Assessment of Economic Viability of Different Agroforestry Systems in Giri Catchment, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

In Himachal Pradesh, 80 percent of its total population lives in villages. Their economy is depends on agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry. The practice of pure agriculture in HP is sufficient for the inhabitants to sustain only their food requirements but, for other needs peoples are forced to exploit forests. The present investigation was carried out in Giri catchment in located between 30O 33’ 48’’ and 31O 16’ 08’’ N latitude and 77O 02’ 32’’ to 77O 38’ 22’’ E longitude in Himachal Pradesh. The net returns from agroforestry systems decreased, though statistically insignificant, in the order agrisilviculture system (277415.00 Rs. ha-l yr-1) > agrisilvihorticulture system (270747.00 ` ha-l yr-1) > agrihortisilviculture (269033.00 ` ha-l yr-1) > agrihortisilviculture (225880.30 ` ha-l yr-1) systems. The benefit-cost ratio in silvipasture system was significantly higher (3.34) than all other systems and it decreased in the order: S6 (2.53) > S4 (2.38) > S3 (2.17) > S1 (2.10) > S1 (1.87).