Socio-Economic Status of Farm Households in Harve 2 Microwatershed for Watershed Planning and Development Chamarajanagr Taluk and District, Karnataka

Abstract

The socio-economic outputs for the Harve 2 Microwatershed in Chamarajanagar taluk and district are presented here. Social Indicators;  Male and female ratio is 48.8 to 51.1 per cent to the total sample population.  Younger age 18 to 50 years group of population is around 64 per cent to the total population.  Literacy population is around 66.6 per cent.  Social groups belong to around other backward caste (OBC) is 50.0 per cent.  Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is the source of energy for a cooking among all sample households.  About 66.6 per cent of households have a yashaswini health card.  Majority of farm households (50.0 %) are having MGNREGA card for rural employment.  Dependence on ration cards for food grains through public distribution system is around 80.0 per cent.  Swach bharath program providing closed toilet facilities around 90.0 per cent of sample households. 2  Institutional participation is only 20.6 per cent of sample households.  Women participation in decisions making are around 80.0 per cent of households. Economic Indicators;  The average land holding is 0.7 ha indicates that majority of farm households are belong to marginal and small farmers. The dry irrigated land of 56.4 % and rain fed land 43.6 % of total cultivated land area among the sample farmers.  Agriculture is the main occupation among 15.4 per cent and agriculture is the main and agriculture labour is subsidiary occupation for 51.3 per cent of sample households.  The average value of domestic assets is around Rs. 15487 per household. Mobile and television are popular media mass communication.  The average value of farm assets is around Rs. 4280 per household, about 90 per cent of sample farmers weeder and drip/sprinkler (20.0 %).  The average value of livestock is around Rs. 34444 per household; about 54.5 per cent of household are having livestock.  The average per capita food consumption is around 552.3 grams (1502.4 kilo calories) against national institute of nutrition (NIN) recommendation at 827 gram. Around 90.0 per cent of sample households are consuming less than the NIN recommendation.  The annual average income is around Rs.145229. per household. About 70 per cent of farm households are below poverty line.  The per capita average monthly expenditure is around Rs.1198. Environmental Indicators-Ecosystem Services;  The value of ecosystem service helps to support investment to decision on soil and water conservation and in promoting sustainable land use.  The onsite cost of different soil nutrients lost due to soil erosion is around Rs. 617 per ha/year. The total cost of annual soil nutrients is around Rs. 232650 per year for the total area of 435.7 ha.  The average value of ecosystem service for food grain production is around Rs 91737/ha/year. Per hectare food grain production services is maximum in banana (Rs. 200516) followed by turmeric (Rs. 94392), beans (Rs. 33933), groundnut (Rs. 3 9452), sorghum (Rs. 4237), horse gram (Rs. 3181) sorghum and mulberry (Rs. 1561).  The average value of ecosystem service for fodder production is around Rs 1046/ ha/year. Per hectare fodder production services is maximum in groundnut (Rs. 1425) followed by sorghum (Rs. 1022) and horse gram (Rs. 690).  The data on water requirement for producing one quintal of grain is considered for estimating the total value of water required for crop production. The per hectare value of water used and value of water was maximum in beans (Rs. 294826) followed by coconut (Rs. 239888), mulberry (Rs. 211913), banana (Rs. 146348), turmeric (Rs. 48512), sorghum (Rs. 38916), horse gram (Rs. 21416) and groundnut (Rs. 19822). Economic Land Evaluation;  The major cropping pattern is horse gram (50.4%) followed by sorghum (15.4 %), coconut (13.4 %), turmeric (9.8 %), banana (6.5 %), groundnut (3.4 %) and mulberry (1.3 %).  In Harve 2 Microwatershed, major soils are soil of Harve (HRV) series is having shallow soil depth cover around 11.0 % of area. On this soil farmers are presently growing coconut. Kaggalipura (KGP) are also having shallow soil depth cover 17.7 % of area, the crops are banana (50 %) and turmeric (50 %). Mukahalli (MUK) soil series having shallow soil depth cover around 1.3 % of areas, crops are horsegram (50.0 %) and sorghum (50.0 %). Lakkipur (LKR) soil series having moderately shallow soil depth cover around 63.8 % of area, crops are groundnut (83.9 %) and sorghum (16.1 %). Mukhadahalli (MKH) soil series are having moderately deep soil depth cover around 2.9 % of area; the major crops grown are horse gram (28.2 %) and sunflower (71.8 %). Kumachahalli (KMH) soil series are having deep soil depth covers around 2.9 % of area, the major crop grown is beans (33.6 %), turmeric (33.6 %) and horse gram (32.6 %). Balapur (BPR) soil series having deep soil depth cover 2.5 % of areas; crops are mulberry.  The total cost of cultivation and benefit cost ratio (BCR) in study area for horse gram ranges between Rs.27090 ha in KMH soil (with BCR of 1.54) and Rs. 13481/ha in MKH soil (with BCR of 1.69). 4  In sorghum the cost of cultivation ranges between 23827/ha in MUK soil (with BCR of 1.59) and Rs.220271 /ha in LKR soil (with BCR of 0.91).  In turmeric the cost of cultivation range between Rs 87150 /ha in KMH soil (with BCR of 1.54) and Rs.105782/ha in KGP soil (with BCR of 1.79).  In banana the cost of cultivation in KGP soil is Rs.86621/ha (with BCR of 3.31).  In mulberry the cost of cultivation in BPR soil is Rs.68106/ha (with BCR of 1.02).  In groundnut the cost of cultivation in LKR soil is Rs.36861/ha (with BCR of 1.30) and beans the cost of cultivation in KMH soil is Rs.23579/ha (with BCR of 2.44).  The land management practices reported by the farmers are crop rotation, tillage practices, fertilizer application and use of farm yard manure (FYM). Due to higher wages farmer are following labour saving strategies is not prating soil and water conservation measures. Less ownership of livestock limiting application of FYM.  It was observed soil quality influences on the type and intensity of land use. More fertilizer applications in deeper soil to maximize returns. Suggestions;  Involving farmers is watershed planning helps in strengthing institutional participation.  The per capita food consumption and monthly income is very low. Diversifying income generation activities from crop and livestock production in order to reduce risk related to drought and market prices.  Majority of farmers reported that they are not getting timely support/extension services from the concerned development departments.  By strengthing agricultural extension for providing timely advice improved technology there is scope to increase in net income of farm households.  By adopting recommended package of practices by following the soil test fertiliser recommendation, there is scope to increase yield in horse gram (20.9 to 41.2%), sorghum (45.0 to 73.6 %), groundnut (58.3 %), banana (52.6 %), coconut (51.0 %), mulberry (24.6 %) and turmeric (8.9%).