Development Aspects Impressum Editors

Boost to rural economy

Myriads of micro water harvesting structures dotting the landscape of Gujarat have led to a reduction in soil moisture evaporation in the surrounding agricultural fields and have facilitated the creation of orchards in places which barely used to produce

single rain fed crops. Employment opportunities have been created for local resi- dents, agricultural production has been enhanced, leading to a rise in household incomes. The living standards and the average productivity of dairy cattle has also gone up owing to year-round availability of fodder.

The average annual growth rate of milk production in the State during the last decade has been recorded as 6.83 per cent whereas that of the entire country was
4.38 per cent (figure 2).


Figure 2: Comparative growth of milk production,1999–2009


120.000
100.000
80.000
60.000
40.000
20.000
0.000
1999–2000 2005–20006 2009–2010
 India – in Million MT
 Gujarat – in Million MT
Source: Directorate of Animal Husbandry, 2010 Abbreviations: MT = million tonnes

This in turn has bolstered the rural economy of Gujarat, particularly of the 4.2 mil- lion families who rear animals for their livelihood.

4. Outstanding performance in agriculture

The cumulative effect of all these innovative technological and participatory water management initiatives has been an increase in productivity of the major crops of the State, despite the 0.1° to 0.9° C average increase in temperatures recorded at various locations during the last couple of years. Compared with other states in India, Gujarat is an outstanding performer in agriculture, growing at the rate of 9.6 per cent per annum. Though there is high volatility in agricultural growth rates for almost all states in India, Gujarat’s agricultural growth rate is more than three times that for all of India. The International Food Policy Research Institute, in a 2009 document, has specially commended Gujarat’s recent growth in cotton, fruits and vegetables, and wheat production (figures 3, 4 and 5).

Figure 3: Agricultural production scenario



Production in Million MT (Cotton in Million bales)