Economics of Resource Use and Farm Earnings

The amazing success story of modernization and transformation of traditional agriculture of Punjab and rural development on introduction of Green Revolution technology during mid sixties is known worldwide. However, passing through the agro-climatically fragile North-eastern foothill sub-mountainous region of the state, one wonders whether the area constitutes the part of much acclaimed development model of rural transformation. For such regions, optimal use of scarce resources is the first and foremost short run option with the stakeholders to improve production efficiency, rural development and livings conditions of the people. Based on an intensive field investigation by the author, the present study measure the resource use efficiency of alternative cropping systems, identifies the economic gaps and suggests the most suitable optimal cropping and livestock pattern for the region that on implementation may go a long way in modernization and rapid transformation of the economy of this underdeveloped part of the state.