CHANGING CROPPING PATTERN AND CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN HIMACHAL PRADESH DURING THE LAST FIFTY YEARS (1970-71 TO 2023-24)

The cropped area under Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a significant transformation in its cropping pattern over the past few decades. The historical dominance of foodgrains has waned, giving way to an increased cultivation of high-value crops such as fruits and vegetables. The cropping pattern in India, including Himachal Pradesh, has undergone significant transformations over the last five decades due to economic, technological, environmental, and policy-driven factors. This paper examines the changes in the cropping pattern, highlighting shifts from traditional food crops to cash crops, diversification towards horticulture, and the impact of climate change on agricultural practices. The comparative analysis reveals that while both Himachal Pradesh and India have experienced an increasing trend in crop diversification over the years, to understand the key drivers influencing crop diversification in Himachal Pradesh, several explanatory variables have been examined. These include infrastructural factors such as the percentage of gross irrigated area (PGIA), road density (RD), Annual Rainfall (AR) and agricultural credit (AC), along with technological factors such as fertilizer use per hectare (FUPH). Each of these factors has played a significant role in shaping the cropping patterns in the state. Keywords: Cropping Pattern, crop diversification, agricultural credit, road density, annual rainfall