CHAPTER - 7

AGRICULTURE IN

CHOTA BHANGAL WATERSHED

The main stray of the livelihood of the people of the region is agriculture.

Agriculture is the mainstay of Indian economy. It remains to be an important

theme of academic research and concern of scholars and scientists belonged

to various disciplines. Agriculture is the science and art of cultivating the soil

raising crops and rearing livestock, but, is not only a matter of soil and crop,

rain and irrigation or seeds and fertilizers. It is however, the complex

relationship between the behavior of man, his activities, his organization, his

institutions etc. On the one hand and nature on the other from this point of

view, agriculture can be described as a relationship and constant struggle

between Man and Nature.

Agriculture is a spatial subject (Govind, 1986) and has long been an

important object of study in geography. Agricultural geography is a sub-set of

economic geography, concerned with the spatial distribution of agriculture

activity (Dictionary of Human Geography, 2000). Agriculture has been a very

old economic activity for human beings. Starting with the end of nomadic life, it

has passed through many phases and in each of these phases, the character

and style of forming has changed. Himachal Pradesh, where one of the oldest

civilizations had flourished, also has a very long and proud tradition of

agriculture. Nature has provided all the natural resources for the natives of this

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land and it has helped farmers to develop many kinds of crops and fruits. Each

of these plants had a special place in the cropping pattern.

The way in which a particular piece of land is used is not determined by

chance, but by the interplay of a number of factors. In some cases one factor

might dominate in other cases another factor might be more important.

Watson’s Longman Modern English Dictionary (1976) defines the word

agriculture as the science or the art or the practice of large scale soil cultivation

in order to produce crops. Agriculture is the main stay of the majority of the

rural population of the Chota Bhangal watershed area. In Chota Bhangal

watershed area farmers generally grow wheat, barley, millets, rajmash and

potato. The productivity per unit area is very low. The main reasons for low

productivity are non-adoption of package of recommendations, poor fertility of

soils, lack of irrigation facilities, poor knowledge and skills of farming

community and erosion of top fertile soils. Agro- climatic conditions of the

watershed area has highly conductive for the production of high value crops. It

is envisaged in the chapter that human resource development will be done

through awareness and skill enhancement training programmes.

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Land is suitable for the production of potatoes

P 16

People Carrying Potatoes on their back from Storage

P 17

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7.1 LAND USE PATTERN

Land as an eco-system can be put to various uses. The land use which

is often guided by economics has been continuously changing ever since the

human imprints on earth. The relationship between man and nature has

changed through the corridor of time. In the beginning we were slaves of the

nature and at that time all the activities of human being controlled by

environment. Slowly but steadily human being learnt to probe into the mysteries

of nature and recent scientific and technical knowledge gave enormous power

in the hand of human beings. The land use and land cover has been changing

very fast as a result of construction, roads and industrialization. Land is the

basic resource for the emergence and development of all living things including

the human beings. We all know that land constitute only 29.22 per cent of the

total surface area of the earth and remaining 70.78 percent is covered by

oceans and water bodies. The situation becomes more precarious if the land

not suited for agricultural activity is excluded. Nearly 30 per cent of land surface

includes steep and lofty mountains, inhospitable deserts, marshy land, bad land

and swamp etc. The land meets multi facet demands of human beings that

range from sustenance level to highest level of economic development. The

ever increasing population on one hand demands for more food grains and on

the other many of the developmental activities like housing, building of roads,

dams etc. encroach on productive land.

Land use stand for man’s activities on and in relation to the land. This

includes a description of natural contents of area especially that of the

vegetation cover, as well as that of the additions made by man in the form of

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various cultural features. Only 10.91% of the total geographical area the Chota

Bhangal watershed is being used for raising crops. Chunk of the area (83.57%)

is under reserved and demarcated forests. Culturable wasteland and

pasturelands constitute only 3.71 per cent of the total watershed area. This

clearly indicates that suitable for growing crops in very limited and that too is

subjected to severe soil erosion mainly due to water. Total irrigated land is

6603 hectare and 1358 hectare land is not under the irrigation. Farmers grow

wheat, Barley, Potato and Vegetables in Chota Bhangal watershed. 648

hectares land is under the wheat cultivation, Barley in 361 hectare; Potato in

323 hectare, vegetables in 26 hectares land.

Terrestrial farming at Chota Bhangal Watershed

P 18

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Land-use pattern of Chota Bhangal watershed

S. No. Land use Area Percentage

1 Total geographical area 33,000 100.00

2 Area under forests 24,411 83.51

3 Cultural waste land 182 1.37

4 Net area sown 1,451 10.91

5 Pasture land 312 2.34

6 Un-culturable land 234 1.76

7 Area under fruit plants 14 0.11

Table T 15

Land use pattern of Chota Bhangal watershed in perc entage

83.51

1.3710.91

2.34

1.76

0.11

Area under forests

Cultural waste land

Net area sown

Pasture land

Un-culturable land

Area under fruit plants

Graph G-03

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Land use to begin with one should form a picture of the dimension of

land in terms of what we have and can have. This is to be done both in terms of

it existing availability and its use, as also of the possibilities of augmenting its

quality.

Panchayats wise irrigated non-irrigated land or pro duction of

wheat, Barley, Potato and vegetables in hectares

S. No.

Name of the

Panchayats

Total irrigated land in hectare

Non-irrigated

land

Production of wheat/ hectare

Production of Barley in hectare

Production of Potato in hectare

Production of

vegetable in hectare

1 Swar 810 170 89 70 10 1

2 Luai 705 102 79 18 1 11

3 Polling 800 141 106 32 2 1

4 Multhan 493 431 10 200 220 1

5 Dharman 809 110 78 1 30 1

6 Kothi-

Kohar

1215 253 184 40 19 10

7 Baragran 1771 151 102 -- 41 8

Total 6603 1358 648 361 323 26

Table T 16

In whole watershed, only in hectares area is under fruit plantation. Main

fruits grown are apple, apricot and walnut the orchards are poorly managed

and yields are very low. The culturable wastelands and unculturable land (371

hectares) can be brought under the fruit cultivation, as agro climatic conditions

are suitable.

There are 1574 forming families in the Chota Bhangal watershed.

Maximum land holdings are in polling micro watershed and minimum 115 are in

Kothi-Kohar micro watershed. All the farming families are having land less than

two hectares. Small farmers constitute 74.14% of the total landowners. The

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remaining farmers are small and marginal farmers. The farming is subsistence

type. All the land owning families rear animals for fulfilling their domestic needs.

Inhabitants of the watershed are mostly work as migrant labourers as the

climatic conditions are severe and also there is no cash crop or other economic

activity in the area.

There are 1574 farming families in the Chota Bhangal Watershed.

Maximum land holdings (470 numbers) are in Polling Micro watershed

minimum 115 are in Kothi-Kohar Micro watershed. All the farming families are

having land less than two hectares. Small farmers constitute 74.14% of the

total landowners. The remaining farmers are small and marginal farmers. The

farming is subsistence type. All the land owning families rear animals for

fulfilling their domestic needs. Inhabitants of the watershed are mostly work as

migrant laborers as the climatic conditions are severe and also there is no cash

crop or other economic activity in the area.

Distribution of small and marginal farmers in Chota Bhangal watershed

S. No. Name of

Micro Watershed

Small Farmers

Marginal Farmers Total

1 Baragaran 143 60 203

2 Dharaman 251 179 430

3 Kothi-Kohar 88 27 115

4 Luhardi 297 59 356

5 Polling 388 82 470

Total 1,167 407 1,574

Table T 17

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Lack of irrigation facilities coupled with poor knowledge and skill the

farmers have not adopted any enterprise which provide them cash flow for their

well being. With project’s support it is envisaged to improve socio-economic

status of the poor community.

Cropping System

The farmers were following different combinations of kharif and

Rabi crops in the study area. Major cropping system followed by the form

house holds pupils grows up to 2000 winter wheat, potato Rajmah and few fiber

crops amsunthus (sule) Cannabis (Bhang). They were selling Rajamash and

potato through local barter system. Cannabis seeds were used for local recipe

(bhangolu) after 2000 they try to grow off seasons high valley cash crops

.Cabbage introduced first in KothiKohar panchayat for growing this vegetable

they used devata land means common land. After that cauliflower, raddish,

Coriander (dhania) from last three years in three panchayats,

“Badagrawn,Kothi kohar, and Dharman. Due to these off seasons crops the

production of potatoes has been decreased.

New polices like Agricultural Department of Palampur has

submitted watershed project to NBAR (National bank of Agriculture and Rural

Development) for Chota Bhangal Watershed 2,57 crores rupees has been

given to this project. Emphasis given on pipe irrigation by compatible with

sprinkler and P.V.C pipes. This area highly fragile so all these irrigational

scheme will run under gravitation. Off seasons crops are growing at Kothi kohar

this areas has its Collection Centre (Mandi) of Vegetables but main collection

centre is at Multhan.

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PRODUCTION OF CROPS PER HECTARE

NAME OF THE CROPS PRODUCTION IN QUENTAL

Wheat 11-12

Potato 150 – 200

Rajmash 6 – 8

Barley 8 -10

Maize 25 – 27

Millets 4 – 6

Cabbage 220 -250

Cauliflower 180 -200

Reddish 250 -275

Dhaniya 300 – 400

Table T 18

CROP COMBINATIONS

TYPE OF CROPS DURATION YEARS DETAILS

Wheat based 2 Wheat fellow Potato Oct. to 2nd fort of April

Potato based 2 Potato Wheat fellow March to Sep. Oct. to August

Rajmash based 2 Rajmash Wheat fellow 2nd April to Sep. Oct. to Aug.

Maize based 2 Maize Wheat fellow 15th April to Sep. Oct. to Aug.

Vegetable based 1.5 Vegetable (cabbage & cauliflower) Potato fellow March. to May June to sep.

Cole crop 1 Cole crop Pea fellow May to sep. Nov. to June

Table T 19

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7.2 FACTOR INFLUENCING FARMERS’ STRATEGIES

The crop pattern depicting as it does the area of land devoted to

different crops is of great significance in revealing the demand pattern to which

responds, as also many other economic and social factors that have been in

operation over time in the past. In any plan for a change in the cropping pattern

It is essential that we acquire knowledge of existing state of affairs as also its

history and the influences that shape it.

Many factors are influencing the cropping pattern. Some of these are

changeable, like prices, government policies etc. and have operated by

variously at different times. Those which are not subject to much change as soil

conditions, climate etc. have varied from region to region giving rise to a crop

pattern which has persisted through time.

i) Historical Factors: At any given time the crop pattern of a country or

place is given by history. The early settlement of man is certain places the

nature and evolution of needs and the capacity of population through ages

have governed the type of crops grown and the land ever marked for different

crops. The settlers in the beginning had certain organization to conduct their

affairs.

The first, the foremost and the most important factor in agriculture and

allied activities is land. Usually recognizable factors will have influenced

farmers decisions on land use and farming systems.

ii) Physical environment: This factor includes the natural elements of

relief, climate, soil and biological considerations. These determine within

certain limits what can or cannot be grown at a reasonable cost in a particular

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place. It is important to understand however, that it is the costs of production

which were influenced by physical factors.

iii) Social factors: In rural land use these are varied some of these

influenced are of a religious nature. The system of land tenure is very important

also. The term land ‘tenure’ refers to the method of land ownership i.e. whether

it is owned by the farmer or rented; some farmers have a personal attachment

do their particular farming system. In many areas methods of farming are

handed down from generation to generation and there is much difficulties to

change. This is particularly a problem in the under developed areas.

Social factor such as density of population, customs, traditions altitude

towards material things, willingness and capacity for change etc. have an

important bearing on the types of crop grown and the area devoted to different

crops in Chota Bhangal watershed area joint family and the associated

immobility of the people. The isolation of village etc. kept the cropping pattern

suited to the consumption needs of the family or at best for the village. The

requirements in such situations scarcely went beyond cereals pulses etc. As a

result of variety of crops got restricted to a few things needed for minimum

essentials of life and there was no change in the pattern that remained fixed for

centuries and since social situations have varied from place to place and from

time to time at different rates the crop pattern has undergone changes

accordingly.

The social factor has been quite a powerful factor at least in societies

which have remained outside the modern influences of the 19th and the 20th

centuries. Such societies have fixed behaviour pattern and their activities fall

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into fixed grooves and in this sense the situation has been one of no change.

With the spread of education, opening of new opportunities, commercialization

of agriculture etc. the potency of social factors is bound to weaken.

iv) Economic Factors: Under this set of factors many and varied

elements of economic value have relevance to the crop pattern. Some of

principal influences are prices incomes size of land-holdings availability of

agricultural resources etc. Prices of agricultural products of inputs and the

manufactured goods that farmers by all have a bearing on the types of crops

that will be grown and the properties of land that will be devoted to different

crops. Not only the level of prices but also the changes in prices affect the

decisions in respect of what to grow and on how much of land. The different

prices i.e. sale prices of products purchase price of inputs consumer goods and

the terms of trade between agricultural and non-agricultural goods determine

the real income of a farmer. The crops give him the largest income will naturally

be the ones to be cultivated. The size of operational holding is another crucial

factor. A small form products little and the farmer generally gives first priority to

the production of food grains for his own consumption the availability of various

inputs required for agriculture such as seeds, fertilizers, water etc. also affect

the crop pattern.

v) Government Policy: Objectives of the government as also the

support measures for the achievement of the started objectives together affect

crop pattern in a variety of ways and to a very large extent. The priorities of the

govt. policies have been implemented for the production of the vegetables and

pulses. The govt. plays an important role for the development of background

area.

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vi) Land holding size : Chota Bhangal region is situated in the hilly

area. So terrain is steeply and fields are in terraced form. But the problem is

this that people does not have their land together. If one person has one part of

the one side of the village second part will at the next corner. So that’s why

they can’t grow one thing in all the fields. People show seeds according to the

desires of the other people. As the other people snow in that particular part the

other have to show the same thing. They also have ample opportunities to seek

additional of form income as per their expertise and skills. It is easier for these

households to cultivate crops on each available land. They are therefore more

inclined to grow cash crops.

vii) Rainfall : Rainfall is very erratic in this region. In monsoon season

heavy rainfall is occurring and during winter season snow fall is occurring due

to rainfall during critical crop growth adversely affects the crop harvest. It was

reported that in poor rain year, crop yields are so poor that the forming

household is able to secure cash for various needs.

viii) Mixed Cropping : The major advantage of mixed cropping practices in

Chota Bhangal region is that numerous products are available from the same

land in a season. The practice also provides a shied against damage to a

particular crop. Soil fertility and crop productivity are also sustained and soil

loss is prevented.

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Cultivation of Maize and bean together to maintain the fertility of land

P 19

ix) Rotational forming : Selection of appreciate crop rotation is done

in such a manner that soil fertility is maintained and spread of insects and pests

and cow dung from one crop to another is checked. Soil compactness induced

by a number of crops also serves as a check against wind erosion.

The method of manuring depends upon the quality of available manure,

the fragmentation of the farmer’s land holding and the need to give rest to the

field by keeping the land follow. An attempt is made to ensure that the

manuring done for the first crop also meets nutrient requirements for the

successive crop. Normally one third of the total land holding is thoroughly

manured during the first season itself for potato in the following season; the soil

retains a good deal of fertility for the next crop (like wheat) for which no

additional manure is given. In the third year, potato is again grown on the same

field when manure is again added. But wheat takes more time for harvest. So

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that’s why people show wheat seeds in fewer amounts. But the manuring helps

farmers to meet the challenge of limited organic manure availability,

management of soil fertility for successive crops as well as managing nutrients

for scattered land parcels.

Another popular practice for crops is to undertake only one ploughing

followed by leveling or sowing. This courses least disturbance to the soil

structure and thereby reduces soil loss through surface runoff. The nutrient

losses are thus curtailed.

This rotation of crops helps in improvement of physical properties of soil

such as moisture holiday capacity, nutrient availability of microbial properties.

7.3 IRRIGATION FACILITIES

At present no such irrigation facilities are available in the watershed

area. Farmers grow crops under rain fed situations. Though area falls under

high rainfall zone, but the distribution of rainfall is highly erratic. Farmers suffer

huge losses due to drought spells during various crop growth stages. Water

sources are in plenty but due to meager financial resources these could not be

topped for economical purposes.

Despite statistical sufficiently, with average annual rainfall of around 50

inches or 125 cm water in India continues to be score in practice and severely

short for the major part of cultivate land. Yet water can never be expanded. It

can only be utilized better. Hence it is necessary that we dwell upon devising

arrangements to so redistribute the available studies that the theoretical

scarcity is done away with importance.

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Arranging water for every field is of vital significance in watershed

where the natural distribution of water is deficient. Due to traditional agricultural

system, it is necessary that an assured supply of water is made available, so

that the agriculturist, prone to pessimism on account of uncertain rainfall looks

to his life and work with optimism. Farmer is neither un-enterprising, nor

inefficient within the frame of very meager existing factor availability. But he is

up against the nature’s boundary, unevenly distributed which he alone cannot

get over.

Irrigated and Non-irrigated Land in Chota Bhangal W atershed

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Sw ar Luai Polling Multhan Dharman Kothi-Kohar

Baragran

Name of Panchayats

Irrig

ated

/Non

-irrig

ated

(ar

ea in

hec

tare

s)

Non-irrigated land

Total irrigated land inhectare

Graph G-04

Irrigation makes possible the grown of more than one crop where one is

grown and one or more when none is possible. This additional land use aspect

of irrigation result in larger production.

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In Chota Bhangal watershed area only 6603 hectare land is irrigated.

Rest cultivated land depends upon the rainfall.

The small farmers in terms of size of land who constitute a big majority

among farmers the most important way of adding to their income is by making

small forming a profitable proportion through intensive cultivation which

depends almost wholly on the adequacy of water.

More production through irrigation would imply lesser use of land. This

would make available more land than at present for such purposes as animal

husbandry and horticulture.

Water supply through properly devised schemes is required to meet

certain peculiarities of the areas situation Its climatic geography being

governed by its location in many areas. Sandy soils quite sizable in them need

more and more frequent water as compared together.

All the grains from irrigation listed above lare possible only by

redistributing equitably the water supplies over space and time such that

existing imbalances are reduced considerably, if not removed altogether.

From the above discussion the need of irrigation is very much evident.

Agriculturist turns optimist. Production and productivity rise. The needy forms

get wet water facility. Despite the obvious need the possibility of topping water

exists to the extent and the way in which it is found in the natural form.

Geographical factors also effect the irrigation. Like Chota Bhangal

watershed situated in the hilly area. Where the volume of the water is more and

with this deep valleys have made. Due to this depress farmers can’t use water

properly. Two perennial rivers are following in Chota Bhangal watershed

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(Lambadug and Uhl). Farmer from the Uhl and Lambadug could not be directly

used for irrigational purposes. Few people used to irrigate their fields with the

help of hand pumps. There is no such help from the IPH department for

irrigation.

7.4 TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE

Traditional agriculture is compatible with tenancy cultivation as well as

with self cultivation with large forms as well as with small forms, with private as

well as public mater in agriculture with production carried on for the domestic

purposes as well as with the production carried on for market.

The man who forms as his forefathers did can’t produce much food no

matter how rich the land or how hard he works. The former who has access to

and know how to use what science knows about soils, plants, animals and

machines can produce on abundance of food through the land be poor or need

he work nearly hard and long.

Farming based wholly upon the kinds of factors of production that have

been used by farmers for generations can be called traditional agriculture. An

area dependent upon traditional agriculture is inevitably poor and because it is

poor it spends much of its income for food.

According to Mellor, “traditional agriculture through the organization of

forms in low income countries varies because of differences in physical

economic and cultural factors, they have something in common as well, it is

that most of these forms are peasant forms on which bulk of labour force,

management and even capital come from the same household.” These forms

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or generally small in size and labour force per form is higher than that in high-

income countries. Production and net income tend to be low on these forms.

Schultz defines, “traditional agriculture in his own way. It is not

necessary a backward labour intensive agriculture using very little of modern

machinery and other inputs and having a very low productivity.” That is how

Mellor defined traditional agriculture. Traditional character of agriculture has

nothing to do with the cultures attributes of the cultivating community. Some

people might feel that customs and convention of the society its level of literacy

and aspiration for higher standard of living will determine whether the

agriculture is traditional simply because the society is conservative

superstitious and consists of members who are not at all ambitions.

The physical isolation of the area due to rugged and highly dissected

terrain has resulted into terraced forming and the system of forming is very

traditional. There is individual forming system. The ploughing of fields are done

by wooden plough. The system of sowing, weeding and harvesting is very old.

Is more dominant, this strikes the social and economic condition of the family.

The threshing of wheat is done by bullocks.

People of Chota Bhangal watershed area grow mostly cash crops. Crop

species that posses a hardy nature, low yields, long maturity period of land also

grow. Species that posses high yields, short maturity period and good taste and

flavour are usually raised in land.

7.5 CONSTRAINS IN IMPORTANT OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY

In Chota Bhangal watershed area agriculture is the primary occupation

of the people because all other avenues of income are not open. The low yield

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per acre is a special feature of agriculture due to lack of shift from extensive to

intensive cultivation. Agriculture is practiced on a subsistence basis and there

is almost no marketable surplus to increase the income of the farmers. The

technique of cultivation is outmoded. Formers are using old low yielding

varieties of H.Y.V. seeds. They are following faulty cultural practices, which

results into less of soil due to erosion. Use of fertilizers for good health of soils,

replenishment of nutrients is a must to get higher productivity. Non availability

of water for irrigation is one of the main bottlenecks. Poor knowledge based of

farming community about other crops and their cultivation. Farmers are not

following intensive practices like use of HYV seeds, fertilizers plant protection

measures etc. Due to this the yields are low. They are not following proper crop

rotations. There is unscientific storage of food grains and Lack of knowledge

about proper storage of food grains and seeds. There are small and scattered

land holding. Holding of this scale are not economical. Due to natural and man

influenced factors there is lot of erosion of soils due to water. There is a great

need to improve the agricultural productivity of Chota Bhangal region. But it is

possible through the education and awareness of the local people because the

development of agriculture can help the development of our economy from

stagnant to the progressive stage in three ways by increasing the gross

national product (b) by supplying the physical surplus required by other sectors

of the economy in the shape of food and raw materials (c) by providing the

economic surplus which constitute the material basis for economic

development local leadership may develop and enable the local people to take

charge of the development programmes themselves. It was decided in 1958 to

set up three-tier institutions for this purpose while various aspects of community

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development such as health, education, housing, communications, cottage,

industries, social welfare etc. have received due attention in the blocks the

work of agricultural and animal husbandry improvement of the standard of living

in village is primarily dependent on the increased income of the villages and

this in its turn is intimately tied up with increased agricultural production and

improvement of the means of production. But this area closet with many

difficulties and obstacles. The supplies of improved seed fruit plants manures,

pesticides, implements and other equipment are not forthcoming in required

quantity or number and in time. Even arrangement for the transport storing and

distribution of seeds, manures and other materials are not yet quite

satisfactory.

These are some solutions for these problems:

(a) Productivity of soils can be enhanced it nutrients are added according

to crops based on soil test values.

(b) Assured irrigation facilities can be provided as water is available in the

area.

(c) Crop rotations involving different crops can be introduced the area.

(d) Climatic conditions are favorable for growing high value cash crops.

(e) Efforts should be done by the agriculture extension agency and farmers

can change socio-economic status of poor farmers by growing cash

crops.

(f) Climatic conditions are favorable, soil are productive.

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(g) Though trainings demonstrations intensive crop husbandry practices

can be introduced in the area.

(h) Favorable climatic conditions for growing the entire crop i.e. cereals,

pulses and vegetables.

(i) Vermi composting can be introduced in a big way and the way and the

whole area can be declared as organic farming zone.

(j) Various methods of scientific storage can be suggested to the farmers.

(k) Farmers can adopt other vocations like mushroom, cultivation, be

keeping etc. group approach of cultivation of cash crops and their

marketing can be profitable venture.

(l) Soil loss due to water erosion can be checked by adopting vegetable

and engineering measures of soil conservation.

(m) More than 300 hectare area can be brought under fruit plantations in

the watershed through training and demonstrations management skills

of orchards can be developed amongst the farming the community.

7.6 CONCLUSION

Due to the poor soils and harsher climatic conditions there is generally

for less arable forming and more livestock raising. Where arable is found the

main cereal crop is oats with greater tolerance of moist and acid conditions.

The terrain slopes vary in quality but rarely support intensive livestock farming

and many frequently be left empty of all livestock where conditions are very

rocky and steep.

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Agricultural land can be identify by rainfall transpiration, temperature and

exposure as the key climatic indices, altitude, slope the surface irregularities as

the key relief indices; and wetness depth texture, structure and available water

capacity. There is requiring protection against erosion. The main threat is the

mono cropping and none adoptions of proper crop rotation result in loss of

productivity of soils. Inhabitants consume spoiled food grains which cause

diseases, due to poor resource base, small land holding etc. Youth migrate to

cities in search of small jobs. Some areas require immediate protection against

soil erosion.

Farmers do not follow proper crop rotation which results in built up of

various pests and diseases. They do not undertake any plant protection

measures. These pests and diseases account for losses in production and also

deteriorate quality of the produce. Farmers use raw organic manure, which also

contribute to losses to crops due to various soil insects and diseases. Climatic

conditions are favourable for growing high value cash crops and some areas

are very productive. Farmers grow cereals, pulses and vegetables. But for

these trainings, demonstrations intensive crop husbandry practices can be

introduced in the area.