Socio-Economic Status of Farm Households in Devarahalli Microwatershed for Watershed Planning and Development Gundlupet Taluk, Chamarajanagar District, Karnataka

Abstract

The socio-economic outputs for the Devarahalli micro-watershed (Basavapur subwatershed, Gundlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district) are presented here. Social Indicators;  Male and female ratio is 51.1 to 48.9 per cent to the total sample population.  Younger age 18 to 50 years group of population is around 53.2 per cent to the total population.  Literacy population is around 97.9 per cent.  Social groups belong to other backward caste (OBC) is around 88.9 per cent.  Wood is the source of energy for a cooking among 77.8 per cent.  About 66.7 per cent of households have a yashaswini health card.  Around (11.1 %) farm households are having MGNREGA card for rural employments.  Dependence on ration cards for food grains through public distribution system is around 95.2 per cent.  Swach bharath program providing closed toilet facilities among all the sample households. 2 Economic Indicators;  The average land holding is 0.85 ha indicates that majority of farm households are belong to marginal and small farmers. The dry land account for 73.3 % and irrigated land is 26.7 % of total cultivated land of the sample farmers.  Agriculture is the main occupation among 31.9 per cent and agriculture is the main and non agriculture labour is subsidiary occupation for 38.3 per cent of sample households.  The average value of domestic assets is around Rs.14769 per household. Mobile and television are popular mass media communication.  The average value of farm assets is around Rs.10265 per household, about 33.3 per cent of sample farmers own plough and sprayer (38.1 %).  The average value of livestock is around Rs.32500 per household; about 50 per cent of household are having livestock.  The average per capita food consumption is around 626.3 grams (1292.8 kilo calories) against national institute of nutrition (NIN) recommendation at 827 gram. Around 88.8 per cent of sample households are consuming less than the NIN recommendation.  The annual average income is around Rs. 52769 per household. About 33.3 per cent of farm households are below poverty line.  The per capita monthly average expenditure is around Rs.1046. 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.710 per ha/year. The total cost of annual soil nutrients is around Rs. 352025 per year for the total area of 614.4 ha.  The average value of ecosystem service for food grain production is around Rs. 31227/ha/year. Per hectare food grain production services is maximum in turmeric (Rs. 134323) followed by maize (Rs. 21552), ragi (Rs. 13774), red gram (Rs. 13099), sorghum (Rs. 2365) and horse gram (Rs. 2248).  The average value of ecosystem service for fodder production is around Rs. 5946/ ha/year. Per hectare fodder production services is maximum in maize (Rs. 2470) followed by ragi (Rs. 1846), horse gram (Rs. 1482) and sorghum (Rs. 792). 3  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 red gram (Rs. 47740) followed by turmeric (Rs. 36177), maize (Rs. 27165), sorghum (Rs. 24130), horse gram (Rs. 19007) and ragi (Rs. 16891). Economic Land Evaluation;  The major cropping pattern is turmeric (26.8 %) followed by ragi (22.8 %), red gram (17.9 %), sorghum (16.6 %), maize (10.6 %) and horse gram (5.31 %).  In Devarahalli micro-watershed, major soil is Hindupur (HDR) series having shallow deep cover around 27.79 % of area. On this soil farmers are presently growing maize (37.2 %) and red gram (62.8 %). Magoonahalli (MGH) soil series are having moderately shallow soil depth cover around 27.79 per cent of area the crops are horse gram (47.6 %) and ragi ( 52.4%), Kannigala (KNG) are having moderately shallow soil depth cover around 19.48 per cent the crops are ragi (39.1 %) and sorghum (60.9%). Beemanabeedu (BMB) and Honnegaudanahalli (HGH) soil series are very deep soil depth the cover around 11.41 % and 2.13 %, respectively, the crops are grown of ragi and turmeric.  The total cost of cultivation and benefit cost ratio (BCR) in study area for turmeric ranges between Rs. 103954/ha in BMB soil (with BCR of 3.26) and Rs. 42228/ha in HGH soil (with BCR of 2.56).  In ragi the cost of cultivation range between Rs 32574/ha in BMB soil (with of 1.17) and Rs. 18236/ha in NSP soil (with BCR of 2.68).  In horse gram the cost of cultivation is Rs. 31715/ha in MGH soil (with BCR of 1.12).  In maize the cost of cultivation is Rs. 27354/ha in HDR soil (with BCR of 1.88).  In red gram the cost of cultivation is Rs 17593/ha in HDR soil (with BCR of 1.74) and sorghum cost of cultivation is Rs. 13469/ha in KNG soil (with BCR of 1.23).  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 are deeper soils to maximize returns. 4 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 maize (73.2 %), sorghum (71.8 %), ragi (52.8 to 55.8 %), horse gram (36.7 %), turmeric (0 to 36.7 %) and red gram (28.1 %).