Geospatial Dynamics of Cropping pattern and Agricultural Efficiency in Kashmir Valley-A Northwestern Himalayan Region, India

Abstract

Food (in)security and agricultural efficiency is a major challenge in many of the world’s mountain ranges. The particular physical characteristics of mountains and associated socioeconomic factors, mountain regions all over the world face challenges in terms of food security and cropping pattern, although at different levels. Mountains in developing countries are sites of poverty. About 40 percent of the mountain population or nearly 300 million people are estimated to be vulnerable to food insecurity, of these, nearly 90 percent live in rural areas and almost half of those are likely to be chronically hungry. The present study also focuses on the regional disparities in agricultural efficiency and cropping pattern across different tehsils of Kashmir Valley-A north-western part of Himalayas. The study was carried out across thirty-nine spatial units (Tehsils) among different districts of Kashmir valley in GIS and remote sensing environment. Both primary and secondary data was employed. The study shows that the productivity of paddy, maize, and wheat is showing an increasing trend among all tehsils of Kashmir valley from 2011 to 2017 but the area under these crops is decreasing at an alarming rate leading a food deficit of  21.70 percent. So, agriculture planning is badly needed to curb this grave problem and impose restrictions to land conversion a burning issue nowadays