Agricultural Productivity Dynamics and Spatial Disparities in Purba Bardhaman District: A Block-Level Study

Agriculture is the primary occupation of the district, playing a key role in ensuring food security and improving the socio-economic conditions among the local population. This study investigates the performance and regional disparities in agricultural productivity for selected crops across 22 blocks of Purba Bardhaman district from 1993-94 to 2016-17. Growth rates of agricultural productivity are calculated using both an exponential growth model and a kinked exponential growth model. Regional variations in the productivity of selected crops are analysed through advanced panel data techniques, including panel unit root tests on demeaned series and static panel regression models. Sigma convergence is assessed using the coefficient of variation method. Data on a few selected crops, such as rice, wheat, potato, mustard and sesame, are collected from the district statistical handbook of the Government of West Bengal. The findings showed that productivity growth for the selected crops either significantly declined or remained constant during the second sub-period in most blocks, compared to the first sub-period. The coefficient of variation increased significantly for rice and wheat, while it decreased notably for potato, sesame, and mustard. Panel unit root tests and regression analyses provide evidence of both conditional and unconditional beta convergence. The regional disparity in agricultural productivity has decreased, partly due to an increase in irrigated areas. Presently, the profitability of the selected traditional crops has significantly reduced in the district.