changes in the last two decades in area, productivity, and production in agricultural sector. In Tamil Nadu agricultural sector underwent significant transformation especially the transition from the traditional crops to the commercial crops which envisages the prominent scope for crop diversification.

The measurements of the crop diversification generally used are the Herfindal Index, Entropy Index, & Modified Entropy Index. This paper used Herfindal Index & Entropy Index for measuring the diversification of crops in Villupuram District from 1998 to 2008.

I. Introduction and Statement of the Problem

The present study focuses on An Economic analysis of crop diversification in Villupuram District during 1998 to 2008. Villupuram District is chosen for the study because the coefficient of variation in cropping intensity is 5.07 which is found to be greater than the coefficient variation for Tamil Nadu State (2.15) during 1998-2008. Crop diversification minimizes the risk of crop failure that might result from the vagaries of the climate and also helps farmers increase their incomes. Crop diversification in India is generally viewed as a shift from traditionally grown less remunerative crops to more remunerative crops. The crops shift also takes place due to governmental policies and thrust on some crops over a given time. Crop diversification and also the growing up of large number of crops are practiced in rain-fed land to reduce the risk factor of crop failures due to drought or less rain. Crops substitution and shift are also taking place in the areas with distinct soil problem, for example the growing of rice in high water table areas replacing oilseeds, pulses and cotton, promotion of soybean in place of sorghum in vertisoils. The present paper tries to measure the measure the extent of crop-diversification in Villupuram District which has both irrigated and dry land farming. (Palanisami, 2009)

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

V. Kalaiselvi, M.A., M.Phil., M.Sc.(IT)
Assistant Professor of Economics
Economics Wing D.D.E.
Annamalai University
Chidambaram-608002
Tamil Nadu, INDIA
kalaiaueco@gmail.com

T.S. Kalyani, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
Economics Wing D.D.E.
Annamalai University
Chidambaram-608002
Tamil Nadu, INDIA
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