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Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur

Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya (renamed as Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya in June, 2001) was established on 1st November, 1978.The College of Agriculture (established in May, 1966) formed the nucleus of the new farm University. It is ICAR accredited and ISO 9001:2015 certified institution. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has ranked this University at eleventh place among all farm universities of the country. The University has been given the mandate for making provision for imparting education in agriculture and other allied branches of learning, furthering the advancement of learning and prosecution of research and undertaking extension of such sciences, especially to the rural people of Himachal Pradesh. Over the years, this University has contributed significantly in transforming the farm scenario of Himachal Pradesh. It has developed human resources, varieties and technologies and transferred these to farming community enabling the State to receive the “Krishikarman award” of Govt. of India four times in row for food grain production among small states of the country. Today, the State has earned its name for hill agricultural diversification and the farming community has imposed its faith in the University.

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2017 - 201912020 - 20231
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Subject: Agricultural Economics × Author: Mehta, Kanika × Start date: 2007 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Structure of farm credit in Himachal Pradesh and role in agricultural development
    (CSK HPKV, Palampur, 2023-03-21) Mehta, Kanika; Thakur, Rajesh Kumar
    Credit plays a vital role in capitalizing the farmers to enhance farm productivity by increasing investment in quality inputs and efficient technologies. With the commercialization and modernization of agricultural practices, the credit needs in Himachal Pradesh are increasing. Therefore, the present study was conducted to comprehend the trends in the allocation of agricultural credit, extent of financial inclusion and its impact on farm investment, productivity and income levels of the farmers in Himachal Pradesh. Two-stage random sampling design was used to select two blocks from each district in the first stage and a total sample of 200 loanee farmers in the second stage of sampling by proportional allocation method. The farmers were then classified into small (n=109) and large (n=91) categories based on the total land holding size. Both primary and secondary data were collected in accordance with the objectives of the study. The state's dependency on Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and co operative banks for agricultural credit disbursement (through bank branch network position and ATMs) was high, particularly in rural areas. However, over the years, growth in these rural financial institutions was substantially lower than in the private sector banks. The amount sanctioned for the agricultural term loan, agricultural infrastructure and agricultural ancillary activities had declined over the years and was considerably lower (21.53%) than the short-term crop loan (78.47%). The overall PCA score of the Financial Inclusion Index was 0.41, reflecting a medium-level of financial inclusion in the study area. The geographical penetration, affordability, usage, financial literacy and quality of financial products and services provided by formal institutions were in the medium range of PCA scores. However, the accessibility and ease components of the Financial Inclusion Index were observed at a lower range of PCA scores in the study area. The cultivated land on overall farms was significantly increased by 1.12 per cent due to the diversion of credit towards the increase in leased-in land holdings (4.49%) in the study area. The financial aid led to a significant shift from cereal and fodder crops to vegetable cultivation. The use of hybrid seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and hired labour increased after the financial aid. Due to this, the total cost of cultivation (Cost C3 ) for all the Kharif and Rabi season crops was substantially increased. The increase in the use of quality inputs led to an increase in the productivity levels of all the major crops in the study area. The gross farm income on overall farms was significantly increased by about 40 per cent after availing the farm credit. The income from vegetable cultivation increased by the highest proportion on both the small and large farms, constituting an overall increase of 73.74 per cent. The scale of the amount sanctioned to the sample farms varied positively with the land holding size, while the repayment of credit was lower on small farms than the large farms. Most sample farmers attained credit from the scheduled banks through KCC, followed by the private moneylenders and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). With the increase in the size of cultivated land holdings and dependency on agriculture as the primary source of income, the probability of credit acquisition from private moneylenders increased on sample farms. The asset status and the gross farm income of the farmers had a significantly negative impact on the odds of being a delinquent or a defaulter. The interest rates charged by the financial institutions reflected a positively significant relationship with the probability of being a defaulter or a delinquent in the study area. The lack of collateral security, insufficient credit limit offered by banks and fear of losing agricultural land were major problems for credit acquisition through institutional sources. Whereas, the increasing input costs and rising household expenditures negatively impacted the repayment and use of credit. Based on the findings, the panchayat-level identification of needy farmers was suggested as a measure to restrict the diversion of credit towards non-agricultural purposes.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Economic analysis of tomato under protected and open environment in Kangra District, H.P.
    (palampur, 2017-07-15) Mehta, Kanika; Guleria, J.S.
    The present study pertained to economic analysis of tomato under protected and open environment in Kangra District, H.P. This study is based upon the data collected for the Agricultural Year 2015-16 from 60 tomato (30 open-field and 30 polyhouse) growers, selected through proportional allocation method from Baijnath and Bhedu Mahadev blocks of Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh. The study reveals that under open-field/ natural conditions, among vegetables, the average yield of tomato crop was found to be the highest in the study area. Under protected conditions, the maximum cropped area was found to be under tomato (52.59%) followed by capsicum (21.04%) and cucumber (14.83%). Human labour was found to be the most important component of tomato cultivation under both open-field and protected conditions, accounting for 73.43 per cent and 82.68 per cent of the total variable cost, respectively. Under open-field conditions, the net returns over variable cost was Rs. 2,32,282/ha and output-input ratio stood at 1.50:1. Under protected conditions, it was found that all types of costs viz. variable, fixed and total costs declined with the size of the holding, mainly due to economies of scale. Further, it was found that the returns over total cost and variable cost were higher on small farms in comparison to large farms. The output-input ratio stood at 1.15:1, on overall basis. Protected cultivation contributed 10.68 per cent in the total annual gross household income of the polyhouse growers, at overall level. Large polyhouse category earned higher proportion (14.52%) as compared to small category (7.02%). The income variability of polyhouse growers was found to be less in comparison to the open-field growers. Unavailability of improved varieties at the time of sowing, the high cost of improved varieties, lack of awareness regarding the high yielding and resistant varieties, lack of storage facilities, etc. were the major problems faced by open-field growers in the study area. In case of polyhouse growers, the lack of knowledge about site, orientation, material etc., non-serious approach of construction companies, problem of repairs/spare parts, lack of technical knowhow and training, inadequate extension and advisory services, etc. were the major problems. The study has suggested that efforts are required for creating cold storage facilities to increase the shelf life of tomato. Aside from prolonging the shelf life of the crop, product diversification through processing may enhance the income of tomato growers in the study area. There is a dire need to bring polyhouses under insurance cover to make the scheme more sustainable in future.