Dynamics of changing cropping pattern in Maharashtra- An economic analysis

Agriculture sector in Maharashtra has witnessed drastic changes after introduction of modern technology during green revolution in mid-1960s. The present study explored the dynamics of cropping pattern in Maharashtra with the help of secondary data collected from 1960-61 to 2019-20. The changes in cropping pattern were analyzed by taking proportion of area under different crops to gross cropped area of the Maharashtra state. The triennium averages were estimated for three time periods as 1960-63, 1990-93 and 2017-20. The cropping pattern of Maharashtra showed the dominance of foodgrain crops by occupying more than 50 per cent in gross cropped area. However, the share of foodgrain crops was declined over the period of time. The decline in foodgrain crops was due to reduction in area under major cereal crops viz., sorghum, bajra, ragi and other minor cereals. Whereas, the maize crop was gaining importance due to increasing demand for diversified uses. The area of oilseeds and pulses started expansion during nineties. Soybean crop occupied a prominent place in oilseeds however; the area under all other oilseeds was reduced drastically over the period of time. A gradual shift from foodgrains to non-foodgrains was observed. Thus, temporal changes in cropping pattern revealed crop diversification leading to commercialization and agricultural development in the Maharashtra state.