Shifting from Traditional Food Cropping to Cash Cropping

Abstract

Agriculture has undergone change and has been characterized by enhanced productivity, replacement of human labour by mechanization, introduction of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and selective breeding. The fate of agriculture round the globe has changed and Himalayan states are not an exception. In this study, two districts of Himachal Pradesh, Kangra and Chamba, have been selected because of the availability of four agro-climatic zones. To see the impact, 50 respondents from each research segment (50 × 4 = 200) have been chosen from 73 villages and 30 gram panchayats. To see the role of compelling forces, exploratory, descriptive, and observational methods of research have been deployed. The study concluded that there is a shift from traditional cropping to vegetables, sericulture, and horticulture, and that people are earning good income and also experiencing change in the amenities available in the household as well as they are capable of providing better living conditions.