Optimum Cropping Pattern for Sericulture-dominant Farms in Southern Dry Zone of Karnataka

Sericulture is labour-intensive and well-suited to small and marginal farms with surplus labour, especially female labour. Ample labour and a small land-base encourage farmers to practise sericulture as a subsidiary occupation. While income from crop production is seasonal, sericulture provides a year-round income, which is an important incentive for small farmers to take up sericulture. The agricultural production is seasonal, while consumption is evenly spread over the years. Under such circumstances, the planners and policymakers are confronted with the challenge of formulating a suitable agricultural production policy with which the desired growth of agricultural production can be achieved. In the present study, optimum cropping patterns for different categories of sericulturists have been suggested by selecting Siddlaghatta in Kolar and Kollegal talukas in Mysore as study areas. The primary data have been collected using the personal interview method. The deterministic linear programming technique has been employed to work out the maximum attainable returns by small, medium and large farmers through the optimum allocation of various crops, sericulture and livestock (dairy), using the available resources. The model has suggested fewer crops in the cropping pattern of both the areas. The model has also suggested shifting of the cropping pattern from subsistence-dominated crops like ragi to commercial crops like bivoltine sericulture in the Kolar area and crossbreed sericulture in the Musore area. The suggested cropping patterns have increased the gross income in the range of 83.55 to 388.68 per cent in the Kolar area and 2.71 to 10.70 per cent in the Kollegal area.