Socio-Economic Status of Farm Households in Shivapur-1 Microwatershed for Watershed Planning and Development Gundlupet Taluk, Chamarajanagara District, Karnataka

Abstract

The socio-economic outputs for the Shivapura-1 micro-watershed (Shivapura subwatershed, Gundlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district) are presented here Social Indicators;  Male and female ratio is 54.8 to 45.1 per cent to the total sample population.  Younger age 18 to 50 years group of population is around 64.5 per cent to the total population.  Literacy population is around 80.6 per cent.  Social groups belong to scheduled caste (SC) is around 44.4 per cent.  Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is the source of energy for a cooking among 90.0 per cent.  About 66.6 per cent of households have a yashaswini health card.  Farm households (44.4 %) are having MGNREGA card for rural employments.  Dependence on ration cards for food grains through public distribution system is around 88.8 per cent.  Swach bharath program providing closed toilet facilities around 55.5 per cent of sample households.  Institutional participation is only 9.6 per cent of sample households. 2  Rural migration to unban centre for employment is prevalent among 12.9 per cent of farm households.  Women participation in decisions making are around 82.1 per cent of households. Economic Indicators;  The average land holding is 1.1 ha indicates that majority of farm households are belong to marginal and small farmers. The dry land of 66.3 % and irrigated land 33.7% of total cultivated land area among the sample farmers.  Agriculture is the main occupation among 12.9 per cent and agriculture is the main and non agriculture labour is subsidiary occupation for 38.7 per cent of sample households.  The average value of domestic assets is around Rs. 101589 per household. Mobile and television are popular media mass communication.  The average farm assets value is around Rs.71651 per household, about 55.5 per cent of sample farmers owen of Irrigation pump and sprayer (44.4 %).  The average value livestock is around Rs.36667 per household; about 77.7 per cent of households are having livestock.  The average per capita food consumption is around 651.5 grams (1638.6 kilo calories) against national institute of nutrition (NIN) recommendation at 827 gram. Around 88.9 per cent of sample households are consuming less than the NIN recommendation.  The annual average income is around Rs.65433 per household. About 55.5 per cent of farm households are below poverty line.  The per capita monthly average expenditure is around Rs.1142. 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. 765 per ha/year. The total cost of annual soil nutrients is around Rs. 436466 per year for the total area of 595.6 ha.  The average value of ecosystem service for food production is around Rs. 30601/ ha/year. Per hectare food production services is maximum in banana (Rs. 45422) 3 followed by sunflower (Rs. 12945), cotton (Rs. 9384), horse gram (Rs. 6715), sorghum (Rs. 5915) and maize (Rs. 5902).  The average value of ecosystem service for fodder production is around Rs. 904/ ha/year. Per hectare fodder production services is maximum in sorghum (Rs. 1091) followed by and horse gram (Rs. 717).  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 banana (Rs. 117195) followed by cotton (Rs. 58112), sorghum (Rs. 41407), sunflower (Rs. 35645), maize (Rs. 23218) and horse gram (Rs. 21933). Economic Land Evaluation;  The major cropping pattern is sunflower (33.1 %) followed by sorghum (25.4 %), horse gram (15 %), banana (11.9 %), cotton (4.9 %), maize (4.7 %) and safflower (4.7 %).  In Shivapura 1 micro-watershed, major soil is soil of Shivapura (SPR) series is having shallow soil deep cover around 5.65 % of area. On this soil farmers are presently growing maize (50.0%) and sunflower (50 %), Hindupur (HDR) soil are also having shallow soil depth cover (45.0 %) of area, the crops are horse gram (24 %), sorghum (45 %) and sunflower (31.0 %). Devarhalli (DRH) soil series having moderately shallow soil depth cover around 31.66 per cent of areas, crops are sorghum (50 %) and sunflower (50.0 %). Hullipura (HPR) soil series having moderately shallow soil depth cover around 19 % of area; crops are banana (38), cotton (16 %), sorghum (23 %) and sunflower (11.0 %).  The total cost of cultivation and benefit cost ratio (BCR) in study area for sorghum range between Rs. 24166/ha in HPR soil (with BCR of 1.30) and Rs. 20250/ha in HDR soil (with BCR of 1.34).  In horse gram the cost of cultivation range between Rs 18606/ha in HPR soil (with of 1.26) and Rs.16253/ha in HDR soil (with BCR of 1.52).  In sunflower the cost of cultivation range between Rs. 40912/ha in HPR soil (with BCR of 1.03) and Rs. 16518/ha in DRH soil (with BCR of 2.22).  In maize the cost of cultivation is Rs. 24498/ha in SPR soil (with BCR of 1.24). 4  In banana the cost of cultivation is Rs. 62539/ha in HPR soil (with BCR of 1.69) and cotton cultivation in HPR soil is Rs.74271/ha (with BCR of 1.13).  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 on deeper soils 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 (28.5 to 24.1 %), sorghum (53.8 to 47.2%), sunflower (41.4 to 24.1 %), banana (62 %), cotton (15.6 %) and maize (77.1 %)