Crop Diversification in Tobacco Growing Areas: Farmers’ Practices and Perceptions

Crop diversification is essentially a dynamic process with wide crop choices and land allocation over time. The transition from traditional to other crops especially from a commercial crop like tobacco involves several challenges. The present study was conducted during 2019-20 with an objective to identify farmers’ practices and perceptions in view of crop diversification in FCV tobacco growing areas. Expost facto research design was used, and random sampling technique was employed in selection of respondents. The primary data for the study was collected from 30 randomly selected FCV (Flue Cured Virginia) tobacco farmers in each of three tobacco growing regions viz., Northern Light Soils (NLS), Southern Light Soils (SLS) & Southern Black Soils (SBS) of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Light Soils (KLS) region of Karnataka thus making total sample size of 90 respondents. The secondary data on crop area cultivated in the study pertained to the period 2012-13 to 2019-20. Extent of crop diversification was analyzed to identify area allocated to different crops in the tobacco growing regions. Though tobacco is a commercial crop fetching unmatched returns face serious challenges in terms of tobacco control policies, thereby forcing farmers to opt for crop diversification. Reports indicated that the area under FCV tobacco cultivation declined from 2012- 2020 and this decrease in tobacco area is accounted for an increase in area of other crops viz., millets in Karnataka and pulses in Andhra Pradesh. Besides, farmers’ perceptions on promoting crop diversification vary depending on resource and market availability. Some of them are input subsidies, easy access to crop loans, post-harvest processing facilities, watershed development, establishment of village level custom hiring centres, developing crop wise toll-free numbers for market information, establishment and promotion of agro-based industry linkages, adoption of tobacco villages and incentives to farmers following crop diversification.