Agriculture Diversification: A Socio-Economic Analysis

The issue for the sustainable livelihood and development of small and marginal farmers is the most significant aspect because the land share is declining at a very alarming rate. Grain based cropping pattern during recent years has lost the importance after achieving self-sufficiency at the national and regional level. Subsequently, challenging task ahead remains the adequate returns to enhance income and ensured employment of the farmers to their existing land to sustain their livelihood. Hence, agriculture diversification has viewed as a strategy to achieve desired socio-economic development. The paramount objectives of diversification is to raise income through opening of avenues of diversified production, employment in farm and non-farm sectors, sustain the livelihood of the small and marginal farmers, to produce remunerative crops, providing nutritional food and to make broad based economic growth which should be sustainable.