CROP DIVERSIFICATION AND ITS RELEVANCE IN RISK MANAGEMENT IN THIRUVARUR DISTRICT OF TAMILNADU, INDIA

Abstract

Crop diversification at farm level is accepted to be an effective tool in risk mitigation in agriculture. But this concept of crop diversification is not been adopted much by farmers of Thiruvarur for reason unknown. Hence a study was undertaken to analyse the factors influencing the farmers awareness on the relevance of crop diversification in risk management and to rank the reason for non – adoption of crop diversification in Thiruvarur district of Tamilnadu. With regard to selection of study area, Thiruvarur district was considered as the universe of the study. The Mannargudi block of this district was purposively selected since it possesses cultivation area falling under both upstream irrigation as well as tail end irrigation. The Logit analysis revealed that the awareness on crop diversification had been positively and significantly influenced by education level of farmers, size of farm, no of agri – related meetings attended by respondents and labour scarcity. Further, Garrett ranking analysis revealed that the farmer’s attitude of “more reliance on traditional methodologies” was the prime reason for non - adoption of crop diversification in Thiruvarur district. Efforts may be enhanced by the institutional authorities to popularise the concept of crop diversification and its relevance in risk mitigation in agriculture. Village specific crop diversification models have to be identified considering the local features and advocated.