Crop Diversification in India: A Review

In the 1980s, Indian agriculture understood the importance of shifting away from grains and towards other crops, but this did not expressly target the horticulture sector. Early in the 1990s, while economic reforms and liberalisations were being implemented, diversification in the direction of horticulture became increasingly evident. In recent years, the economy has gradually shifted from producing food crops to non-food crops and the area under non-food crops has increased far more than that of the sector producing food crops. Fruits and vegetables have dominated the diversification in horticulture because to a change in demand brought on by a shift in peoples’ consumption patterns. The high rate of return and higher productivity of horticulture than other food crops are additional factors driving diversification in this sector. It also benefits the farmers since it gives the population year-round jobs and income.

• Crop diversification increases income because high-value crops, such vegetables and roots, not only make the cropping system more intensive but also produce higher financial returns per unit of land.

• Diversification towards commercial crops alsoassists the small and marginal farmers to uplift their economy through increasing their farm output.