NGJI, An International Peer-Reviewed Journal NGSI-BHU, ISSN: 0027-9374/2019/1718 Vol. 65, No. 4, December 2019

Spatio-Temporal Variations in Paddy Cultivation: A Case Study of Paschim Medinipur District,

Rajeeb Samanta1 and Ranjana Bajpai2 1Assistant Professor Department of Geography, P. K.College, Purba Medinipur, W.B. 2Associate Professor Department of Applied Geography, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack (Corresponding Email: [email protected])

Abstract Agricultural growth leads to broad-based economic growth and development as linkages between farm and non-farm economies generate income and growth. Agricultural growth, in true sense denotes a change in crop area and production over different time periods. It plays a key role in alleviation and eradication of rural poverty and hunger. Paschim Medinipur district is predominantly an agricultural district of West Bengal where more than 80 percent of the total population resides in the villages, with surplus production of paddy, vegetables and potato. The cultivators constitute 22.80 percent of the total working population of 25.91 lakhs in the district; small and marginal farmers comprise 31.14 percent of the total cultivators and contribute 28.39 percent to Net District Domestic Product. Present study is focused upon the changing growth pattern and instability in area and yield of major paddy varieties (aus, aman, boro) in Paschim Medinipur district from 1992-93 to 2012-13, at district and blocks. Growth and instability in paddy have been measured by growth rate (%) and Cuddy Della Valle Index (CDVI) respectively. The study reveals that positive growth rate in area was found in case of boro, whereas growth in area under aus and aman was found to be negative. Seasonal and annual variability in monsoon contributes to the annual variability of growth in area and yield of aus and aman. Overall, there was stability in area and yield for all the three crops in the district, but there were widespread intra-block disparities in crop area and production in the district in terms of growth and instability. Keywords: Intra-block, growth, Cuddy Della Valle Index, paddy, area, yield, Introduction Agricultural growth and instability have outputs in terms of area, production, yield and been one of the major concerns of discussion in price between two given time periods. agricultural economics and matter of endless Instability is the uctuation in growth caused debate in . Instability is the inherent by physical, social, economic and behavioral character of agricultural growth. Here, growth factors. Despite rapid growth in agricultural denotes rate of change over time, whereas technology, large annual uctuations in agricultural growth means rate of change in agricultural output are a matter of concern, Spatio-Temporal Variations in Paddy Cultivation: A Case Study of Paschim Medinipur... 351 more so in Indian context. These uctuations came into existence in the present form on the are caused by frequent oods and droughts, 1st January 2002. Paschim Medinipur district is resulting in negative growth in agriculture. In the southernmost district of the Burdwan addition, spatio-temporal variability in Division, is situated between 210 36' 35” and 220 adoption of new technology in the form of 57' 10” North latitudes and between 860 33' 50” HYV seeds, fertilizers, irrigation and farm and 880 12' 40” East longitudes. Its boundary implements accentuate these uctuations in lies in and districts in the agricultural production. Agricultural instability north, Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts of increases the risk of farm production and Odisha in the south, Hugli and Purba affects farmers' income and decisions to adopt Medinipur districts in the east and Singbhum high cost technologies. Instability in district of Jharkhand and part of Odisha in the production affects the market price of outputs west. The total geographical area of Paschim and ultimately affects low income marginal Medinipur district is 9345.00 sq. km. and farmers. Existing literature regarding the contains twenty-nine blocks. Net cropped area relationship between growth and instability of of the district is about of 5, 73,575 ha (Census, area and yield may be categorized into two 2011). Major crops grown in the district are periods i.e. pre-green revolution and post- paddy (aus, aman and boro), wheat, potato, green revolution phase. The present study vegetables, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane, jute, includes post-green revolution time period for maize, betel vine, mat-stick etc. The district is the analysis (due to non-availability of block surplus in production of cereals, potato and level individual crop data before 1992). The other vegetable crops. Objectives of the present study conducted by Mehra (1981) and Hazell study are to measure spatio-temporal growth (1982) reveal that adoption of new technology and instability of paddy varieties (seasonal) has been instrumental in increasing instability and to understand the relationship between in area and production. According to Ray growth and instability of paddy varieties in (1983a) levels of instability increased after Paschim Medinipur district. green revolution. Rao et. al. (1988) supported Data sources and Methodology the views of Mehra (1981), Hazell (1982) and The study uses a time-series secondary Ray (1983b) and opined that amplitude of data on area and yield of aus, aman and boro uctuation in output signicantly increased in (seasonal paddy varieties) from the period post-green revolution periods. Larson et. al. 1992-1993 to 2012-2013. Due to non- (2004) concluded that green revolution played availability of block level individual crop data a very signicant role in increasing production before 1992, the secondary data were collected but contributes to higher instability in from various issues of District Statistical production and yield. In contrast to this, other Handbook Paschim Medinipur district studies reported that instability declined with during1992-1993 to 2012-2013. The period of g r o w t h o f a g r i c u l t u r e ( D a s , 1 9 7 8 ; study was categorized into four periods - 1993 Mahendradev, 1987; Tripathy, 1990; Sharma to 1997, 1998 to 2002, 2003 to 2007 and 2008 et. al. 2006; Chand & Raju, 2009). to2013, to make the analysis more comparative Study Area for the measurement of instability in area and Located in the southern part of West yield among crops and periods as well. Bengal, Paschim Medinipur has been carved Growth rate in area and yield was from the erstwhile Medinipur district, and calculated with the help of percentage of 352 Rajeeb Samanta and Ranjana Bajpai growth rate for three seasonal varieties of R2= Coefcient of Determination paddy i.e. aus, aman and boro. To reduce the The low value of this index indicates low effects of production uctuation due to climatic instability in area and yield and vice-versa. variability three-year average data of area and Cuddy Della Valle Index values were divided yield of each crop was calculated, followed by into ve categories which represent the estimation of their growth rates. different ranges of instability to make the Growth (%) = analysis more comparative by different crops in Where, Paschim Medinipur district. Based on 100

P1= Value of Previous year (percentage of percent instability value blocks were categories area or yield) into equal ve classes: very high instability

P2=Value of Present year (percentage of (Above 80), high instability (80-60), moderate area or yield) instability (60-40), low instability (40-20) and The study used Cuddy Della Valle Index very low instability (below 20). (CDI) to measure crop instability in area and Result and Discussion yield (Cuddy and Valle, 1978). Many studies Periodic Growth of Aus Paddy (Hazell, 1982; Larson, 2004 and Alemu, 2005) Paddy is the principal cereal crop of have applied coefcient of variation (CV) to Paschim Medinipur district and is mainly show variation but there are some limitations in produced on a subsistence basis. One of the time-series data analysis. In general, seasonal varieties of paddy which is cultivated measurement of instability of time series data in summer and harvested in autumn is locally using coefcient of variation considered the known as aus. It is a high-water consuming linear relationship among variables, but in crop. The available data shows that growth rate major cases the reality was different as the of area under aus was positive during the rst studies ignored the non-linear pattern of period, but thereafter, declines to negative relationship. So, simple CV can over-estimate continuously for the next ve periods (Figure the instability level. In this regard, Cuddy- 1). Yield of aus started decreasing after 1999- Della Valle Index rstly investigates the 01 to 2002-04, a trend that continued up to appropriate relationship, i.e., whether it is 2008-10 to 2011-13. Paschim Medinipur linear or non-linear then calculates magnitude district experienced a better growth of yield of of instability. In the present study, Cuddy-Della aus from 1999-01 to 2002-04. Valle Index (Ix) attempted to de-trend the CV From 1993-95 to 2011-13, seven blocks of by using coefcient of determination (R2). the district showed positive growth in area of Thus, Cuddy-Della Valle indices (Ix) enable a aus, among which Pingla, Sabong, Daspur-I, better measure of instability. Further, linear Daspur-II and performed exceptionally trend model (Ix1) and log-linear trend model better compared to other blocks. Negative

(Ix2) both were tested. Accordingly, level of growth in area was registered in -II, signicance CV, IX1 or IX2 were chosen. -I and -II where cent Appropriate Instability index can be percent area had decreased. Except Salboni and expressed as: Garbeta-I, remaining blocks stopped the Ix= production of aus. But surprisingly, the yield of Ix= Appropriate Instability Index (Cuddy aus increased across the blocks except in Della Valle Index) Binpur-I, Debra, Chandrakona-I, Kharagpur-I, CV= Coefcient of Variation Dantan-I and Dantan-II (Figure 4). During the Spatio-Temporal Variations in Paddy Cultivation: A Case Study of Paschim Medinipur... 353 last 20 years, maximum area under aus has correlation co-efcient value of growth rate in decreased due to poor quality of rice being area and yield of aus was insignicant i.e. produced, having a lower demand. Pearson's r=0.0, which denotes that the change in an area

Source: Prepared by Authors Figure 1: Periodic Growth of Area and Yield of Aus Paddy had not affected the yield of aus in various of blocks due to poor irrigation facilities. The blocks of Paschim Medinipur district. most notable positive rate of growth in area Periodic analysis of area under aus under aus was found in Binpur-I, Sankrail, presents a different scenario. From 1993-95 to Salboni, Garbeta-I, Garbeta-III, Medinipur and 1996-98, the area under aus decreased in a Kharagpur-II from 2005-07 to 2008-10. A number of blocks due to lack of irrigation positive growth in the area was found in facilities and over dependency on rainfall maximum blocks from 2008-10 to 2011-13, but (Tripathy, 1996). In comparison to area, the rate rate of yield became negative due to drought of yield increased due to adoption of better which destroyed a large percentage of cropping quality seeds and implements. From 1996-98 to area and production (DSHB, 2011). Shrinkage 1999-01, Debra, Pingla, Keshiary, Sabong, in area under aus was partly a result of infertile Chandrakona-II and Daspur-I blocks showed lateritic soils, besides, of course the use of negative growth rate in the area under aus. Out traditional low yield paddy varieties by the of twenty-nine blocks, seventeen blocks farmers, as against improved high yielding showed negative rate of growth in yield. From varieties. Other signicant cause behind the 1999-01 to 2002-04, in contrast with other periodic variability in the area under aus blocks, a considerable amount of area cultivation was lack of proper irrigation increased in Daspur-I, Daspur-II, Ghatal, facilities which may otherwise facilitate more Kharagpur-II, Mohanpur, Narayangarh, area under cultivation. , Binpur-I, Dantan-II, Pingla and Debra blocks. The main J a m b o n i , N a y a g r a m , K h a r a g p u r - I , reason behind the positive growth in area was Gopiballavpur-I, Gopiballavpur-II, Keshpur, the adoption of groundwater irrigation (C- Dantan-I and Mohanpur blocks come under DAP,2010). Positive growth in yield of aus was this category and continuously displayed a found in number of blocks of the district negative growth in the area under aus due to (Figure 4) From 2002-04 to 2005-07, aus terrace track and rugged topography. Also, the registered a positive change in growth rate of combined effect of water logging due to heavy area, but yield was found to be low in a number rainfall, hail storm and drought destroys 354 Rajeeb Samanta and Ranjana Bajpai standing crops almost every alternative year, cultivation in Paschim Medinipur, a fact that leading to losses worth crores of rupees in accounts for high positive growth rates in yield terms of area and production under aus. during the period of 1993-95 to 2011-13 among Periodic Growth of Aman Paddy all the blocks, except Dantan-II and Aman is also one of the major seasonal Narayangarh (Figure 4), where the area under varieties of paddy being produced in Paschim aman has shifted to boro cultivation and the Medinipur district. As per crop calendar of farmers prefer to produce vegetables rather Paschim Medinipur (Agricultural ofce than paddy. Another cause of the shift is Paschim Medinipur, 2011) Aman is sown variability in the advancement of monsoon during rainy season (July-August) and which results in massive loss in aman harvested in winter (November-December). production. Correlation between growth in Aman is cultivated as subsistence as well as area and yield of aman is very insignicant i.e. commercial basis to compensate for the loss of r=0.16 which denotes that the change in the aus. The analysis of aman cultivation shows area of aman has not affected the growth rate of that growth rate in area under this crop was its yield in Paschim Medinipur district. negative during second, fth and sixth periods Dynamic periodic change in area and yield (Figure 2). The growth rate in yield was can be seen in case of aman (Figure 2). positive upto the fourth period, but growth in Between 1993-95 and 1996-98, eleven blocks area became negative from 2005-07 onwards. of the district showed positive growth in the Out of twenty-nine blocks, sixteen blocks area in which Binpur-I (68.42%) recorded the registered negative growth in area, among highest followed by Gopiballavpur-I (33.46%), which Garbeta-III registered the highest Sankrail (16.19%), Daspur-I (15.73%) and negative growth (-35.44%). Aman is the most Kharagpur-I (12.83%) etc. Noticeable growth popular and largest produced varieties of paddy in yield was registered by Chandrakona-I and

Source: Prepared by Authors Figure 2: Periodic Growth of Area and Yield of Aman Paddy Chandrakona-II blocks, i.e., 53.29 percent and analysis of the growth in area under aman from 92.85 percent, respectively. 1996-98 to 1999-01 reveals that out of twenty- In most of the blocks, relation between the nine blocks, nineteen blocks registered rate of growth in area and yield was positive, negative rates. In sharp contrast, only nine i.e., with an increase in area, the yield too blocks registered a decline in yield. The registered an increase and vice-versa. An reasons for the same are not very difcult to Spatio-Temporal Variations in Paddy Cultivation: A Case Study of Paschim Medinipur... 355 locate as annual oods inundate a large chunk be exceptionally high in Daspur-II (110.68%) of area under cultivation, thus it is playing a block. Blocks of Kharagpur subdivision signicant role in decreasing area and yield of showed a declining trend in yield from 2008-10 aman. For the period from 1999-01 to 2002-04, to 2011-13. the positive growth rate of the area was highest Largest cereal production in the district in Jhargram (56.32%) block followed by was registered by aman which is a monsoon Jamboni (18.44%), Keshiary (14.56%) and dependent crop cultivated under rainwater. other blocks. The key correlates of such Application of HVY seeds, fertilizers, massive growth in area and yield have been the pesticides and modern agricultural implements adoption of modern technology and application together give very high yields. During the post- of HYV seeds. The area under aman also independence period, especially in last 20 increased due to an increase in agricultural years, agriculture has undergone substantial area, but different blocks showed slightly structural transformation which helps in negative growth in yield. From 2002-04 to positive growth in yield. Seasonal and annual 2005-07, a decreasing trend in area under aman variability of monsoon characteristics was found in blocks due to the inundation of contribute annual variability of growth in area large croplands by the consecutive oods of and yield of aman. The blocks under direct Kansabati (Kasai) and Silabati (Silai) rivers. inuence of river channel have faced periodic Highest positive growth rate in area was ood conditions and the large parts of the crop reected in Garbeta-I (45.72%) and Salboni area go under water during rainy season. As a (38.14%) in respect of previous period due to result, there was a huge loss in terms of area and extension of aman area over and above existing production that ultimately reduced yield and cropped area. A signicant positive growth in the earnings of the farmers. Periodic variability yield was found in Gopiballavpur-II (33.30), in area and yield was very high due to Nayagram (27.61%), Mohanpur (27.07%), monsoonal effect. Daspur-II (21.95%) and Jhargram (21.77%) Periodic Growth of Boro Paddy blocks only. From 2005-07 to 2008-10, almost Boro is a seasonal paddy variety and all the blocks of the district registered a highest yielding cereal crop. Boro cultivation is negative growth trend in the area, caused by carried out by farmers for commercial purpose heavy rainfall leading to extensive loss of aman only. The analysis of available data shows that area and yield in annual oods. Highest growth of area and yield was found to be almost positive growth in yield was observed in parallel during all the periods. Positive growth Sabong (54.67%) during the period of 2005-07 in area and yield was found in 1993-95 to 1996- to 2008-10, followed by Debra (26.75%), 98, 1996-98 to1999-01, 2002-04 to 2005-07 Keshpur (19.32%), Mohanpur (12.52%) and and 2005-07 to 2008-10 (Figure 3). Periods Keshiary (12.10%). Mohanpur registered 1999-01 to 2002-04 and 2008-10 to 2011-13 positive growth rate in the yield for three viewed negative growth in both area and yield. consecutive periods due to the introduction of The overall growth rate of yield was lower in HYV seeds, fertilizers and modern agricultural comparison to the growth rate in area. The last implements. Growth rate in area under aman period from 2008-10 to 2011-13, registered was considerably negative in a number of minimum growth in yield. blocks from 2008-10 to 2011-13 (Figure 4). For the entire period starting from 1993-95 The growth rate in yield of aman was found to to 2011-13, boro registered exceptionally high 356 Rajeeb Samanta and Ranjana Bajpai

Source: Prepared by Authors Figure 3: Periodic Growth of Area and Yield of Boro Paddy positive growth rate in area in Chandrakona-I B i n p u r - I I ( 1 5 6 . 4 6 % ) f o l l o w e d b y (436.66%), Keshiary (388.4%), Narayangarh Gopiballavpur-I (87.97%), Keshiary (79.79%), (247.82%), Dantan-I (250.27%), Mohanpur Chandrakona-I (56.14%), Kharagpur-II (189.23%), Keshpur (168.79%), Kharagpur-I (55.44%), Daspur-II (46.98%) and Garbeta-II (160.15%), Dantan-II (125.08%) and (42.49%) blocks. The positive growth rate in Chandrakona-II (112.77%) blocks (Figure 4). yield has found in twenty-six blocks. This trend was due to an increase in irrigated Overall, majority of the blocks showed area. On the other hand, Binpur-II (-44.2%), negative growth in the area, but yield still Garbeta-I (-11.23%), Narayangarh (-7.86%), maintained positive growth due to the Nayagram (-4.27%), Medinipur (-2.11%) and introduction of groundwater irrigation, HYV Jamboni blocks (-1.45%) were registered seeds and farm implements. During the period negative growth rate in yield. Correlation of 1999-01 to 2002-04, growth trend was found between growth rate in area and yield of boro to be negative in both area and yield in most of was very insignicant (r=-0.11). The area the blocks. Only six blocks experienced a under boro increased across the blocks of marginal positive growth rate in the area. In Paschim Medinipur district at a higher rate in case of yield rate, only two blocks showed comparison to that aus and aman, but failed to positive growth: Medinipur (2.62%) and achieve higher levels of growth in yield. The Daspur-I (6.60%). The consecutive impacts of district recorded high periodic variability in all ood and drought during this period caused six periods. During 1993-95 to 1996-98, the massive crop failures in the district. highest growth in the area was registered by During 2002-04 to 2005-07, highest Binpur-I (523.66%) followed by Kharagpur-I positive growth rate in area was found in (124.32%) and Medinipur (110.20%). The Chandrakona-I (481.17%) followed by highest positive growth rate in yield was found Garbeta-III (100.21%), Binpur-II (93.37%), in Ghatal block (398.78%), also being the Salboni (87.08%) and Keshpur (80.70%) highest in the entire period. Only six blocks blocks. Positive growth in yield was found in showed negative growth rate in yield. During Nayagram (43.32%), Gopiballavpur-II 1996-98 to 1999-01, very high positive growth (34.44%), Pingla (19.55%) and Binpur-II rate was found in both area and yield; the (18.20%) blocks. The phenomenal positive highest growth in area being recorded in growth in the area was experienced by boro in Spatio-Temporal Variations in Paddy Cultivation: A Case Study of Paschim Medinipur... 357 comparison to growth in yield. In case of motivates them to cultivate boro. Gopiballavpur-II, growth in area it has been Instability of Aus Paddy found negative but yield was found positive Overall, block-wise analysis of the rate of (Figure 4), i.e. decelerated growth in the area instability in area and yield of aus depicted a but an accelerated yield. very interesting picture. There were wide- A rapid increase in the area was observed in ranging variations in levels of instability in Paschim Medinipur district during period of both area and yield in different blocks of the 2005-07 to 2008-10. A number of blocks district as evident from Figure 5. During 1993 showed exceptionally highly positive growth to 1997, there was a wide spatial variation in the rate in area and yield under boro. The levels of instability in area of blocks of the relationship between growth in area and yield district. Very high instability in area was found showed accelerated growth in the area with in Daspur-II followed by Daspur-I, whereas decelerated yield. The block-wise growth rate other blocks witnessed low levels of instability in area was found to be remarkably positive due to increasing growth. From 1998 to 2002, during the sixth period (2008-10 to 2011-13), blocks located in the eastern and south-eastern but growth in yield was not found signicant. parts of the district experienced very high To minimize risks associated with monsoonal instability in area due to both increasing and affect, boro cultivation was started in Paschim decaling growth in area. During the third Medinipur district with sufcient modern period, blocks like Binpur-I, Keshiary, facilities, including proper irrigation during Chandrakona-II and Daspur-I experienced winter. Boro cultivation has tried to high instability in area due to growth in area, compensate for the loss of aus and aman. The whereas reduction in area was responsible for use of HVY seeds, fertilizers and implements very high instability in the area in Binpur-II, help to bring more area under boro cultivation. Nayagram and Kharagpur-II. During 2008 to Majority of the blocks registered very high 2013, levels of instability in the area remained positive growth in area under boro compared to high and very high in maximum blocks induced other cereal crops, although growth in yield by massive fall in area. does not take place at considerable rate across During 1993 to 1997, levels of instability in the district. yield varied between low to very low. Blocks endowed with fertile river alluvium Maximum blocks experienced instability due (Figure 4), experienced the higher yields in to the increasing growth in yield. During the comparison to the others. On the whole, the second period, the blocks maintained better growth of area and yield under boro showed yield rate, which varied between low to positive but very high spatial variability in moderate levels of instability (Figure 5). growth rate in area and yield. Drought is mainly Except in Binpur-II, Gopiballavpur-II, responsible for the periodic variability in the Garbeta-II and Garbeta-III, other blocks area of boro. In addition, poor irrigation experienced increased growth in yield leading facilities, lack of HYV seeds, fertilizers and to its instability. During the third period, levels pesticides together contributed to the reduction of instability in yield remained more or less of rate of growth in yield of boro. Sometimes similar to second period, but maximum blocks huge loss during aman cultivation creates experienced instability due to declining trend nancial distress among farmers, especially the in growth, except Binpur-I, Jamboni, Sankrail, small and marginal farmers which de- Gopiballavpur-I, Gopiballavpur-II, Garbeta-III 358 Rajeeb SamantaandRanjanaBajpai

Figure 4: Block wise Growth of Aus, Aman and Boro Paddy Spatio-Temporal Variations in Paddy Cultivation: A Case Study of Paschim Medinipur... 359 and Pingla blocks. During 2008-2013, level of growth in area (Figure 6). During 2003-2007, instability in yield was very high in Binpur-II, very low instability in the area was found in Mohanpur, Kharagpur-I, Chandrakona-I and twenty-nine blocks, out of which maximum Daspur-II. Daspur-II for the rst time blocks showed instability because of fall in experienced instability due to increase growth area. Except Jamboni, Mohanpur and Sabong, in yield and other blocks showed instability due other blocks registered very low instability in to cent percent decline in yield. Magnitude of the area during 2008-2013. instability of aus was higher in case of area in In case of yield, the levels of instability comparison to its yield. Being a summer crop, remained low to very low in all the blocks aus is a high water requirement crop which during 1993-97, among which fteen blocks requires 75-58 cm of water (C-DAP, Paschim showed uctuation in growth of yield due to its Medinipur, 2011) that has to be fullled by decline. During 1998-02, an exceptional, very irrigated means. The instability increased in high instability in yield was recorded in area and yield mainly due to frequent and Chandrakona-II (Figure 6), while other blocks severe droughts during 1991, 1995, 1999, witnessed low to very low levels of instability. 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, and 2011. Further, a During 2003-07 and 2008-13, low levels of decline in area under irrigation also contributed instability in yield were found in almost every to higher instability. block of the district, out of which maximum Due to low groundwater potentiality, blocks experienced instability because of blocks like Keshpur, Kharagpur-I, Kharagpur- growth in yield. The western and southern II, Gopiballavpur-II and Sankrail had restricted blocks of the district experienced fall in yield irrigation during summer as prohibition of due to lack of proper agricultural inputs, irrigation was imposed by Department of infrastructure and social development. Agriculture in Sabong, Pingla, Mohanpur, The data reveals that instability in area was Debra and Narayangarh blocks. These factors more prominent than yield because of a gradual ultimately reduced the area under aus decrease in cultivated area due to extension of cultivation. Sometimes, instability in area and settlement and other development projects in yield also occurred due to higher production as cultivable land. In major cases, aman an outcome of more application of HYV seeds, experienced an instability due to fall in area and chemical fertilizers, pesticides and modern yield from 1992-93 to 2012-2013. It was agricultural implements. mainly due to erratic, irregular and insufcient Instability of Aman Paddy rainfall over the years. Physiographic set-up Aman is the largest produced, rainfall- and spatial distribution of rainfall caused oods dependent paddy variety sown in Paschim during the rainy season in different blocks. All Medinipur district, with minimum investment blocks of Ghatal sub-division faced annual in irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides. During oods. Major oods occurrences were 1993-1997, all the blocks witnessed low to very recorded during 1993, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2007, low levels of instability in the area as annual 2011 and 2013 which led to almost total crop coverage of aman area remained same during failure due to inundation of crop land. this period. During 1998-2002, low to very low During harvesting period, a low pressure instability in the area was found in twenty-nine over the Bay of Bengal causes winter rainfall blocks (Figure 6), out of which eighteen blocks which affects a large area and affects the overall recorded instability in area due to the increased production. Instability in area and yield also 360 Rajeeb SamantaandRanjanaBajpai

Figure 5: Block-wise Area and Yield Instability Index of Aus Paddy Spatio-T emporal V ariations inPaddyCultivation: A CaseStudyofPaschimMedinipur

Figure 6: Block-wise Area and Yield Instability Index of Aman Paddy ... 361 362 Rajeeb Samanta and Ranjana Bajpai occurred due to the application of sufcient found high in Jamboni, while rest of the blocks HYV seeds, modern agricultural implements showed low to very low levels of instability and fertilizers. during 2003-07. During 2008-13, instability in Instability of Boro Paddy yield remained very low in almost every block Boro is the highest water requirement crop except Binpur-II (Figure 7). Among these i.e. 150-175 cm (C-DAP, Paschim Medinipur- blocks, fteen blocks registered instability 2011:81) which completely depends on because of reduction in yield. Instability in articial irrigation system. Levels of instability boro was caused by successive droughts that in the area of boro during 1993-97 were found lead to massive crop failures. Sometimes, to be high in Chandrakona-II and Garbeta-I excessive rainfall too during growing and blocks, while the remaining blocks came under harvesting periods caused crop failures in very low to moderate category, among which blocks during 1995, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2007 instability in area was found in most of the and 2012. Further, the decline in area under blocks due to the increased growth in area irrigation was accounted for by the reduction of e x c e p t B i n p u r- I I , G o p i b a l l a v p u r- I , yield. Insufcient irrigation facilities and lack Gopiballavpur-II, Garbeta-I, Garbeta-II, of infrastructural development contributed to Garbeta-III and Daspur-II blocks. During higher instability in crop production. The 1998-02, very high instability in area was instability was also caused by the adoption of found in Binpur-II, Chandrakona-I and new and improved technology that helped in Gopiballavpur-I blocks and other blocks achieving a substantial increase in aman showed moderate to very low levels of production brought the district close to instability. During the third period, the highest attaining food self-sufciency and increased levels of instability were found in Nayagram, stability in area and yield. followed by Jhargram, Medinipur, and Association between Growth and Instability Garbeta-III. Among these blocks, maximum In this sub-section, an attempt has been blocks showed instability in the area because of made to analyze that whether growth in area its rising growth (Figure 7). During 2008-13, and yield is correlated with instability of highest instability in area was recorded in various crops or not. The correlation between Binpur-II and Kharagpur-I (Figure 7) among growth and instability in area and yield of which instability occurred in Jamboni, Salboni, major crops of district is presented in Table 1 Keshpur, Chandrakona-I and Daspur-I blocks Pearson's Correlation Coefcient values (at 5 due to signicant increasing growth in area percent signicance level) indicate that there under boro. exists an inverse relationship between trends in During 1993-97, very high instability in growth of area under a crop and instability rates yield was found in Ghatal block only and other for that crop for four selected periods. This blocks witnessed low to very low levels of means that an increase in growth of area instability among which maximum block decreases the instability and vice-versa. In registered instability due to the reduction in stark contrast, correlation between growth in yield of boro. Moderate instability was found in yield of a crop and instability in yield of that Binpur-II, Jamboni, Garbeta-II and Daspur-I crop depicted a positive relationship for the blocks due to agricultural drought and other selected periods except from 2003 to 2007. blocks remained low in levels of instability in This means a growth in yield levels of a crop 1998-02. Levels of instability in yield were increases its instability, a welcome Spatio-T emporal V ariations inPaddyCultivation: A CaseStudyofPaschimMedinipur

Figure 7: Block-wise Area and Yield Instability Index of Boro Paddy ... 363 364 Rajeeb Samanta and Ranjana Bajpai development. This reveals that correlation negative, and contributed to higher spatio- between growth and instability in area and temporal inequality in the district as a whole yield of paddy were both positive as well as and also at block-level.

Conclusion a decline in the cropping area. The study also The overall analysis of instability in area reveals a trend of shift from traditional crops to and yield of crops reveals that the growth of protable boro cultivation. Besides, as far as area was highly unstable in comparison to its relationship between growth and instability is yield and it is applicable for all crops in concerned, there was no specic pattern of Paschim Medinipur district. Higher stability in relationship emerging in case of yield. A area and yield growth was found in case of negative relationship existed in case of area; aman and boro, whereas aus experienced wherein higher growth caused lower instability highest instability in the district. Hence, there but yield portrayed a completely different are periodic and crop-wise variabilities in picture. Instability in crop production is an relationship between growth and instability. inseparable component of growth. Yield The relationship between growth and instability mostly depends upon market instability of area was negative which signies demand and price, crop value, attitude and that higher the growth in area contributed lower ability of the farmers to take a risk. crop instability in area and vice-versa. In case References of yield, both positive and negative Alemu, Z. G., 2005, Causes of Instability in relationships were found. Instability in area and Cereal Production in Ethiopia, Working yield of major crops showed different spatial Paper, Department of Agricultural patterns depending upon prevailing agro- Economics, Faculty of Natural and ecological settings of different blocks. So, there Agricultural Sciences at the University of was a declining trend of growth in area and the Free State, Ethiopia. [Online: web] yield of major crops during post-green Accessed 6 December 2014, URL: revolution period. 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