PULSES PRODUCTION IN ASSAN VALLEY, UTTARAKHAND: AN ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF BENEFITS AND CONSTRAINTS

Pulses on account of their vital role in nutritional security and soil ameliorative properties have been an integral part of sustainable agriculture since ages. However the production of pulses in Uttarakhand has drastically came down in the period, 1990-91 to 2007-08. The pulses data of Government of Uttarakhand, directorate of Agriculture, 2008, shows that the winter pulses (lentil and chickpea) area declined in this period 5 thousand hectare. The reasons for declining the pulses were most of the farmers are economically inefficient in producing pulses in the region. The researcher has made an effort to find out the out the economics, benefit, and constraints of pulses in the state of Uttarakhand. This study has revealed that the rotation of chickpea and pigeon pea reduces the use of chemical fertilizers and also enhances the output of paddy and wheat significantly. The entire Assn Valley which is the part of Doon valley of Uttarakhand was selected for the study. The sample was randomly taken of 275 cultivars producing or not producing pulses. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approach was chosen as research method and was completed by household interviews based on a semistructured questionnaire.