Abstract:-

Rice¸ which has implications for climate change, has been moving from the traditional rain-fed eastern bastion to the drier northwest served by controlled irrigation despite a declining trend of rainfall observed in both regions. The shift is part of broader changes in land use. An econometric acreage model suggests that while rainfall changes are important for modulating acreage in different states, water from irrigation systems created and managed by the State, restraints of past practices, arguably linked to marketing infrastructure, and economic incentives reflecting also support prices have strong roles. With the mild shifts observed of cropping patterns in India both temporally and spatially, the transition must be tracked with care and judged by its merits and demerits to frame appropriate policies.

jointly with M.Rajeshwor and Amritanshi Preeti