*Chairperson & Coordinator DRS III, Department of Geography, A.M.U., Aligarh
**Associate Professor, D.A.V. P.G. College, Kanpur
***Project fellow, Department of Geography, A.M.U., Aligarh
****Research Scholar, Department of Geography, A.M.U., Aligarh
Online published on 19 January, 2017.
The objective of this paper is to analyse the crop diversification and cropping pattern in West Bengal in the last 30 years. It is pursued through measuring crop diversification index. We have used Gibb's and Martin's Indices (1962) to measure diversification in the state. The study is entirely based on secondary sources of data. The result shows that in all most all districts, crop diversification is taking place and more so in the second phase of our study i.e. 2000–01. The study also reveals that the area under cereals and pulses decreased whereas area under oilseeds and cash crops has increased. The hilly and backward districts recorded more diversification but towards lower value crops, in accordance with the changing water availability, weather condition, access to credit and risk. It goes against the normal feature of crop diversification where farmers diversify in favour of high value crops. The diversification has taken place in favour of high value crops or the crops which seem to provide higher relative return to the cultivators.1
Diversification, Cropping pattern, Gibb's, Martin's crop index and Spatio-temporal
