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Abstract
This paper on agricultural transformation has studied changes in the cropping pattern, adoption process
of new technology, sources of information about new technology and emerging threats to the existing
cropping pattern in ten villages of the Spiti sub-division of Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
The study based on the data collected from 200 sample households has revealed significant changes in
the cropping pattern with traditional crops like potato, barley and black pea being increasingly replaced
by green pea. Apple, another cash crop, is gaining popularity due to perceptible changes in climatic
conditions. The factors that have led to the introduction of new crops include improved road connectivity,
better means of transportation, decline in the demand of traditional crops, availability of favourable
micro climatic niches, availability of new crop inputs like hybrid seeds, chemicals and fertilizes, emerging
new markets, etc. The introduction of new crops/technology has taken 1 to 3 years. The officials of the
state departments of agriculture and horticulture, followed by relatives and friends have been the important
sources of information about new crops/technology. The study has listed some potential threats to the
cultivation of high-value cash crops. The technological innovations in terms of educating the farmers
about the latest package and practices on farming of high value cash crops, development of diseaseresistant
varieties of crops like green pea are necessary for promoting economic viability and ecological
sustainability in Himachal Pradesh. The most important policy support, therefore, would be enhanced
investment on agricultural R&D for evolving new technologies to not only retain but also strengthen the
comparative advantage being enjoyed by the state.