1 Scientist, ICAR Research Complex for North East Hills Region, Shillong, Meghalaya
2 Head, Division of Agricultural Economics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
* The paper has been drawn from the Ph.D. thesis of the first author, as approved by PG School, IARI.
West Bengal is the fourth largest state of India in terms of the number of shallow tubewells, after Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar. The state accounts for nearly 10 per cent of total shallow tubewells in India and contributes nearly 40 per cent to the state gross irrigated area. Despite high growth of shallow tubewells in the state, the productivity of the crops in the state remains more or less stagnant. In the present study, the changes in cropping pattern, level of input use, yield and income realization from major crops brought out by shallow tubewells have been examined and the total changes in crop production due to shallow tubewells and its water management have been decomposed. The shift in cropping pattern in favour of remunerative crops during the rabi season has been found substantially higher on the farms of shallow tubewell owners. Similarly, the shallow tubewells have contributed significantly to the increase in the level of input use and realization of higher yields and returns from crops, besides stabilizing the crop production system on such farms. The decomposition analysis of the total change in productivity has revealed that better water management has been the most important causal factor to induce the structural change in the productivity of crops in favour of WSTW farming
