MPACT OF ADOPTION OF NEW CROPS INTO NEW AREAS THROUGH INTRODUCTION OF IMPROVED VARIETIES : CASE OF CHICKPEA INSOUTH INDIA

摘要

Historically India is the largest producer, consumer and importer of pulses. However, during the year 2010-11 its projected deficit is the lowest since last five years. Many policy and technological interventions helped to increase pulses production from 14.7 million tons in 2007-08 to 18.09 mt in 2010-11. The paper discusses strategies followed to increase pulses production in the last five years and the way forward to sustain the increased production. The paper examined the factors behind the fastgrowth in production of pulses production in recent years with chickpea in Andhra Pradesh as example. The study used both primary and secondary data from 1990 to 2011. It highlighted the importance of successful government programs like National Food Security Mission in increasing pulses production. Introduction of chickpea crop into non-traditional areas like south Indian States is an example of technological and institutional breakthrough to be replicated in other crops. Many institutional, technological factors contributed for this success, mainly introduction of chickpea into black cotton soils, availability of plenty of rabi fallow lands, adoption of short duration and high yielding varieties like KAK-2 and JG-11, well developed land lease marketfacilitated large scale mechanization, which reduced labour use to cope with labour shortage in local economy are some of the contributing factors for the expansion of chickpea area into south Indian States. Due to adoption of HYVs of chickpea, cost of production reduced significantly, which enhanced competitiveness compared to competing crops. Yield and price stability of chickpea is much higher compared to competing crops. And the wider availability of highly subsidized cold storage warehouses helpedfarmers to store chickpea during low prices to overcome monthly price fluctuations to reap profits from higher prices during later periods.