Growth and Instability of Food Crop Sector in Assam – A District Level Analysis

The paper has examined the growth and variation in area, production and productivity in the food crop sector of Assam at the district level for the period 1990–2011. The growth in area, production and yield has not been significant for the food crops during this period. The non-significant growth in food crops was due to lack of technological breakthrough in the state. During this period, the highest variation in area (28.2%), production (25.0%) and productivity (11.1%) was recorded for wheat among the food crops of Assam. The study has concluded that bringing most of the area under irrigation and bringing fallow lands under cultivation will be a solution to agricultural backwardness in the state. For sustainable growth of agricultural production, the use of available resources should be reoriented.