Horticulture development programme in Maharashtra: a boon to small and marginal farmers.
Sangeeta Shroff
Author Affiliation: Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune 411 004, India.
Agricultural Situation in India 68 : 427-432
Abstract : This paper examines the extent to which small farmers have benefited from the Horticulture Development Programme in Maharashtra. The study is based on primary and secondary data. Field survey was conducted with mango growers in Ratnagiri district and mandarin growers in Amravati district. Net returns for each crop are examined. The study shows that diversification has clearly brought about dynamism in the horticultural sector. By providing subsidy to farmers, they were encouraged to switch over to high-value crops and thus augment their income-earning potential. Small and marginal farmers received higher subsidies as compared to medium and large farmers.