An economic assessment of agricultural transformation in north eastern transitional zone of Karnataka

The development in agriculture over a period of time can be noticed through accountable changes in agricultural practices and improvement in the standard of living of the farmers. Any notable change that has taken place in agricultural practices/technology usage can simply be referred as agricultural transformation. Traditionally, agriculture was thought of an inferior partner in development. Agricultural sector in India has moved from traditional style of the 1950s to the commercial and technologically dynamic high capital intensive agriculture. Agriculture development experience has been characterized by sharp decline in the area under food crops, mainly paddy and substantial expansion in area under commercial agriculture crops like cotton, sugarcane etc. Cropping pattern determines output mix. Markov chain analysis was used to gauge changes in the cropping pattern in North Eastern Transitional Zone of Karnataka between two decades (1996–97 to 2005–06 and 2006–07 to 201516). There was a shift from food to non-food crops; less income generating crops (cereals & minor millets) to more income generating crops (commercial crops and fruits & vegetables).