Understanding farming systems and their economic performance in Telangana, India: Not all that glitters is gold

Bhavana Rao Kuchimanchi, Raimon Ripoll Bosch*, Imke J.M. De Boer, Simon J. Oosting

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Farming systems are transitioning from a subsistence orientation to market orientation in response to changing food demands, technologies, and policies. In India's dryland regions, watershed development, among several other initiatives, has been a critical driver of these transitions, but their outcomes are poorly understood. The present paper investigates the characteristics and economic performance of current farming systems in a region in Telangana, India, that has undergone a rapid transition from subsistence orientation to market orientation. We surveyed 3006 farms, followed by a farm-economics study involving 75 households belonging to the three major farming systems. The gross margin was low for all systems but most inadequate for the crop-without-livestock system, highest for the crop-with-small-ruminants system, and intermediate for the crop-with-dairy system. Economic risks and natural-resource scarcity threaten the sustainability of current farming systems, and the reassessment of watershed development policies is recommended.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100120
JournalCurrent Research in Environmental Sustainability
Volume4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2022

Keywords

  • Farm economics
  • Farming system characterization
  • India
  • Rural livelihoods
  • Watershed development

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Understanding farming systems and their economic performance in Telangana, India: Not all that glitters is gold'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this