An economic analysis on land use and cropping pattern in Dharwad district

Abstract

Agriculture in India is one of the most important sectors of its economy. Agriculture accounts for 15 per cent of India’s GDP (2012). It is still the single largest contributor to the GDP and plays a vital role in the overall socio-economic development of country. Agriculture mainly depends on the natural resource that is land. Land availability, type of land and soil type are the main determinants of crops to be grown. Land utilization pattern and cropping pattern differs from one region to other. So, the present study was undertaken to analyse the land use pattern and cropping pattern in Dharwad district of Karnataka. Study was based on both primary and secondary data. Total sample size was 150. Data were analyses using statistical tools like Markov analysis and tabular analysis. Results of the study revealed that, in case of land utilization pattern, forest area retained its share of 71.5 per cent and lost remaining 28.5 per cent to agriculture land (13.6 %), cultivable waste land (7.70%), fallow land (2.80 %), Cultivable waste land lost its share to land not available for cultivation (54.60 %) and forest (45.40 %). Agriculture land lost its share to forest land (53.20 %), cultivable waste land (20.30 %) and land not available for cultivation (16.90 %). Cropping intensity in all the talukas of Dharwad district namely Dharwad, Hubli, Kalagakagi, Kundagol and Navalgund were 155.27 per cent, 136.77 per cent, 146.88 per cent, 157.61 per cent and 177.44 per cent respectively. Highest cropping intensity was observed in Navalgund taluka, indicates that efficient utilization of land in Navalgund taluka compared to other talukas of Dharwad district due to canal irrigation facility available to the sample farmers. Second highest cropping intensity was observed in Navalgund taluka . There major proportion of the area was occupied by chilli (18.84 %), sorghum (6.24 %), cotton (5.61 %), and very less proportion by red gram (2.25 %) during Kharif. During Rabi and Summer, major proportion of the area was occupied by chickpea and groundnut. It is due to attention given by the sample farmers towards yield improvement of food grain crops so that balance could be maintained in the food grain basket. Efficiency with which we are cultivating the land is indicator by cropping intensity. So cropping intensity were increased by more effective utilization of land by growing two to three crops in a year.