Crop diversification in india: emerging trends, determinants and policy implications

Now, agricultural sector of India has undergone a major shift from traditional crops to modern high value crops and got a tremendous potential to push overall agriculture growth. The pattern of crop diversification of India has been analyzed by using secondary data from 1980-81 to 2011-12. Simpson Index of Diversification (SID) and regression analysis have been used to analyze the patterns and determinants of crop diversification in India. This study reveals that India is moving from food grain crops to non-food grain crops. After economic reforms, change in cropping pattern from low priced food grains crops to high priced non-food grain crops has been the engine of agricultural output growth. The result also shows that irrigated area as percentage of gross cropped area, consumption of fertilizer, cropping intensity, agricultural export, education, direct institutional credit for agriculture and size of average land holdings has been found the main determinants of crop diversification in India. Therefore, the study suggested that policy supports, in terms of price protection, insurance coverage, expenditure on agriculture research & education, subsidized inputs and technology should be extended to them. Further, public--private participation needs be encouraged to step up agriculture infrastructure facility in India.