Doubling Farmers’ Income through Technology and Resource Optimization: A Micro Level Study

The study has been conducted in the command area of Lower Baijnath kuhl in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh with the objective of designing alternative farming systems for doubling farmers’ income on marginal landholdings. For study, data from 60 samples farm households were collected through survey method during the year 2015–16. Goal programming technique was employed to develop the alternative profitable farming/cropping system plans under the existing and improved technologies. The optimized plans with improved technology resulted in a decrease in area under paddy-wheat to around 49–60 per cent from the existing 80 per cent that was reallocated to more profitable cropping systems, viz. ginger-garlic, fodder crops and a polyhouse unit leading to substantial increase in returns to fixed farm resources (RFFR). With the inclusion of a crossbred cow in the plan, more area was allocated to fodder-based cropping systems which led to a further increase in RFFR. The study has shown the scope for doubling farmers’ income through adoption of improved technology and diversification of farming system, adoption of hi-tech ventures like protected cultivation and inclusion of improved dairy animals, along with credit facilities.