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

Abstract

The socio-economic outputs for the Kalligaudanahalli micro-watershed (Annurkeri sub-watershed, Gundlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district) are presented here. Social Indicators;  Male and female ratio is 60 to 40 per cent to the total sample population.  Younger age 18 to 50 years group of population is around 55 per cent to the total population.  Literacy population is around 70.0 per cent.  Social groups belong to other backward castes (OBC) among all sample households.  Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is the source of energy for a cooking among all sample households.  About 20.0 per cent of households have a yashaswini health card.  About of farm households (10.0 %) 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 70.0 per cent of sample households. 2  Institutional participation is only 25.7 per cent of sample households.  Women participation in decisions making for agriculture production among all households was found. Economic Indicators;  The average land holding is 0.77 ha indicates that majority of farm households are belong to marginal and small farmers. The dry land of 70 per cent and irrigated land 30 per cent of total cultivated land area among the sample farmers.  Agriculture is the main occupation among 2.3 per cent and agriculture is a main and agriculture labour is subsidiary occupation for 48.8 per cent of sample households.  The average value of domestic assets is around Rs. 9875 per household. Mobile and television are popular media mass communication.  The average value of farm assets is around Rs. 2520 per household, about 90.0 per cent of sample farmers owned plough.  The average value of livestock is around Rs. 19749 per household; about 66.6 per cent of household are having livestock.  The average per capita food consumption is around 612.6 grams (1466.7 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.79659 per household. Among all sample farm households are above poverty line.  The per capita monthly average expenditure is around Rs.1543. 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.1119.8 per ha/year. The total cost of annual soil nutrients is around Rs.628247 per year for the total area of 612.4 ha.  The average value of ecosystem service for food grain production is around Rs. 30962/ ha/year. Per hectare food grain production services is maximum in potato 3 (Rs. 125268) followed by onion (Rs. 78483), horse gram (Rs. 11372), maize (Rs. 9165), sorghum (Rs. 8385), groundnut (Rs. 4775) and sunflower (Rs. 4541).  The average value of ecosystem service for fodder production is around Rs. 1108/ ha/year. Per hectare fodder production services is maximum in maize (Rs. 2315) followed by groundnut (Rs. 820), sorghum (Rs. 761) and horse gram (Rs. 536).  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 cotton (Rs. 59890) followed by sorghum (Rs. 46324), sunflower (Rs. 36827), horse gram (Rs. 27546), maize (Rs. 24574), groundnut (Rs. 20546), onion (Rs. 18140) and potato (Rs. 16304). Economic Land Evaluation;  The major cropping pattern is sorghum (24.5 %) followed by maize (16.4%) sunflower (13.8 %), groundnut (11.3 %), onion (11.3 %), cotton (10.6 %), potato (7.6%) and horse gram (5.2 %).  In Kaligaudanahalli micro-watershed, major soil is soil of Hundipura (HDR) series soils is having shallow soil depth covers around 10.9 % of area. On this soil farmers are presently growing cotton (39.4%), horse gram (20.4%) and sunflower (40.1%), Kannigala (KNG) soils are having moderately deep and well drained soil depth covers around 16.4 % of area, the crops are onion (33.4%) and potato (66.6%). Honnegaudanahalli (HGH) soils are having very deep and well drained soil depth covers around 13.5 % of areas; crops are maize (37.5%) and sorghum (62.5%). Kalligaudanahalli (KDH) soils are having very deep soil depth covers around 31.6 % of area, crops are maize (50.0 %), sorghum (50.0 %) and Annurkeri (ARK) soil are having very deep and well drained soil depth covers around 6.3 % of area, the major crop grown is groundnut and onion.  The total cost of cultivation and benefit cost ratio (BCR) in study area for onion ranges between Rs.138356/ha in ARK soil (with BCR of 1.45) and Rs.88775/ha in KNG soil (with BCR of 2.0).  In sorghum the cost of cultivation range between Rs. 35530/ha in KDH soil (with of 1.70) and Rs.8688/ha in HGH soil (with BCR1.81).  In sunflower the cost of cultivation is Rs. 39223/ha in HDR soil (with BCR of 1.13). 4  In maize the cost of cultivation range between Rs. 30105/ha in KDH soil (with BCR of 1.37) and Rs.20028/ha HGH soil (with BCR of 1.46).  In cotton cost of cultivation in HDR soil is Rs. 94916/ha (with BCR of 1.09).  In potato cost of cultivation in KNG soil is Rs. 50843/ha (with BCR of 3.46).  In groundnut the cost of cultivation in ARK soil is Rs. 26982/ha (with BCR of 1.21).  In sunflower cultivation in HDR soil is Rs 48657/ha (with BCR of 1.95) and horse gram the cost cultivation in HDR soil is Rs.19056/ha (with BCR of 1.94).  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 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 cotton (13.0 %), horse gram (8.3 %), sunflower (33.2 %), onion (69.6 to 75.7 %), potato (74.1 %), maize (73.1 to 78.4 %), sorghum (33.8 to 50.5 %) and groundnut (56.8 %).