Crop Diversification in Assam and Use of Essential Modern Inputs Under Changing Climatic Condition: Indication of a Retrograded Option

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to analyse the crop diversification and crop concentration in Assam in the last 50 years. It is pursued through measuring crop diversification and crop concentration index. We have used Herfindahl Indices to measure diversification and locational quotient to measure crop concentration. The result shows that in all most all districts, crop specialization is taking place and more so in the last phase of our study. The hilly and backward districts recorded more diversification but towards lower value crops, in accordance with the changing water availability, weather pattern, access to credit and risk. It goes against the normal feature of crop diversification where farmers diversify in favour of high value crops. Employing an ordinary least square method chemical fertilizer and growing erratic rainfall found to play important role in determining inter-zonal variation in crop diversification. Whereas, the slow progress of irrigation did not help in crop diversity, particularly in off-monsoon seasons.