AGRICULTURE AND LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT IN BANKURA

AbstractAgriculture is one of the important denominators of theDevelopment. Development of Agriculture can remove thesocio economic problems. The present paper is an attempt toanalyze the spatial patterns of Agricultural productivity,existing disparity in the levels of socio economicdevelopment. Finally the relationship between agricultureproductivity and Levels of Development has been discussedamong the blocks of Bankura.

IntroductionAgricultural production has witnessed dramatic rise in

the last 3 decades or so in the countries world over. InIndia, Green Revolution brought about technologicalbreakthrough, which led to the use of short duration highyielding varieties helping intensive use of land in a year,increasing area brought under irrigation and prolific useof chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. India,being vastly agriculture oriented, historically has hadpolicies in various phases for the development ofagriculture with the expectation that development ofagriculture would lead to overall development of the nationand help eradication of poverty.

Agriculture Productivity is the measure of theefficiency with which inputs are used in agriculture toproduce an output. Agriculture Productivity helps us toknow the performance of a farmer regarding Agriculture.Several attempts have been made by several geographers tomeasure the agriculture productivity such as Kendall(1939), Bhatia (1967), and Singh (1979).Development ofagriculture can serve as a catalyst for growth of wholeeconomy.Objectives of the study –

The present study is based on following specificobjectives –

I) To examine spatial pattern of agricultureproductivity in Bankura.

II) To assess the regional variety in the level ofsocio economic development.

III) To delineate the relationship between AgricultureProductivity and the several factors of socio economicdevelopment.Data source and Methodology

Present study is entirely based on data obtained fromsecondary sources, namely Statistical Handbook 2010 ofBureau of Applied Economic and statistics and HumanDevelopment Report of Bankura 2007 published by the Gov. ofWest Bengal. To assess the regional pattern of Socioeconomic development twenty variables are selected anddata’s are collected from twenty two blocks of Bankuradistrict. The taken indicators are accepted from severalaspects of Agriculture, Population Education, Health, PerCapita Income, Transport and Banking Facilities.

For regional distribution of Agriculture Productivityand the level of development z – score and composite z-score are calculated by

Zij=Xij−XiSD

WhereZij = standardized value of the variable i district in

blocks j.Xij = Actual variable i in the blocks of j.

Xi = Mean value of value of variable i in all blocks.SD = standard deviation of variable i in all blocks.In the second step, the Z scores of all variable have

been added block wise and the average has been taken outfor these variables which may be called as Composite score(CS) for each block and may be algebraically expressed as :

CS =∑ ZijN

Where, CS is composite score,

N refers to the number of variable,∑Zij Indicates z-scores of all variables I in district j. The positive value relating to the block’s z scoreexplicate high level of development and negative values foethe low level of development in the study area. Thecorrelation co-efficient is worked out between dependentvariable (agriculture productivity) and independentvariables (selected variables of development) and student ttest technique is applied to find out the determinantswhich are significant at 1 percent and 5 per cent levels.The correlation co-efficient has been computed on the basisof the Karl Pearson’s correlation co-efficient(r) methodwhich is as follows:

Wherer is the coefficient of correlation.

X, Y is the two given variables.N is the number of observations

To find out the computed t value of ‘t’ value, studentt test technique is used which is given below.

T= r √ (n−2)

1−r❑2

Wheret is the calculated value of ‘t’ in the test of

significance.n is the number of observation.

r is the computed value of co-efficient of correlation.Besides, advanced cartographic techniques, GIS-Arc GIS

(Version 9.2) have been applied to show the regionaldisparities of agricultural productivity and levels ofdevelopment among the blocks of the district through maps.Study Area –

The district Bankura of West Bengal has been selectedas a study area. It is situated between 22° 38’ and 23° 38’north latitude and between 86° 36’ and 87° 46’ eastlongitude. It has an area of 6,882 square

kilometres (2,657 sq mi). There are 22 blocks in thedistrict. On the north and north-east the district isbounded by Bardhaman district, from which it is separatedmostly by the Damodar River. On the south-east it isbounded by Hooghly district, on the south by PaschimMedinipur district and on the west by Purulia district.Bankura district has been described as the “connecting linkbetween the plains of Bengal on the east and Chota Nagpurplateau on the west.” The areas to the east and north-eastare low lying alluvial plains, similar to predominatingrice lands of Bengal. To the west the surface gradually rises, giving wayto undulating country, interspersed with rocky hillocks.Much of the country is covered with jungles. The westernpart of the district has poor, ferruginous soil and hardbeds of laterite with scrub jungles and sal woods. Longbroken ridges with irregular patches of more recentalluvium have marks of seasonal cultivation. During thelong dry season large extents of red soil with hardly anytrees lend the country a scorched and dreary appearance. Inthe eastern part the eye constantly rests on wide expansesof rice fields, green in the rains but parched and dry insummer.

Regional pattern of Agricultural productivityTable 1 envisages the district wise Z score of

agriculture productivity in Bankura. The whole ranges ofspatial variations of agriculture productivity may bearranged into three categories high (above + 0.300 score),medium (-0.300 to +0.300 score) and low (below -0.300score).

Table 1: Block Wise Distribution of Agricultural Productivityand Levels of Development in Bankura.

SlNo.

NAME OF THE BLOCK

Z Score ofAgricultur

eProductivi

ty

Compositemean Z

score ofLevels ofDevelopment

AgricultureProductivityvis a visLevels of

Development1 BANKURA 1 -0.62 0.56 P3D12 BANKURA 2 -0.62 -0.08 P3D2

3 CHATNA -0.73 -0.20 P3D34 SALTORA -0.75 -0.42 P3D35 MEJIA -0.56 -0.41 P3D36 GANGAJAL GHATI -1.05 -0.40 P3D37 BARJORA 0.11 -0.10 P2D28 ONDA 0.14 -0.21 P2D39 INDPUR -0.90 0.06 P3D210 KHATRA -0.77 0.09 P3D211 HIRBANDH -1.26 -0.14 P3D212 RANIBANDH -0.83 0.07 P3D213 TALDANGRA 1.40 0.07 P1D214 SIMLAPAL 1.37 0.19 P1D115 RAIPUR -1.52 0.21 P3D116 SARENGA 1.39 0.47 P1D117 BISHNUPUR 0.83 -0.17 P2D318 JOYPUR 1.06 0.33 P1D119 KOTULPUR 0.39 0.42 P1D120 SONAMUKHI -0.22 -0.23 P2D321 PATRASAYER 1.53 -0.15 P1D222 INDUS 1.60 -0.05 P1D2

Source: Calculation is based on District Level Publisheddata, Census of India, 2001 and District human developmentreport of Bankura 2006.(Note: P1 = High Level of Agricultural Productivity, P2=Medium Level of Agricultural Productivity P3 = Low Levelof Agricultural Productivity, D1 = High Level ofDevelopment D2 = Medium Level of Development D3 = Low Levelof Development.)

Table 2 shows that there are seven blocks which have ahigh level (above + 0.300 score) of agricultureproductivity viz., Taldangra, Simlapal, Sarenga, Joypur,Kotulpur, Indus, Patrasayer. All these blocks are locatedeither in the southern Bankura or in the South EasternBankura. On the other hand, only four blocks are therewhere agriculture productivity falls under the medium range(- 0.300 to + 0.300) of the Agriculture Productivity i.e.Borjora, Onda, Bishnupur, Sonamukhi. Again eleven blocksare there where Agricultural productivity lies in the lowerclass (less than -0.300 score). Blocks under these groups

are Bankura -1 and 2, Chatna, Saltopra, Mejia,Gangajalghati, Indpur, Khatra, Hirbandh, Ranibandh, andRaipur. All these blocks are situated in the North andNorth Western part of Bankura.

Table 2 : Agriculture Productivity in Bankura Categor

yZ-Score No of

Blocks% oftotalBlocks

Name of the Blocks

High Above0.300

07 31.82 Taldangra, Simlapal,Sarenga, Joypur, Kotulpur,

Indus, PatrasayerMedium -0.300

to 0.30004 18.18 Borjora, Onda, Bishnupur,

SonamukhiLow Below 11 50.00 Bankura -1 and 2, Chatna,

Saltopra, Mejia,Gangajalghati, Indpur,

Khatra, Hirbandh, Ranibandh,and Raipur

Total 22 100 -

Source: Calculated by the author.

The spatial pattern Agriculture productivity of thedistrict is decreasing from West to East. The causes forlow level of Agricultural productivity in the westernBankura are undulating relief, lack of irrigation, presenceof laterite soil, absence of modern inputs of Agricultureetc.

Levels of DevelopmentTable 1 shows the district wise composite mean Z-score

of development,and it depicts that there is a wide range ofregional variations in levels of development among theblocks of the districts, which vary from -0.4 to 0.4. Thisrange of variations in levels of development may bearranged into three grades i.e. .high (above +0.140 score),medium (-0.140 to + 0.140 score) and low (below -0.140score) (Table 3 and Fig.3).

Table 3: Levels of Development in Bankura, 2010

Category Z-Score

No ofBlocks

% ofTotalBlocks

Name of the Blocks

High Above0.14

06 27.28 Bankura1,Simlapal,Raipur,Sarenga,Joypur,Kotulpur,

Medium -0.140to

0.140

08 36.36 Bankura -2,Barjora,Indpur,Khatra,Hirbandh,Ranibandh,Taldangra,Indus

Low Below-0.140

08 36.36 Chatna, Saltora, Mejia,Gangajalghati, Onda, Bishnupur,

Sonamukhi, PatrasayerTotal 22 100 -

Relationship between Agriculture Productivity and Levels ofdevelopment –

Agriculture Productivity and Levels of developmenthas been categorized into three categories (High, Medium

and Low). Taldangra, Simlapal, Sarenga, Joypur,Kotulpur, Indus, Patrasayer blocks has high level ofagriculture productivity but Bankura1,Simlapal,Raipur,Sarenga,Joypur,Kotulpur blocks has high levels ofdevelopment. Block Simlapal, Joypur and Kotulpur havethe positive relationship between agricultureproductivity and socio economic development.

Again eleven blocks (Bankura -1 and 2, Chatna,Saltora, Mejia, Gangajalghati, Indpur, Khatra, Hirbandh,Ranibandh, and Raipur) has the low level of agricultureproductivity and eight blocks (Chatna, Saltora, Mejia,Gangajalghati, Onda, Bishnupur, Sonamukhi, Patrasayer) hasthe low level of development. Therefore Chatna, Saltora,Mejia, Gangajalghati blocks of the district has the lowlevel of agriculture productivity as well as low level ofdevelopment. Only Borjora block has medium range ofagricultural productivity as well as medium level ofdevelopment.Correlations

The simple correlation between agriculturalproductivity (dependent variable) and selected variables ofdevelopment (independent variables) has been listed inTable 4.Out of 19 independent variables, the coefficient ofcorrelation of two Variables (X6, X7) have a higher level of positiverelationship with the Agriculture productivity (dependentvariable). X4, X5, X9, X10, X11, X15, X17 and X18 variableshas the positive relationship with agricultureproductivity. While X1, X3, X8, X12, X13, X14, X16, and X19

variables are negatively correlated with AgricultureProductivity.Therefore it may be inferred from the analysis of Table 4that the spatial variations in the levels of agriculturalproductivity in the study area have been mainly determinedby agricultural infrastructural facilities (tractors, pumpsets, fertilizers etc), educational facilities, employmentopportunities, health and medical facilities and means oftransportation and banking.

Table 4: Result of Correlation (r) between AgriculturalProductivity and other Selected Variables of Development in

West Bengal, 2011.RESULT OF CORELATION

SLNO.

INDEPENDENTVARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE RESULT REMARKS

1 AgricultureProductivity Population growth(1991-2001) -0.252

Sig at0.01level

2 Do Population Density (2001) 0.271Sig at0.01level

3 Do % of SC & ST population to TotalPopualtion -0.299  

4 Do % of Net Sown Area to Total ReportingArea 0.202  

5 Do Cropping Intensity 0.455  6 Do % of Irrigated area to Net sown area 0.585  

7 Do % of area under commercial crops totaotal cultivated Area 0.608  

8 Do % of Workers in Cultivation -0.406  9 Do % of Workers in Agricultural Labour 0.103  

10 Do Percentage of Workers in House Holdindustry 0.349  

11 Do Percentage of Workers in Other works 0.063  12 Do Density of surface road Per sq Km Area -0.247  

13 Do Number of Commercial bank per lakhpopulation -0.329  

14 Do Number of Credit Societies per lakhpopulation -0.143  

15 Do Number of Medical Instituion per lakhpopulation 0.011  

16 Do Number of Beds in Hospitals per Lakhpopulation -0.1  

17 Do Literacy Rate 0.135  

18 Do Number of Primary schools Per Lakhpopulation 0.213  

19 Do Number of Middle schools Per Lakhpopulation -0.385  

Calculation is based on District level published data, Census of India 2011 andstatistical Abstract, Govt. of West Bengal, 2002 -2003.* Significance at 1 percent level,** Significance at 5 percent level.

ConclusionThe spatial patterns of agriculture productivity,

levels of development and their causal relationshipperceptibly point out that there is a wide range ofvariations among the blocks of Bankura. The geographicalpatterns of Agriculture productivity are characterized byhigh level in Eastern part of the district. However, thecomposite mean Z score values of developmental indicatorspoint out that the level of development is high among theeast and central part of the district. The analysis ofrelationship between agricultural productivity and levelsof development indicates that there are wide geographicaldisparities among the blocks in respect of two aspects.Therefore, it is the need of the hour to evolve suchstrategies that the horizontal disparities and verticalinequalities may be minimized in respect of agriculturegrowth and levels of Economic development. However, forsustainable agrarian development, the methods andtechniques of agriculture should to be adopted afterconsidering the ecological constraints in a region.