Reducing Farm Income Losses through Land Reclamation: A Case Study from Indo-Gangetic Plains

Abstract

Soil sodicity is a major problem in arid and semi-arid regions of Indo-Gangetic plains in India. A large proportion of sodicity-affected soils in Indo-Gangetic areas occur on land inhibited by resource poor farmers. Several efforts have been made by the Central and State governments to check soil degradation and increase agricultural productivity through land reclamation programmes in salt-affected regions of India. The present study is an attempt to measure the impact of land reclamation on reduction in farm income losses. The study sourced data from published records and survey from farm households in Uttar Pradesh, India. Analysis revealed that land reclamation has contributed substantially to improve the soil health, crop productivity and farm income. All uncultivated degraded lands in pre-reclamation period have been put under cultivation in post-reclamation period and cropping intensity has significantly increased. The farm income losses were reduced substantially in post-reclamation period. The study has concluded that sodic land reclamation technology has made a significant contribution to livelihood security of resource-poor farmers in salt-affected regions. The study has suggested that a large part of agricultural land is being abandoned in India due to severe sodicity related problems and need to be reclaimed on priority basis to improve land productivity and farm income of resource poor farmers.