A Culture Called
Agriculture in Bundelkhand

 

Agriculture is the predominant occupation in Bundelkhand; however, the land available and used for cultivation in this region is considerably lower than in other agricultural zones of the country. Agriculture is proclaimed as the backbone of the Indian Economy; nevertheless, development practitioners in Bundelkhand wonder if this is true to Bundelkhand as well.

Due to large portions of the landmass being wasteland in the Bundelkhand Intermediate Region and Bundelkhand Upland sub-regions, the percentage of land used for cultivation falls drastically, to around 50 per cent in Chitrakoot and Lalitpur districts, less than 50 per cent in Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh and Damoh districts; in Panna, only around 35 per cent of total area is cultivated. In Sagar and Datia districts, the cultivated land area is around 53 per cent and 67 per cent respectively.

Erratic rainfall coupled with poor land and water management practices have resulted in poor realisation of economic benefits out of agriculture in the region. Negligible growth in industries and other off farm livelihood options has left people with little other options to improve their quality of life. Predominant small farms and exploitative and underdeveloped markets in the region also make it challenging for the development agencies to convert agriculture into a viable sustainable proposition.

Having said that, we at Development Alternatives believe, that properly designed interventions and equitable ways of engagement with diverse stakeholders can bring significant change in accrual of benefits from agriculture.

This issue of Development Alternatives’ Newsletter discusses this in length, not just through theoretical or hypothetical scientific arguments but through proven, demonstrated and successful masterpieces as well. We also have a firm belief that many of our readers from Bundelkhand and outside will not find this idea alien, but will be able to relate this with their own experiences either in-region or in similar agro-climatic regions.

These practices are also significant from the perspective of climatic vulnerabilities within which the communities in Bundelkhand are coping. I hope that readers will find this issue useful and write back to us with their experiences so as to enrich us and also guide us in our future endeavours. I also welcome articles or success stories from our readers and assure that they will also find apace in our future issues.

Wish you a happy reading and wishes for a New Year. I wish that the New Year unfolds attainment of better developmental milestones than the passing year. q

Kiran Sharma
ksharma@devalt.org


 

 

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