An Assessment of Disparities in Diversity of Crop at Block Level in West Bengal
Rukhsana*
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Aliah University, Kolkata, India
*Corresponding Author: Rukhsana, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Aliah University, Kolkata, India.
Received:
September 17, 2021; Published: November 10, 2021
Abstract
Agricultural diversity can be described as a move from regional dominance of one crop towards the production of a large number of crops to meet the growing demand for those crops. This paper examines the crop diversification at district and sample block level in West Bengal, a state in the eastern region of India. The areas of crop diversification (Herfindahl index) have been developed to detect diverse agricultural impacts in West Bengal. Some districts in West Bengal have been cited as effective traditional systems of farming, lack of technology, average holding size and low diversification of per capita income. The expansion of crop diversification depends on improvement in production risk through technical assistance, quality input supply, insurance cover and the existence of modern storage-processing centers in the region. The study results show that West Bengal's agricultural sector is gradually moving towards higher value items.
Keywords: Crop Diversification; Herfindalh Index; District; Block
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