Economic Impact of Agricultural Diversification on Nutritional Security of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir

Agricultural diversification is positively associated with manufacturing productiveness which suggests that diversification affected patterns of increase and structural alternate over the Industrial Revolution. Agricultural productivity and land abundance have attracted significant attention inside the literature on economic development [1,2]. The consequences of specific specialization styles have additionally been drastically studied. But in evaluation to dominance of particular vegetation and usual productiveness, the position of agricultural range stays in large part unexplored. Jammu and Kashmir like mountainous states are characterized by inaccessibility, fragility and poor mobility which bog down their improvement and result in huge spread inequalities in terms of earnings, expenditure and food-consumption within their area place, yet those states are predicted to possess lot of potential to take advantage of through manipulation in their current production device to fulfil the demanding situations of achieving food security. Crop diversification has been found to be economically worthwhile and environmentally viable for it allows lessen the non-stop strain accruing to the land due to repeated utilization beneath exhaustive vegetation [3,4]. Hence, food safety is a precircumstance for nutritional safety, crop diversification consequently is a choice that might serve as a boon for its attainment for two reasons, one that the incomes will boom and second the production of vitamins on per unit of location will also growth by means of inclusive of culmination/veggies and other coins vegetation in the crop plan. After securing the get entry to meals, sanitation, surroundings, ok health services and knowledgeable care may want to, follow to make the goal nutritionally comfy. However, as of now, the statistical evidence from national and global research monitor that each six seconds, an infant die of malnutrition [5]. More recent estimate reduces this time gap to 4.5 seconds only because the deaths totaled 7 million yearly [6].

Diversification may be interpreted as diverting a tremendous acreage from the present cropping gadget to some other trade vegetation or cropping system or farm companies, while maintaining a popular equilibrium of meeting the four F’s desires viz. Food, Fodder, Fiber and Fuel, whilst concurrently taking care of basic soil health and productivity of ago atmosphere of the location at huge. Through selling meals and dietary protection, profits increase, poverty alleviation, employment technology, really appropriate use of herbal sources, sustainable agricultural development and environmental and ecological improvement. With these fundamental standards in mind, the existing paper has been conceptualized to throw light on, “impact of Agricultural Diversification on nutritional security of people of UT” making a particular reference to a case study from one of the Himalayan states of the United States- the country of Jammu and Kashmir [7].

Impact on Nutritional security at household level

One of the important parameters of the food protection is nutritional protection, in particular at household stage that is ruled by means of the manufacturing/desire of the plants grown on the farmers’ subject. It is more pertinent to mention right here that diversification has proved an essential tool in attainment of meals and nutritional protection at family degree. The study comes to conclude that both the groups were surplus in carbohydrates, fats, proteins, nutrients (B2, B9, C and K), however were poor in nutrition (B1, B3, B12, D and E). However, high different organization were surplus in diet B6 compared to the low diverse groups which have been poor in vitamin B6 by means of 17 according to cent. Also, both the corporations were surplus in Ca, Mg and Mn however have been poor in Fe, P, Na and Zn. The high diversified organization grew to become surplus in K and energy as compared to low various group which recorded 3 and 12 in line with cent deficiency in K and power respectively. The main complement of carbohydrates came from the paddy which become grown on greater than forty per cent of the total cropped place on each the categories. The overall intake of the vitamins with appreciate to ICMR pointers indicated that both the corporations loved enough intake of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, crucial minerals and nutrients indicating thereby that the observe place had by means of and large family protection in each the categories of farm households, however, the significance of nutrient consumption changed into extensively higher in rather diversified institution in comparison to low various institution.

Thus, to conclude it may be stated that because of diversification in Kashmir, though lot of problems were confronted by using the farmers, nonetheless they manage to get exceptional crops diverse. Due to diversification the farmers with more land retaining size receives an awful lot of advantages as compared to the lesser holding farmers. The diversification has also expanded the employment possibilities for the educated adolescents. Not handiest this, but because of diversification the dietary and food safety accomplished a benchmark inside the vicinity and malnutrition has been curbed as much as a extremely good extent. Due to diversification the region has now become the exporter of many ends result and meals gadgets to the relaxation of the sector. Thus, it could be inferred that diversification definitely impacts the socio financial fame of farmers.

The following tips can be taken into consideration for further work inside the field of crop diversification in agriculture:
a) Economic studies must be conducted to suggest the optimal cropping pattern and practices along with guidelines for varying quantities of fertilizer programs under various fee and output conditions.
b) Adaptive research must be conducted within the look at location to find out the location particular troubles regarding using various ranges of yield attributing inputs and their relative profitability.
c) Agricultural research institutions should take varietal improvement trails and development of appropriate agronomic practices for varying soils and geographic conditions.
d) Extensive studies on promising varieties and cropping practices via joint phrases of studies people and extension workers wishes to be accomplished.

The authors are highly thankful to University Grants Commission for providing financial support to carry out this study in a wonderful manner, we are equally thankful to Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-Kashmir for his wonderful suggestions and input.

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