Trends in Fertiliser Consumption and Cropping Pattern in Gujarat

摘要

The importance of fertiliser in enhancing of crop production is well established.Since the inception of economic reforms,fertiliser sector is passing through unstable policy environment coupled with market uncertainties.The slow down in the growth of consumption of fertilisers after reforms is a cause for concern.The present paper analyses the trends in fertiliser consumption and cropping pattern changes in Gujarat,and identifies causes for slow down in fertiliser consumption and changes in cropping pattern.The major causes are less irrigation water,price changes,erratic rainfall and low return on investments.These have adversely affected fertiliser usage in Gujarat particularly in Saurashtra region where rainfall is very low coupled with less irrigated area.The regression analysis has been carried out taking influence of factors like relative prices of N,P & K,gross cropped area,irrigation,cropping pattern and rainfall for the years 1978-79 to 2002-03,pre-reform period and post-reform period.In all these three models,irrigation is the major influencing factor for the consumption of N,P & K followed by prices and cropping pattern.