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Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa

In the imperial Gazetteer of India 1878, Pusa was recorded as a government estate of about 1350 acres in Darbhanba. It was acquired by East India Company for running a stud farm to supply better breed of horses mainly for the army. Frequent incidence of glanders disease (swelling of glands), mostly affecting the valuable imported bloodstock made the civil veterinary department to shift the entire stock out of Pusa. A British tobacco concern Beg Sutherland & co. got the estate on lease but it also left in 1897 abandoning the government estate of Pusa. Lord Mayo, The Viceroy and Governor General, had been repeatedly trying to get through his proposal for setting up a directorate general of Agriculture that would take care of the soil and its productivity, formulate newer techniques of cultivation, improve the quality of seeds and livestock and also arrange for imparting agricultural education. The government of India had invited a British expert. Dr. J. A. Voelcker who had submitted as report on the development of Indian agriculture. As a follow-up action, three experts in different fields were appointed for the first time during 1885 to 1895 namely, agricultural chemist (Dr. J. W. Leafer), cryptogamic botanist (Dr. R. A. Butler) and entomologist (Dr. H. Maxwell Lefroy) with headquarters at Dehradun (U.P.) in the forest Research Institute complex. Surprisingly, until now Pusa, which was destined to become the centre of agricultural revolution in the country, was lying as before an abandoned government estate. In 1898. Lord Curzon took over as the viceroy. A widely traveled person and an administrator, he salvaged out the earlier proposal and got London’s approval for the appointment of the inspector General of Agriculture to which the first incumbent Mr. J. Mollison (Dy. Director of Agriculture, Bombay) joined in 1901 with headquarters at Nagpur The then government of Bengal had mooted in 1902 a proposal to the centre for setting up a model cattle farm for improving the dilapidated condition of the livestock at Pusa estate where plenty of land, water and feed would be available, and with Mr. Mollison’s support this was accepted in principle. Around Pusa, there were many British planters and also an indigo research centre Dalsing Sarai (near Pusa). Mr. Mollison’s visits to this mini British kingdom and his strong recommendations. In favour of Pusa as the most ideal place for the Bengal government project obviously caught the attention for the viceroy.

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Author: BARUAH, SHYAMOLEEMA SARMAH × Start date: 2017 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Farm Diversification in Flood Affected Areas of Assam and Bihar
    (RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) BARUAH, SHYAMOLEEMA SARMAH; KUMARI, TULIKA
    Some parts of India are highly vulnerable to floods, which causes serious damage to lives and livelihood system. Due to submergence of crop for prolonged periods farmers sometimes face complete crop loss and as mono-cropping patterns have been prevalent in most places, the probability of losing income increases substantially which brings the importance of diversification in the flood prone areas for income generation and livelihood security. The term "diversification" was formerly mainly associated with subsistence farming, in which farmers raised a variety of crops on their land. Farm diversification acts as a risk mitigating strategy for both financial risk and natural risk. In the present study, attempts were made to study farm diversification in one of the most flood prone states of the country i.e., Assam and Bihar. The objectives of the study were to estimate the production risk of major agricultural crops in the study areas, extent of farm diversification, factors affecting farm diversification and to examine the adaptation and mitigation measures followed by the locals in the study area. For the purpose, Sonitpur and Darbhanga districts from Assam and Bihar were selected purposively as they are highly flood-prone areas. Two blocks from each district and a cluster of villages from each block were randomly selected to collect data from a total respondent of 180. The findings of the study revealed that the major cereal and pulse crop grown in kharif season are more prone to flood and these crops show high instability in production. Hence, it can be concluded that flood is one of the important factors of production risk in kharif. The instability in vegetables, grown in rabi and zaid season, may be due to fluctuation in market prices. The other reasons for declining growth rate and instability in rabi crops like wheat may be due to shift in area towards paddy or non-agriculture use. The results of the diversification indicate that more than 50 per cent farmers of Sonitpur district of Assam were having highly diversified farm. 11.11 per cent farmers were under low diversification. In case of Darbhanga, more than 50 per cent farmers were under moderately diversified group. Only 30 per cent farmers were having highly diversified farm. Under low diversification, the percentage of farmers in Darbhanga is relatively high as compared to Sonitpur, Assam. Among the factors that were affecting farm diversification level. Age, farming experience, education, mass-media, distance from nearest market, chronically and occasionally flooded area and total farm income had significant influence on farmers’ decision to diversify in Sonitpur were major. Whereas, farming experience, access to institutional credit, total farm income, total cultivated area and chronically and occasionally flooded area had significant influence on farmers’ decision to diversify in Darbhanga. Among mitigation strategies adapted by the respondents, in Sonitpur crop insurance, rearing livestock, sand bag walls, early harvesting of crop, farming of short duration crops and flood tolerant varieties has been categorised under most significant risk mitigating strategy whereas in Darbhanga, livestock rearing, raising floor levels, sand bag walls were categorised under most significant risk mitigating strategy. In, this situation, proper embankment along rivers, field demonstration of flood tolerant varieties, awareness about farm diversification, developing credit facilities, cold storage facilities, policy regarding incentives for the farmers for rearing livestock, strengthening of existing dairy cooperatives and awareness programme for the farmers to take insurance is needed in the study area to improve farmers’ livelihood.