Tehri Agriculture and Major Crops
Tehri Agriculture and Major Crops
Agriculture and Major Crops of Tehri Garhwal District
Tehri Agriculture and Major Crops : Tehri Garhwal district located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state has a primarily mountainous terrain interspersed with valleys. Agriculture faces several constraints due to limited cultivable land, low soil fertility, soil erosion, small land holdings etc. However, agriculture continues to be the mainstay of the district’s economy engaging about 80% of the working population.
The key aspects covered in the article Tehri Agriculture and Major Crops are :
Land Use Pattern
Out of the total geographical area of 3,642 sq km in Tehri Garhwal, the land use statistics are:
- Forests – 41.8%
- Barren and Uncultivable Land – 13.5%
- Land Put to Non-Agricultural Uses – 5.7%
- Cultivable Waste Land – 4.5%
- Fallow Land – 6.2%
- Net Sown Area – 28.3%
Thus, over 70% of the total area is uncultivable with only about 28% being the net sown area.
Major Crops
The major crops grown in the district along with area and production statistics are:
1. Rice
- Area – 15,359 Hectares
- Production – 54,200 Tonnes
2. Wheat
- Area – 12,034 Hectares
- Production – 20,700 Tonnes
3. Maize
- Area – 7,951 Hectares
- Production – 14,300 Tonnes
4. Mandua
- Area – 5,324 Hectares
- Production – 4,500 Tonnes
5. Potato
- Area – 1,905 Hectares
- Production – 23,400 Tonnes
These five crops occupy nearly 75% of the total cultivated area in the district.
Agricultural Practices
The agriculture in the district is mostly rainfed with irrigation facilities confined to valleys and plains. The key practices are:
- Terrace Cultivation: Fields are terraced on hill slopes with terrace walls to reduce soil erosion. Terrace width varies from 10-40 meters based on slopes.
- Taungya Cultivation: Crops like mandua, buckwheat etc. grown by clearing hill slopes without terracing.
- Crop Rotation: Three crop rotation done based on parcel of land allotted to particular crops. For example, Rice-Wheat-Fallow.
- Organic Manures: Use of farmyard and compost manures common. Chemical fertilizers usage very low.
- Primitive Tools: Use of traditional hand tools like hoe, sickle etc. Mechanization limited.
Horticulture
The temperate climate facilitates cultivation of temperate fruits mainly apples, pears, peaches and plums. Other fruits like mango, lemon, lime and guava also grown but limited. The total area under fruits is around 2,200 Hectares producing 15,000 Tonnes annually.
Issues and Challenges in Tehri Agriculture and Major Crops
The district faces several issues in agriculture sector like:
- Small and Scattered Land Holdings: Makes mechanization difficult and reduces efficiency
- Lack of Irrigation Facilities: Agriculture dependent on rainfall making it risky.
- Low Usage of HYV Seeds and Chemical Fertilizers: Resulting in low yields.
- Limited Road Connectivity: Makes transportation of agricultural produce to markets difficult.
- Lack of Cold Storage Facilities: Causes wastage of large quantities of fruits and vegetables.
- Soil Erosion: Reduces cultivable area and land fertility.
- Human-Wildlife Conflict: Wild animals like monkeys and wild boars damage crops.
Government Schemes and Initiatives
The government has introduced several schemes and initiatives to boost agriculture which include:
- Subsidies on purchase of equipment, seeds, organic manures etc.
- Developing irrigation facilities like check dams, lift irrigation, sprinkler/drip systems etc.
- Expanding road connectivity through PMGSY scheme.
- Promoting organic cultivation and export of organic produce.
- Setting up cold storage facilities and food processing units.
Conclusion to Tehri Agriculture and Major Crops
Tehri Agriculture and Major Crops : Despite constraints, agriculture continues to be backbone of Tehri Garhwal district’s economy. Rice, wheat and maize are the major crops while horticulture is also picking up. There is good potential for growing off-season vegetables and organic produce for export. The government needs to address issues like lack of irrigation, poor infrastructure, soil erosion, small land holdings etc through various schemes and initiatives to help realize the full potential of agriculture in the district.
