Divya Sharma

Can productivity and profitability be enhanced in intensively managed cereal systems while reducing the environmental footprint of production? Assessing sustainable intensification options in the breadbasket of India

Highlights • Higher cereal productivity can be achieved with lower environmental footprint through conservation agriculture.• Wheat productivity and profitability can be increased by zero-tillage and early sowing.• Kharif maize appears to be a suitable and profitable alternative to rice in northwest India.• Productivity and resource efficiency of transplanted rice can be improved by BMPs.• Directly sown rice has potential to save water, energy and global warming potential compared to transplanted rice.

Comparative economics of different farming systems In Himachal Pradesh

The farming systems represent integration of farm enterprises such as cropping systems, animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry, horticulture, etc. for optimal utilization of resources by the farmers. Farming systems of households in Solan, Shimla and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh were analyzed based on the primary data collected through a sample of 92 farmers by using two-stage stratified random sampling technique during the year 2016–17. About 63.03 per cent of the total farmers were found to be marginal, 23.91 per cent small farmers and 13.04 per cent other farmers. A total of nine farming systems including some non-farm componentswere identified. The average income of marginal farmers was highest in Agri+Wages type of system whereas average income of small and other farmers was highest from Horti+ Shop type of system. Across the categories, other farmers earned more than marginal and small farmers from the same patch of land. This gap was because of non-availability of credit to marginal and small farmers.

Farm Mechanization in Himachal Pradesh: Constraints, Status and its Role in Augmenting Farm Incomes

The present study sought to assess the status of mechanization in the state, and the concomitant constraints and to examine its role in reducing costs and hence enhance farm incomes. The results of this investigation showed that there is proliferation of the marginal holdings in the state as marginal farmers account for about 70 percent of the total holdings with meagre average holding size of 0.41 ha. The average number of parcels per holding in the state is more than double than that at the national level. These tiny holdings limit the scope of farm mechanization. The use of electricity in agriculture, as a proportion of total energy sold, is around one percent in Himachal Pradesh. The overall extent of farm mechanization in the state in terms of the number of agricultural implements per 1000 ha of gross cropped area, increased continuously from 1.543 machines in 1972–73 to 76.817 in 2011–12. The number of tractors and power tillers per 1000 ha of net sown area also increased from 0.06 in 1972 to 17.74 till 2002. The field evidence suggests that use of power tiller led to the reduction of cost to the tune of about 95 and 208 percent over hired bullock pair and owned bullock pair, respectively for land preparation and sowing purposes. This calls for more incentives towards farm mechanization so as to boost commercial farming in the state by laying more stress on high tech, precision, labour saving, farm machinery and tools.

Edible mushroom cultivation for rural development in Himachal Pradesh

Commercial production of mushrooms represents unique exploitation of the microbial technology for the bio conservation of the agricultural, industrial, forestry and horticultural wastes into nutritious food. Mandi district was purposively selected for the study due to sufficient number of mushroom growers in the district. A sample of 60 growers was selected by proportional allocation method. For the selection of the sample two stage random sampling technique was adopted. The overall net returns per rupee of investment were more for large growers i.e. Rs 1.27. In order to understand the determinants of mushroom production, regression analysis was done using Cobb-Douglas production function. Three channels of marketing were followed by the growers in the study area but the (producer # retailer # consumer) was the most important and followed by 56.06% of growers through which 44.09% of mushroom produce was marketed. On overall farms, marketed surplus was 78.67% which varied from 56.96% on small farms to 86.38% on the large farms.

Increasing farm productivity, income and employment through farming system approach: A review of concepts, constraints and issues

Farming is an important component of the economy of developing countries. Farming system is a viable approach, which represents an appropriate combination of farm enterprises, viz; crop production, horticulture, livestock, fishery, forestry, poultry and goat farming, etc. Farming system provides increased productivity per unit land, better utilisation of resources, recycling of farm wastes, sustainability, higher income and employment generation and reduction of risk. Hence, it is viewed as a powerful tool for natural and human resource management in developing countries like, India. This is multidisciplinary whole farm approach and very effective in solving the problems of small and marginal farmers. This approach not only increases income and employment opportunity but protect the environment through recycling of the crop and animal wastes within the farm itself. The present paper reviews the role of farming system approach in increasing income and employment, also highlights constraints in their adoption.