Journal of Community Mobilization and Sustainable Development

Survey was conducted (2014–16) in villages Digsara, Basirpur mar, Pokhra and Bhavanipur under Jalalabad block of Kannauj districts and; Kandharapur, Musa Khediya, Usmanganj, Daheliya, Badheli and Kanhau Yakutpur from selected two blocks of Farrukhabad districts to analyze the crop diversification systems, their profitability, perceived sustainability and the related issues. In every village, four focused group discussions (FGD) were arranged, each comprised of 30–35 farmers. Thus, 2500 farmers from all the 12 villages were interacted. Major research variables included the documentation of crop inventory along with their productivity (q/ha), gross cost of production (Rs/ha), gross return (Rs/ha), B:C ratio and employment created (mandays/year). Findings of the study showed that there were 10 different cropping systems which were cereal based, potato based, vegetable based or maize based. Even the indigenous system of mixed cropping based systems of jasmine and pumpkin with potato were also popular. The profitability, employment generation and perceived sustainability of these systems were comparatively analyzed. The perceived strength and weaknesses, and opportunity as well threat of the existing diversified systems were ascertained from the farmers’ view points. Lastly, the temporal trends of various economic indicators of summer maize was depicted which was getting more popular among the farmers even it was cost intensive as compared to other options of summer crops.