Challenges and Constraints in Hill Agriculture: Assessing Their Impact on Farmers' Income in District Pithoragarh of Uttarakhand State

Abstract: There are numerous challenges in agriculture of hilly regions in the Indian Himalayan state like Uttarakhand. These challenges significantly impact the income and overall livelihood of the farmers in these regions. The present study is an attempt to examine the key constraints that are affecting the productivity and income levels of respondents in district Pithoragarh of Uttarakhand state which specially focused on villages of Gangolihaat Tehsil. Using primary data collected from 100 respondent farmers, the study analyses the role of financial constraints, infrastructural issues, technological barriers, environmental risks and the challenges of market in shaping the agricultural income of the respondents. By employing statistical techniques regression analysis and ANOVA, the finding reveals that market challenges and financial constraints have significant negative impact on agricultural earning of respondents, while environmental risks show a paradoxical positive association due to various reasons. The study also highlights the limited role of infrastructure and technological barriers. The research provides some suggestions regarding mitigating the challenges and constraints in agriculture and ensuring sustainable agricultural development as a policy recommendation in study region.