Department of Social Sciences, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173230, Himachal Pradesh
Online published on 5 December, 2018.
Diversification with commercial crops is now a key strategy to increase agricultural incomes and minimize risks and to further help in poverty alleviation, employment generation and environmental conservation. The present study was undertaken to probe region wise changes in the cropping pattern to identify the level of diversification and its determinants at macro and micro levels. Diversification in different districts of Himachal Pradesh was assessed by using the Herfindahl index. Regression analysis was carried out by using Herfindahl index at macro level for the selected period from 1972–73 to 2011–12 and Entropy index at micro level to find out the determinants of crop diversification. Diversification towards high-value cash crops in most of the districts did take place, but its intensity was pronounced mainly in Lahaul & Spiti, Kinnaur, Shimla and Kullu.
