An economic analysis of changes in the cropping pattern in Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu

The growth of agriculture depends on the efficiency of resource use and technological progress in the sector with an appropriate cropping pattern. The changes in cropping pattern in particular span of time clearly indicate the changes that have taken place in the agricultural development. These changes are brought about mostly by socio-economic influence and in most of the situations, the physical environment reduces the choice of certain crops altogether or by reducing their level. The adoption of better cropping pattern optimally suited to the technological changes is an important factor for augmenting growth in agriculture. Keeping this view, this study has been carried out with the specific objective of analysing the trend in cropping pattern changes in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. The growth rate was worked out to estimate the changes in the cropping pattern in the district. The results clearly revealed that the share of major crop categories like cereals, oilseeds and millets has been decreased over the years in Cuddalore district. However, the share of pulses, plantation crops, fruits and sugarcane increased over the years, which shows the crop diversification in the study area.