Determinants of Agricultural Production Diversification among Marginal and Small Farmers of Kanyakumari and Perambalur

Aims: To assess the influence of agricultural production diversity of marginal and small farmers

Study Design: Purposive Random Sampling

Place and Duration of Study: Kanyakumari and Perambalur districts in Tamil Nadu were purposefully chosen for the survey, which was conducted through primary data collection from July to August 2020.

Methodology: According to the Tamil Nadu state planning commission report 2017, Kanyakumari and Perambalur districts were chosen at random from the top five and bottom five districts of the food security index to analyze dietary diversity. The crop diversification index was calculated using the entropy index. The Tobit model is used to investigate the impact of diverse agriculture production among marginal and small farming households.

Results: The findings clearly show that, of the two districts, Perambalur has diversified more than Kanyakumari. Farmers in Perambalur district cultivate agricultural crops, whereas farmers in Kanyakumari district selected block cultivate horticultural crops, particularly plantation crops. According to the Tobit results, the number of cattle, farm size, credit available, and distance from the market all had a positive and significant influence on crop diversification. Improving female-headed household decision-making, promoting household investment and infrastructure facilities, and suggesting crop development as crop diversification measures.

Conclusion: The results conclude that farmers in Perambalur district have highly diversified cropping than Kanyakumari district.