Journal of Agricultural Development and Policy

The present study was undertaken to examine the changes in land use, crop diversification and resource use efficiency of major crops in Humid South-Eastern Plain of Rajasthan, India. The study was based on secondary data to examine the changes in land use pattern and changes in cropping pattern from TE 1994 to TE 2014 from various published sources of Government of Rajasthan. The primary unit level data collected from Cost of Cultivation Scheme, MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan was used for collecting information on of major crops for the block period TE 2013-14. Results of the study revealed that there has been considerable increase in concentration of land under miscellaneous tree crops and groves (location coefficient 2.14 to 3.19) due to the decline in concentration in current fallow and fallow lands other than current fallow and net sown area. The percentage share of gross cropped area under total foodgrains has shown drastic decrease from 54.79 per cent to 35.80 per cent. The total oilseed crops has shown remarkable increase in share of gross cropped area from 34.23 per cent to 50.97 per cent which could be mainly due to Technology Mission on Oil and Oil Palm Scheme (TMOP) for enhancing the oilseeds production in the country initiated by the government. Cropping intensity had increased during the study period from 133 per cent to 180 per cent. This zone showed lower crop diversification index during the study period from 0.11 to 0.22 Among all the crops, technical, allocative and cost efficiency in paddy cultivation was found highest and significantly efficient i.e. 95 per cent, 96 per cent and 91 per cent, respectively followed by sorghum and fenugreek.