Breakthrough of Natural Farming in Himachal Pradesh: A Statistical Survey
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Date
2023-11-01
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UHF Nauni
Abstract
The study "Breakthrough of Natural Farming in Himachal Pradesh: A Statistical Survey" was conducted in the Indora block of Kangra district, with a representative sample of 100 farmers. The average family size was around 5, and the literacy index was 2.71 for males and 2.05 for females. Approximately 79.52% of households were engaged in agriculture, with an average of 3.53 workers per household. The study found that the average landholding size was 0.79 hectares, with 0.68 hectares cultivated. Under Natural Farming (NF), the average area was 0.32 hectares, while Conventional Farming (CF) covered 0.36 hectares. NF showed a cropping intensity of 196.78%. Indigenous cows accounted for about 64.66% of the total livestock. The research revealed that farm income contributed 54.77% to the total household income. NF demonstrated four major crop combinations with 19 crops in both Kharif and Rabi seasons. Vegetables-Pulse combination had the highest cultivation cost in both seasons. NF outperformed CF in Crop Equivalent Yield (CEY), ranging from 29.38 to 38.81 quintals/ha in Kharif and 34.94 to 38.41 quintals in Rabi season. Cost reduction under NF ranged from ₹68.5 to ₹9,021.2 (i.e., 0.13% to 15.60%) as compared to CF. Gross returns were significantly higher in NF, with ₹60,338 to ₹2,03,534 per hectare, particularly in Vegetables-Pulses combination. The study utilized jackknife resampling to demonstrate comparable yields and gross income. NF's CEY through jackknife resampling was 35.026 quintals/bigha, while CF had 34.885 quintals/bigha. In the study area, farmers encountered challenges such as a lack of specialized markets, reliance on labour-intensive practices, difficulties in obtaining fair prices for their produce, and coping with higher wage rates. In conclusion, the study emphasizes that NF give higher CEY and higher returns leading more profitable and regenerative nature of NF. Through a variety of extension services, the government must put initiatives to promote the use of NF and develop eco-friendly habitats. Addressing challenges like specialized markets and labour-intensive practices can potentially double or triple farmer incomes with minimal investment.
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