Agro Economist - An International Journal Citation: AE: 4(1): 45-54, June 2017 DOI: 10.5958/2394-8159.2017.00009.3 ©2017 Renu Publishers. All rights reserved Transformation of Agriculture in Jharkhand R.P. Singh* and Jai Prakash Centre for Agribusiness Management, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, India Department of EES, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India Corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT The study on “Transformation in agriculture in Jharkhand” revealed that the cropping pattern has shifted from lower value crop to high value crops in the state. The area under paddy crop is declining continuously, but acreage under wheat crop is increasing in the state. The study further shows that the minor millets crops area is declining in the state continuously and reached to a negligible level. The performance of pulses and oil seeds crops are improving year after year as indicated by increase in area, production and productivity in the state. The vegetable crop’s area has contributed significant in cropping pattern showing nearly 11% during 2012-13 which was near about 7% in year 2000. The fruit acreage has also increased during 2000 to 2012 in the state. The rate of growth was near about three times in the state during this period. It was also found that there have been significant changes in consumption of chemical fertilizers (NPK) in the state showing near about three times higher from the base year 2001. The consumption of NPK was about 85 Kg, 30 Kg., and about 9.0 Kg. per hectare of cropped area making total 124 kg. The farmers also prefer high yielding varieties and hybrid varieties of any crop in the state. The milk production has also increased from about 9.5 lakh ton to near about 18 lakh tons during 2002-03 to 2012-13. Similarly, the fish production has strongly increased during 2001-02 to 2013-14 which is nearly more than five times from the base period (2001-02). The improved technology in agriculture has considerably increased the total food grain production in the state. On the whole, it is clearly indicated that technology transformation in agriculture has been taken place in the state. Keywords: Cropping pattern, production, productivity Jharkhand state was born on 15th November, 2000 deficiency of food grain in the state. At the time with near about 80 lakh hectare of geographical area of establishment of the state, the deficiency in rice, consisting of 23% of net shown area, 29% forest area wheat, and other cereals was 49%, 91% and 47%, and about 48% area under pasture and grazing land, respectively. Similarly in the case of pulses and oil unculturable land and other fallow land. Rainfed seed it was 48% and 71%. The situation was also grim agriculture is the predominant feature in Jharkhand. in case of milk, fish, and fruits (38%, 42%, and 60%). The irrigation facility is very low covering only Not only the production and productivity levels are about 10-12% of net cultivated area. The cropping low but also the degree of temporal as well as spatial intensity is just above 100%. The productivity of variability in the area and production of all the crops the crops (cereals, pulses, and oil seeds) is lower are very high. The problems get further aggravated than the national average and far lower than the during drought years. Considering the backward agricultural developed states in the country. These nature of agricultural scenario in Jharkhand, a phenomenon’s in the agriculture resulting big large number of schemes have been started by 45 Singh and Prakash central government, state government and several of wheat crop. They concluded that through crop other organizations to increase the production and diversification from food grain to vegetable and also productivity of crops and allied activities in the state. be in position to create effective aggregate demand and employment opportunity in crop production. Thakur (1988) made an attempt to analyze the trends and growth of oilseeds in Bihar and found that Keeping the importance of agriculture in the state through the yield of oilseed crops per unit of area in mind, the present study attempts to examine the in the state has increased during the last 25 years growth pattern and diversification in Jharkhand but this increase in yield has failed to boost the area Agriculture. under the crop, probably because of the shifting of more fertile land under the crop which gave a Objectives comparatively higher return. The main objectives are: Singh et al. (1993) in their study ‘An analysis of compound growth rates and factors affecting area, To examined changes in area, production and production and productivity of gram in Bihar’ productivity of cereals, pulses and oilseed crops. concluded that the compound growth rate of area To find out changes in area, production and in case of gram declined over the period except productivity of fruits and vegetables over periods Ranchi district area (0.04 %) and production of gram To analyze changes in milk and fish production in Hazaribagh (1.95%), Dhanbad (1.35%), Ranchi in the state. (1.50%) and Singhbhum (0.11%). Productivity of the crop showed positive compound growth rate in all the districts. This could be due to the fact that special Research methodology emphasis has been laid by the Govt. of India and the This study is based on secondary data collected State Govt. toward increasing the productivity of from different sources (Indian Journal of Fertilizer, pulses crops in general and gram in particular. They National Horticulture Board Bulletin, Economic also concluded that though the areas under pulses Survey of Jharkhand 2013-14, Jharkhand at a glance, in general (and gram in particular) are mostly pre- Department of Agriculture and Sugar cane, SAMETI) determined and as the area under irrigation increase, from the period of inception of state (2000-01 to 2012- it is gradually substituted by cereal or cash crops. The 13). The data were collected on the aspects of area, production can be increased either by motivating production, productivity of different crops; fish and the farmers of non-traditional pulses growing area milk production; fertilizer consumption; adoption of by introducing pulses crops in non-traditional of hybrid seeds. The tabular analysis technique, crop season. compound growth rate, Simpson Indices were used Singh and Bodra (2008) in their study found that to explain the changing scenario of agriculture in the the area under food grain crops were considerably state after its formation. higher on all categories of farmers. However the share of vegetable crops in total cropped area was RESULTS AND DISCUSSION significantly high on marginal farmers in respect to Transformation in agriculture and allied sector medium farmers. There was no significant change includes cropping pattern, area, production, and in average yield per hectare of food grain of various productivity of crops like paddy wheat, other cereals, farm sizes. Marginal and small farmers were more pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, milk production, efficient than medium farmers on producing fish production, and fertilizer application per unit of quantities of vegetables per hectare. They also found area in the state. The detailed analyses are presented that gross income per hectare of vegetable crops was below: more than 2.5 – 3 times higher than gross income per 1. Changes in cropping pattern: Cropping patter hectare of food grain crops. Among vegetable crops is most important indicator of transformation in maximum net return was returned by all categories agriculture. The changing scenario of cropped area of farmers in potato cultivations, while in cereals under different crops since inception of Jharkhand crops net return was obtained to be high in case 46 Transformation of Agriculture in Jharkhand Table 1: Cropping pattern of Jharkhand (1999-2013) 1999-00 2004-05 2009-10 2012-13 Particulars 000’s Hec % 000’s Hec % 000’s Hec % 000’s Hec % Paddy 1420.24 71.53 1276.42 58.67 982.00 50.38 1414.00 46.98 Wheat 57.21 2.88 64.50 2.96 99.66 5.11 164.30 5.46 Bajra 4.20 0.21 0.31 0.01 0.05 0.00 NA NA Maize 118.12 5.95 191.25 8.79 163.24 8.37 249.33 8.28 Ragi 41.32 2.08 17.36 0.80 10.42 0.53 2.14 0.07 Jowar 3.86 0.19 0.35 0.02 0.20 0.01 NA NA Total cereals 1632.10 82.20 1549.79 71.24 1255.52 64.41 1843.00 61.24 Gram 26.71 1.35 33.17 1.52 63.01 3.23 31.38 1.04 Lentil 6.71 0.34 15.47 0.71 18.63 0.96 10.10 0.34 Arhar 27.00 1.36 88.64 4.07 61.18 3.14 18.84 0.63 Peas 4.27 0.22 19.33 0.89 24.10 1.24 NA NA Total Pulse 144.65 7.29 290.91 13.37 296.71 15.22 586.97 19.50 Groundnut 5.03 0.25 18.34 0.84 14.22 0.73 NA NA Sesamum 14.78 0.74 9.57 0.44 4.28 0.22 NA NA Rapeseed and 8.20 0.41 44.81 2.06 96.26 4.94 21.35 0.71 Mustard Linseed 7.22 0.36 16.15 0.74 19.84 1.02 NA NA Sunflower 0.12 0.01 0.29 0.01 0.94 0.05 NA NA Total Oil seed 58.96 2.97 94.27 4.33 149.11 7.65 250.59 8.33 Vegetables 149.80 7.54 223.60 10.28 229.63 11.78 321.50 10.68 Spices NA NA 16.97 0.78 18.19 0.93 7.61 0.25 Fruits 29.90 — 33.20 — 43.95 — 93.00 — Gross Cropped Area 2015.41 — 2208.74 — 1993.11 — 3102.67 — Gross Cropped Area 1985.51 100.00 2175.54 100.00 1949.16 100.00 3009.67 100.00 excluding fruit Sources: i.