Developing Income Augmenting Risk Minimized Crop Production Plans for the Riverine Area Small Farmers of Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam

As a strategy towards increasing farm income, this study has analysed crop production risks and has suggested risk minimizing optimal farm plans for the disadvantaged riverine farmers of the Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam. Altogether 17 risk sources or factors influencing crop production were identified and examined for three different size groups of farmers based on farmers’ perception. Calculated mean values have revealed that flood and excessive rainfall (49.43%) was the most important risk factor, followed by soil erosion (12.29%). The MOTAD (minimization of total absolute deviation) model has been used to develop risk minimized optimal plans. Five optimal plans have been developed with increment in the expected income by 10, 000/-in each optimal plan. The cropping intensities have increased across various plans and plan-3 (Risk minimization plan with increment of expected income by 30, 000/-) indicated maximum cropping intensity of 202.6 per cent and plan-4 (increment of expected income by 40, 000/-) and plan-5 (increment of expected income by 50, 000/-) have indicated the cropping intensity of 198.96 per cent. Crop insurance scheme and issue of soil health cards on a pilot basis in the riverine area, will be important institutional steps.