A Study on the Shift in Cropping Pattern from Agriculture to Horticulture in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India

India is predominantly a food crop producing country in the world and a leading producer of world’s pulse (25.00%), rice (22.00%), wheat (13.00%) and cotton (25.00%). On the other hand, the country has gone through a substantial shift in cropping pattern from food crops (agricultural crops) to horticultural crops over the last five years (2011-15). The state Tamil Nadu has also witnessed a shift in cropping pattern towards horticulture. Therefore, micro-level research was undertaken in Malaipalayam and Vadavedampatti of Sultanpet block and Naickenpalayam and Nanjundapuram of Periyanaickenpalayam block in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. The sample size of the study was 120 farmers. The research found that most (23.50%) of the farmers shifted their cropping pattern to horticulture during the year 2005-06 followed by 11.50 per cent during 2002-03. However, the shift in cropping pattern towards horticulture started during the 21st century.

It was observed from the study nearly one-fifth (20.84%) of the farmers chosen Coconut as the sole crop in the place of Pulses (Field bean/Cowpea/Horse gram + Field bean-Mochai) – Maize/ Sorghum + Sugarcane + Fodder crops during 2016-17. Twenty-two farmers cultivated Coconut + Vegetables during 2016-17 yet, these same farmers had the cropping pattern of Sugarcane/Maize/ Sorghum + Pulses (Horse gram + Bengal Gram/Cowpea/Red gram/Green gram/Field bean)/Cotton/ Paddy during 1999-2000.

The area under horticulture increased to more than three-fifths (67.35%) of the total area among the farmers during 2009-10 (After Shift). However, the area (4.50%) of horticulture was very less during 1999-2000 (Before Shift) when compared to the area (87.99%) of agriculture to the total area. In this context, this paper elucidates the nature of the shift in cropping pattern from agriculture to horticulture and the present status/ trend of horticulture in Coimbatore district and future prospectus.