Published on: March 18, 2022

CROP DIVERSIFICATION INDEX

CROP DIVERSIFICATION INDEX

NEWS

Telangana has started documenting crop diversification trends in the form of an index for the first time in the country, following the paddy procurement row with the Centre and the state government asking farmers to opt for alternate crops.

WHAT IS RECORDED

  • State grows 77 varieties, with roughly 10 crops, predominantly grains, favored for diversification
  • Nirmal, Vikarabad, and Sangareddy districts are more diverse
  • Peddapalli, Karimnagar, and Suryapet were the three least diverse areas. Surprisingly, in these regions where paddy farming is common
  • Maize cropping area has declined dramatically while the cotton cropping area has expanded
  • Score will serve as a benchmark for future agricultural diversification in the state
  • Has a starting value of one
  • Represents the proportion of total cultivated area devoted to a single crop
  • Many districts in the state have index values ranging from 0 to 5, and the higher the score, the greater the agricultural diversification.
  • The current index was calculated using the area under 77 different crops, along with all food, non-food, and cash crops, and also the area under floriculture