Diversification for Sustainable Agriculture in Sundarban, West Bengal
Paper presented in National Seminar on 'Coastal Resources and Their Sustainable Management: Issues and Strategies, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Visvidyalaya, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 2005
Posted: 11 Jul 2012
Date Written: July 11, 2012
Abstract
Sundarban, the largest delta on planet Earth is one of the most unique regions. The agrarian economy of Sundarban was dominated by rice based farming system, where generally rice-rice-fallow system has been practiced year after year. This situation has geometrically been deteriorating the soil potential with high incidence of salinity and spread of uncultivated land. An attempt has been made by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Kakdwip to reverse this trend through agricultural diversification by including legumes, oilseeds and vegetables in the cropping system. The preferred path was to exploit diversified production system by stepwise upgrading and improving productivity. The compounding and competing forces in the changing environment has presented an opportunities for the farmers and enabling them to capitalize on it, through improved production and post harvest management.
The transition from subsistence cropping to diversified cropping has brought the returns to land, labour, fertilizers and water was significantly higher and also has reduced the risk of soil degradation through the use of soil nutrient replenishing legume crops in the cropping system. Besides the income generation, diversification has also increased employment and thereby reducing the rural migration as shift from cereal to vegetable have provided year round labor requirement. This transition by the medium, small and marginal farmers towards diversification is because of various reasons viz. spreading climate and market risks, exploiting crop synergies (e.g. pulse and cereal, IPM etc.). The diversification of agriculture has provided opportunities for sustainable resource management in Sundarban through pursue a strategy of integrated sustainable integration, reduce land degradation and replenish soil fertility and improve the coping strategies for the farmers.
Keywords: diversification, agriculture, crop rotation, Sundarban, intensity, sustainable agriculture
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation