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Abstract
This paper has examined the emerging issues, extent of transitions and
their implications for the sustainable and balanced development of
agriculture in the mountain areas of the country. The study undertaken in
low and mid-hill regions of Himachal Pradesh is based upon the data
collected during the period 2002-03 from 200 sample households selected
from 10 villages, representing five major mountain farming systems (MFS),
viz. maize-based, paddy-based, vegetable-based, fruit-based and livestock-based.
It has been found that over a period of time lot of changes have
taken place in the socio-economic milieu and agricultural practices in
mountains. The cropping pattern, extent of diversification and
commercialization have been found to vary considerably across different
MFS. A high degree of externalities has developed particularly under
vegetable- and fruit-based farming systems. The proportion of purchased
inputs has increased while the share of farm-produced inputs (own seeds,
FYM, family labour, bullock labour, feed and fodder, etc.) has decreased.
Thus, the system interlinkages and in-built complementary relations among
sub-systems are getting distorted with commercialization through
vegetables and fruits. The shortage of fodder, decrease in the number of
farm animals and thus FYM-scarcity, are the burgeoning signs of
unsustainability, particularly on vegetable- and fruit-based systems.
Therefore, the sustainable plans developed for different systems have
revealed the possibility of increasing profitability by optimum combination
of sub-components like cereals, pulses, vegetable crops, fruits, fodder
resources and livestock and thus maintaining the crucial balance to harness
in-built complementary relations of the sub-systems. The increasing
externalities in the MFS clearly show the crucial role of markets and
marketing in the agricultural development that needs greater policy support
in future.