Assessment of Economic Viability of Different Agroforestry Systems in Giri Catchment, Himachal Pradesh

In Himachal Pradesh, 80 percent of its total population lives in villages. Their economy is depends on agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry. The practice of pure agriculture in HP is sufficient for the inhabitants to sustain only their food requirements but, for other needs peoples are forced to exploit forests. The present investigation was carried out in Giri catchment in located between 30^O 33’ 48’’ and 31^O16’ 08’’ N latitude and 77^O 02’ 32’’ to 77^O 38’ 22’’ E longitude in Himachal Pradesh. The net returns from agroforestry systems decreased, though statistically insignificant, in the order agrisilviculture system (277415.00 Rs. ha^−l yr⁻¹) > agrisilvihorticulture system (270747.00 ha^−l yr⁻¹) > agrihortisilviculture (269033.00 ha^−l yr⁻¹) > agrihortisilviculture (225880.30 ha^−l yr⁻¹) systems. The benefit-cost ratio in silvipasturesystemwas significantlyhigher(3.34) than allothersystemsand itdecreasedinthe order: S₆(2.53) >S₄(2.38) > S₃(2.17) > S₁(2.10) > S₁(1.87).