Changes in Cropping Pattern in Rajasthan: 1957 to 2017

The paper examines the changes in cropping pattern in the last sixty years in Rajasthan by looking into crop area, yield, the high yielding variety of seeds and fertiliser use pattern. The time series data reveals that the cropping pattern in Rajasthan is moving in favour of wheat, oilseeds and horticultural crops. At the same time, there is a perceptible decline in the share of area under coarse cereals, sugarcane, tobacco and opium. The farmers of Rajasthan are increasingly replacing seeds in each cropping season and are also applying agro-chemicals in a greater area. Overall, higher use of purchased inputs and a shift towards more remunerative crops indicates that agriculture is getting commercialised.