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

Abstract

The socio-economic outputs for the Gopalapur micro-watershed (Gopalapur subwatershed, Gundlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district) are presented here. Social Indicators;  Male and female ratio is 56.7 to 43.3 per cent to the total sample population.  Younger age 18 to 50 years group of population is around 59.4 per cent to the total population.  Literacy population is around 81.0 per cent.  Social groups belong to schedule caste (SC) is around 30.0 per cent.  Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) gas is the source of a cooking among sample households.  About 40.0 per cent of households have a Yashaswini health card.  Only 10 per cent of the sample farm households are having MGNREGA card for rural employment.  Dependence on ration cards for food grains through public distribution system is around 40 per cent.  Swach bharath program providing closed toilet facilities around 90 per cent of sample households.  Institutional participation is only 13.4 per cent of sample households. 2  Rural migration to unban centre for employment is prevalent among 10.0 per cent of farm households.  Women participation in decisions making are around 55 per cent of households. Economic Indicators;  The average land holding is 0.98 ha that majority of farm households are belong to marginal and small farmers. The dry land account for 81.9 % and irrigated land 18.1 % of total cultivated land area among the sample farmers.  Agriculture is the main occupation and agriculture is the main agriculture labour is the subsidiary occupation of 45.9 per cent and non agriculture labour is subsidiary occupation for 35.2 per cent of sample households.  The average value of domestic assets is around Rs.17498 per household. Mobile and television are popular media mass communication.  The average farm assets value is around Rs.44759 per household, about 100 per cent of sample farmers owen plough and sprayer (20 %).  The average livestock value is around Rs.18687 per household; about 66.7 per cent of household are having livestock.  The average per capita food consumption is around 536.44 grams (1357.4 kilo calories) against national institute of nutrition (NIN) recommendation at 827 gram. Among all sample households are consuming less than the NIN recommendation.  The annual average income is around Rs. 91083 per household. About 60 per cent of farm households are below poverty line.  The per capita monthly average expenditure is around Rs. 834. 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.1080 per ha/year. The total cost of annual soil nutrients is around Rs. 487243 per year for the total area of 570.84 ha.  The average value of ecosystem service for food grain production is around Rs 83589/ha/year. Per hectare food grain production services is maximum in turmeric 3 (Rs. 343218) followed by horse gram (Rs. 22618), tomato (Rs. 194638), maize (Rs. 8734), sunflower (Rs. 7053), sorghum (Rs. 4952) and ragi (Rs. 3913).  The average value of ecosystem service for fodder production is around Rs. 1381/ ha/year. Per hectare fodder production service is maximum in sorghum (Rs. 2806) horse gram (Rs. 1853) and maize (Rs. 617) and ragi (Rs. 247).  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 tomato (Rs. 100314) followed by turmeric (Rs. 81856), sorghum (Rs. 43655), sunflower (Rs. 34682), maize (Rs. 30183), horse gram (Rs. 22808) and ragi (Rs. 12073). Economic Land Evaluation;  The major cropping pattern is sorghum (34.6 %) sunflower (27.9 %), followed by sunflower (27.9 %), turmeric (11.8 %), horse gram (7.8 %), ragi (7.8 %) and maize (4.7 %).  In Gopalapur micro-watershed, major soil series are soil of alluvial landscape of Hundipur (HDR) series is having shallow soil depth cover around 33.2 % of area. On this soil farmers are presently growing maize. Devarahalli (DRH) soil series having moderately shallow soil depth cover around 8 % of area, crops are sorghum (27 %) and turmeric (73 %). Kallipura (KLP) soil series are having deep soil cover around 13 % of area, respectively. The major crops grown are sorghum (43 %), sunflower (46 %) and tomato (12 %). Annurkeri (ARK), Honnegaudanahalli (HGH) and Kalligaudanahalli (KDH) series is having very deep soil depth cover around 13%, 4% and 9 % of area, respectively. On this soil farmers are presently growing horse gram, ragi, sorghum and sunflower.  The total cost of cultivation and benefit cost ratio (BCR) in study area for maize ranges between Rs. 33256/ha in HDR soil (with BCR of 1.28).  In sorghum the cost of cultivation ranges between Rs.49825/ha in KDH soil (with BCR of 1.15) and Rs.28702/ha in KLP soil (with BCR of 2.13).  In tomato the cost of cultivation Rs 86618/ha in KLP soil (with of 3.25).  In sorghum the cost of cultivation range between Rs. 49825/ha in KDH soil (with of 1.15) and Rs.28702/ha in KLP soil (with BCR of 2.13). 4  In sunflower the cost of cultivation ranges between Rs.59730/ha in KDH soil (with BCR of 1.14) and Rs.35323/ha in HGH soil (with BCR of 1.64).  In horse gram the cost of cultivation is Rs.11364/ha in ARK soil (with BCR of 3.15) and ragi the cost of cultivation is Rs. 32970/ha in ARK soil (with BCR of 1.19).  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 maize (70.2 %), sorghum (54.9 to 44.3%), ragi (67.6), tomato (8.5%), sunflower (47.2 to 32.3%) and horse gram (24.1%).