Key words: Crop diversification, cluster analysis, Tobit model, Herfindahl Index, Faisalabad, Pakistan"> Shahbaz et al.Determinants of Crop Diversification in Mixed Cropping Zone of Punjab Pakistan – Direct Research Journal of Agriculture and Food Science
Shahbaz et al.Determinants of Crop Diversification in Mixed Cropping Zone of Punjab Pakistan Shahbaz et al.Determinants of Crop Diversification in Mixed Cropping Zone of Punjab Pakistan – Direct Research Journal of Agriculture and Food Science
Original Research Article

Determinants of Crop Diversification in Mixed Cropping Zone of Punjab Pakistan

Pomi Shahbaz*
Ismet Boz
Shamsheer ul Haq
Article Number: DRJA031962257
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26765/DRJAFS.2017.2257
ISSN: 2354-4147

Vol.5 (11), pp. 360-366, November 2017

Copyright © 2017
Author(s) retain the copyright of this article


Abstract

Agriculture income is part and parcel of every households income in all over the country, especially in rural areas. But agriculture has become very risky due to its whole dependence on nature and market conditions. Crop diversification is a low cost, self-motivated protective measure against climate changes and market conditions to reduce income fluctuations. Multiple stage sampling technique was used to select 100 crop growers for an interview in district Faisalabad. Widely used Herfindahl index (HI) was applied to calculate the farmer’s diversification level. Sampled farmers were classified by cluster analysis into low and high diversified farms. The socio economic characteristics of farmers were compared by statistical analysis such as independent t test etc. and determinants of the crop diversification index were analyzed by Tobit model. Highly diversified farmers were found younger (36 years) as compared to low diversified farmers (45.6 years) and mostly high diversified farmers were having off-farm source income as compared to low diversified farmers. The result of econometric model depicts that the education and farm size positively and significantly affect the crop diversification. Similarly, the ownership of farm machinery enhance the diversification level of farms in crop cultivation. The self-owned operated farms will be less likely to be diversified in crop cultivation than another form of tenure types like renter and shareholder. Farmers should be educated about the benefits of crop diversification and farmers should also rent or share the land when it looks necessary to increase farm size for enjoying long term benefits of farming.

Key words: Crop diversification, cluster analysis, Tobit model, Herfindahl Index, Faisalabad, Pakistan
 Received: September 24, 2017  Accepted: October 11, 2017  Published: October 17, 2017



Copyright © 2024 Direct Research Journal of Agriculture and Food Science

Direct Research Center  logo

Direct Research Center publishes peer-reviewed, open access online journals in areas of Agriculture and Food science, Biology and Biotechnology, Health and Pharmacology, Chemistry and Material science, Engineering and Information Technology and Social Science and Educational Studies.


Creative Commons
Open Access