Risks and Profitability Challenges of Agriculture in Sundarbans India: Increasing Livelihood Security

Abstract

In spite of the vast resource potentials in the Sundarbans, the enhancement of the agricultural productivity in this coastal land is much below the expected level. The region is lagging behind many inland areas in terms of agricultural productivity and livelihood security of the farmers and other inhabitants. The agricultural system is heavily dependent mainly on environmental factors, such as the timing, intensity and distribution of the monsoon, and other constraints, like soil salinity, drainage congestion, flooding, inadequacy of freshwater for irrigation, etc. Anticipated climate change effects suggest that total rainfall in the area is unlikely to decrease in the future. Higher temperatures, changes in monsoon timing and predictability, sea level rise, and land subsidence, in addition to the above, driven by natural and human activities will make farming less secured from livelihood point of view unless there is improved farm management. Risk factors involved in agricultural practices, and recommendations for improvement, based on location-specific constraints, developed are the most important factors for decision-making in farm management, adoption of new technologies, as well as enhancing farm income. Suitable cropping system intensification, with emphasis on introduction of high-value crops, can be one of the ways to agricultural risk mitigation. Complementarity between agriculture and industry/non-farm entrepreneurship are suggested as yet other ways for risk management. Several strategies to increase farm income, along with appropriate remunerative price and marketing support, in the Sundarbans region have been highlighted in this chapter. Study concluded that enhancing farmers' income in Sundarbans of West Bengal (India) is a challenging task, needs technology and policy support. The most critical concern for the farmers in the region is not only to achieve the higher farmers’ income but also to sustain it across the farmers’ groups.