Area, production and productivity of major foodgrain crops in western Maharashtra

Abstract

The present study has been undertaken to study the trends in area, production and productivity of major foodgrain in western Maharashtra. The study has been conducted based on secondary data. Three major foodgrain crops from the western Maharashtra region viz; rabi Sorghum, Soybean and Gram were selected on the basis of important crop from cereals, oilseeds and pulses of the region. The data was collected for the periods from 1960-61 to 2017-18 from various governmental publications and web sites. The exponential function was fitted in order to analysis the trend in area, production and productivity of foodgrains. At overall level compound growth rates of the production and productivity of rabi Sorghum in western Maharashtra region was significantly increased at the rate of 0.52 and 0.91 per cent per annum and area under rabi Sorghum in western Maharashtra region was significantly decreased at the rate of 0.39 per cent per annum, respectively for the overall period of 57 years. Thus, it clearly indicates that, the production of rabi Sorghum was mainly increased due to only productivity improvement. At overall level compound growth rates of area and production of Soybean in western Maharashtra region was significantly increased at the rate of 7.98 and 8.28 per cent per annum and productivity of Soybean in western Maharashtra region was non-significantly increased at the rate of 0.28 per cent per annum, respectively for the overall period of 27 years. Thus, it clearly indicates that, the production of Soybean was mainly increased due to area expansion. It is observed that, cultivators in western Maharashtra are gradually switching over to Soybean from other traditional crops like, Groundnut, Onion etc. due to higher yield and remunerative price for Soybean. At overall level compound growth rates of the area, production and productivity of Gram in western Maharashtra region was significantly increased at the rate of 2.51, 4.3 and 1.75 per cent per annum, respectively for the overall period of 57 years. Thus, it clearly indicates that, the production of Gram was increased due to both area expansion and productivity improvement.