PPP Special 08 - Institut für Entwicklungs- und Agrarökonomik

9
Karnataka is predominantly rural and agrarian and more than 71 per
cent of the population 4 is engaged in agriculture. Hence, agriculture
plays an important role in the state’s economy and contributes about 28
per cent to the domestic product (Karnataka State Department, 2000).
The total geographical area of Karnataka is 19 million hectares and 64
per cent is used for agriculture of which less than one fourth is irrigated.
Cotton is grown as one of the major cash crops but the production has
been constrained by especially low rainfall during the last three years
(see Figure 2.2). Only 35 per cent of cotton is grown with supplementary
irrigation.
Figure 2.2 shows average yields of lint cotton in five-year intervals
between 1955 and 1999.
Figure 2.2:
Area and yield 5 of cotton in Karnataka
1200
300
1000
250
Area [mill.ha]
800
600
400
200
150
100
Yield [kg/ha]
200
Area
Yield
50
0
1955-60 1961-65 1966-70 1971-75 1976-80 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-99
Source: Karnataka State Department 2000
The cotton area decreased over the last ten years since farmers shifted
to other crops like maize and sugarcane. The cotton yield of 212 kg lint
0
4 See Appendix for districtwise population and area.
5 Fiber Cotton (about 1/3 of Seed Cotton)