A Glance study of Changing Pattern of Cropping in Maharashtra

Abstract:

            Agriculture has a vital place in Indian economy and is one of the main source of national income. About 56 per cent population is directly and indirectly engaged in agricultural. Land use pattern indicates how efficiently the land use resources available to the farmers were utilized. The land utilization pattern also indicates the area available for the cultivation, gross copped area and cropping intensity. The main aim of the present paper is to identify the changes of agricultural land use pattern in Maharashtra State during fifty year periods from 1960-61 to 2021-22.The present study is based on the secondary source of data. The district has been taken as a unit for analysis the pattern of cropping intensity in the study area. During the span of fifty years periods, the cropping pattern in Maharashtra is changed on large scale. During this period the area under cereals crops is decreased by 19.07 % and other hand during same period's area under cash crops (7.73 %) and oilseeds (6.1 %) is increased. It means area under traditional crops is replaced by commercial crops. Main cause for changing in cropping pattern is development of irrigation facilities therefore area under irrigation is increased by 9.6 % during same periods. When single crop is considered, it is found that area under jowar (17.13 %) is maximum decreased during study period and other hand area under soybeans increased (12.61 %) during same periods