The conditions and methods of cultivation in the past, especially those in the forest tracts in the southern tahsils, were or a primitive nature. Rice was simply thrown broadcast among the ashes and Nature was left to do the rest. Everything was left to soil and climate. The cultivator did not realise the necessity of ploughing, while from his point of view the process was the acme of economy. After cultivating for a year or so the field was abandoned, and the brushwood upon it was allowed to recuperate. Such a field either reverted permanently to its pristine state of jungle or remained undisturbed until the new growth was sufficiently luxuriant to tempt somebody to repeat the process. An average cultivator in the district had a tendency to throw his economic lot with bountiful nature.

However, since the last about 50 years there has been remarkable progress in various aspects of the agrarian economy. The compelling influence of education, growth of population and urge for betterment of economic conditions and many other forces shook off the poor cultivator out of his traditional indifference, and made him aware of the importance and efficiency of intensive cultivation and the cultivator is responding to the progressive measures undertaken by the Government in Independent India.

It has now been accepted that the development of agriculture warrants the adoption of intensive methods of cultivation. The future course of agrarian growth lies through scientific methods of cultivation, adoption of hybrid seeds, chemical fertilisers plant protection measures, and maximum utilisation of irrigation facilities. Though the existing irrigation facilities also are quite considerable there is enough scope for their optimum utilisation and further expansion.

Since the last about 15 years a good deal of progress has been achieved, under the guidance of the State Government, in respect of the various aspects of intensive cultivation. The development programmes under the four Five-Year Plans have been instrumental in acclerating the rate of progress. Agriculture in this district, as in the entire Maharashtra, is going through a " green revolution". The State Government has staked considerable funds and organisational efforts towards the implementation of the desired objective. A new enthusiasm and confidence has been generated among the agriculturists. The green revolution " has initiated a process of momentous development. It fruits, however, are still to be reaped by the common farmer who regards the revolution more pale than green. This is attributable to the fact that his economic standing does not allow him to invest money in the requisite inputs that are so very essential to obtain the optimum output. Institutional help for the same, say from co-operatives or the Government, is not often readily available, and if at all, it is untimely. The cost of inputs is also a limiting factor which the poorer of the small holders ill-afford at the time of sowing operations.,

All the same it is evident that the better off farmers from among the tenant agriculturists have availed of the opportunities thrown open by governmental effort, and they are the main participants and beneficiaries of " green revolution". They are very well aware of the feasibility of intensive cultivation, as well as the efficiency and profitability of improved culture practices. They have realised that deep ploughing, systematic sowing, in terculturing and proper rotational measures lead to better returns. Though mechanical implements are not so very popular, there is a desire among the progressive agriculturists to use them. Chemical fertilisers are becoming more and more popular. How ever, the higher cost of these fertilisers together and the difficulty in procuring them are the principal limiting factors. These need to be removed in the interest of increasing the productivity of land. Pesticides, fungicides and other crop protection measures which were hardly used by the agriculturists in the past are gaining ground in this district.

The better off agriculturists in this district have responded well to the propagation of hybrid seeds. However, the area under the hybrid crops in the district is very much less since paddy is the principal crop which is not hybridised as yet. As regards the paddy crop considerable progress has been done in propagating improved varieties.

By virtue of its being the rice bowl of Maharashtra, Bhandara district was selected for implementation of the package programme, also known as Intensive Agricultural District Programme. The main object of the programme, the implementation of which was started in the district in 1962-63, is to increase agricultural production by use of improved practices in areas with high production potential. The salient features of the programme are to arrange adequate and timely supply of production requisites, technical advice and credit facilities to the farmers. Intensive studies are being made regarding analysis of soil samples. These and other studies are intended to evolve guidelines for agrarian practices. Improved seeds and requisite fertilisers are distributed under the programme. During 1964-65, an area of 48,710 hectares [The target for the same was 80, 160 hectares. ] was actually covered as per package of practices in the district. Of this, an area of 24,280 hectares was under paddy. 15,740 under wheat, 3,430 under rabi jowar and 5,260 under pulses. A sizeable amount of Rs. 41.75 lakhs was provided as crop finance to the cultivators in 1964-65. A special gall-fly control campaign was also organised under which plant protection service was rendered for an area of 11,118 hectares during the year.

A major drawback in the agrarian economy of Bhandara district is that the crop pattern does not show a balance between food crops and non-food crops. This is evident from the statistics furnished below: —

Commercial crops which are regarded as indication or prosperous agriculture occupy a small area. This speaks of the overwhelming importance of subsistence farming in the district.

As agriculture is the most important productive activity in the district, it is of interest to study the trend in production of agricultural goods. The statistics of average production of principal foodgrains, and sugarcane as well as oil-seeds during the period covered by the first three Five-Year Plans (viz., 1951 to 1966) are furnished below: —

The above statistics, in spite of their limitations in respect of seasonal variations and natural factors, bring home certain interesting findings. The production of almost all commodities during the Plan periods has shown a definite increase over that in 1951-52 which is taken here as a base year [1951-52 was by and large a near normal year. It is also a year significant because it was the begining of national Planning in the country.]. The average annual production of total foodgrains increased by 22.41 per cent during the First Five-Year Plan over that in 1951-52. The responding increase during the Second Plan period was 45.11 per cent, while that in the Third Plan period was 39.92 per cent. The fall in the rate of increase in the production of foodgrains in the Third Plan period may perhaps be attributable to the fact that the rainfall in 1965-66 was inadequate which resulted in the failure of paddy crop. The performance of the rabi season in the same year was also far from good. Of the total foodgrains, the production of cereals during the Second Plan increased by 42.34 per cent over that in 1951-52. By itself this could be said to be an impressive rate of increase. The corresponding increase during the Third Plan was 34.91 per cent. The increase in the production of pulses was more impressive than that of cereals. This becomes evident from the fact that pulses registered a production rise by 62.67 per cent, 81.38 per cent, and 105.51 per cent, during the First, Second and Third Plan, respectively, over that in 1951-52.

The fall in the production of jowar and wheat in the Second and the Third Plan is, however, inexplicable. Sugarcane cultivation seems to have become less popular since not only the production but also the area under this crop declined during the Second and Third Plan. Oil-seeds, however, recorded a very big rise of about 200 per cent during the Second and Third Plan.

The system of tenure and tenancy has an important bearing on the state of the agrarian economy. The Malguzari system of the past was feudalistic in nature wherein the Malguzar was a feudal lord having uninhibited rights over a village or cluster of villages, while the tenants were helpless tenants at will who could be evicted by the former. The element of uncertainty of tenure, the denial of proprietary rights to the tenants and the wasteful methods of the Malguzars were formidable handicaps in the way of agricultural development.

Since Independence a good deal has been done towards the emancipation of the tenant cultivators who have been assured of the security of tenure and a right to cultivation of the land. The progressive land legislation has been instrumental in giving incentive to the tenant to adopt intensive methods of cultivation, and in increasing the productivity of land.

The physical features of the district lend themselves remarkably to the construction of irrigation tanks, and the inhabitants have to an appreciable extent taken advantage of the natural facilities. The authors of the Bhandara District Gazetteer of 1908 have paid a glowing tribute to the skill of the cultivators in regard to tank construction. " It is customary to hold up to the admiration of mankind the industry, perseverance and thrift of the peasants of Italy and the south of France, who have made a sterile country productive by terracing the whole face of the hill in which they live, and so making a series of tiny plateaus one below another on which crops and fruit trees can be grown. But I think that the list of irrigation works constructed in the District by the people of this country will compare not unfavourably even with the achievements mentioned above. Working without instruments, unable even to take a level, finding out their mistakes by the destruction of the works they had built, ever repairing, reconstructing, altering, they have raised in every village a testimony to their wisdom, their industry and their perseverance [Bhandara District Gazetteer, 1908, p. 94.]."

Many of the irrigation tanks are extremely picturesque, and there are few more pleasant sights to the official touring in the rice growing tracts than the broad clear blue sheet of water which awaits him at the end of the morning march, reflecting perhaps the contour of surrounding hills and rocks and verdurous forests. The glowing tanks afford sights of a duck riding on its bosom and a snipe haunting its margin, both a pleasant recreation and a welcome addition to camp fire.

There was remarkable progress in irrigation during the last century. Besides the bigger tanks of Nawegaon and Seoni, a number of smaller tanks, not less than 15,000, existed in the first decade of this century. On an average, each village had a number of tanks within its revenue limits. However, quite a number of them were used for irrigation only occasionally while some were out of repairs. Even now a number of tanks need considerable repairs so as to make them serve wider acreage.

The following statistics show the state of irrigation since 1957-58: —

† The area irrigated in 1965-66 decreased because of failure of monsoons.

A bright future awaits the agrarian economy of the district which will assume a new face after the completion of the four irrigation projects, viz., Bagh river project, Itiadoh project, Chul-band project and Bawanthadi project. The construction work on the first two is in an advanced stage while the other two are undertaken under the Fifth Plan. The Itiadoh project which is expected to be completed in 1978 has an irrigation potential of about 80,000 acres of land in Sakoli tahsil and Gadhchiroli tahsil (of Chandrapur district). The project is proposed to cost about Rs. 908.14 lakhs. The Bagh river project to be built at the cost of Rs. 1559.78 lakhs has an irrigation potential of 61,000 acres and is proposed to be completed in 1978. It will transform the rice tracts, in Gondia tahsil into a rich agricultural zone.

Development Programmes in Third Five-Year Plan: The Third Five-Year Plan offered greater opportunities for accelerating the rate of growth and for reorienting the economy into a self-propelling process. This plan represented a phase in a programme of long term development for remodelling the economic structure during the course of the future development plans. It also contemplated to rectify the various imbalances and disparities inherent in the economy of the district. As compared to the First and Second Plan, larger financial outlays were earmarked during the Third Plan for accelerating and intensifying the programmes under irrigation, agrarian development, roads and education.

The Third Plan outlay for district level programmes of Bhandara was Rs. 6.85 crores, against which the actual expenditure incurred amounted to Rs. 6.63 crores. Agricultural programmes were accorded the highest priority in this district as compared to the scale of priorities in other districts of Vidarbha. More than half the total outlay was earmarked for agrarian development programmes which included research and education, use of improved seed, fertilisers, plant protection, better implements, soil conservation, expansion of irrigation facilities and extension of paddy cultivation. The important feature of the agricultural programmes was the implementation of the Package Programme for which this district was particularly selected in Maharashtra.

The higher priority for agrarian schemes becomes evident from the fact that agricultural programmes were allocated 52.64 per cent of the total plan outlay of Rs. 6.85 crores. It was followed by co-operation and community development programmes [It is noteworthy that co-operation and community development programmes are by and large complementary to agricultural development.] with 21.37 per cent of the total outlay, while social services received 16.42 per cent, transport and communications 8.89 per cent and industries 0.68 per cent.

An evaluation of the overall performance of the Plan Programmes by Government authorities in the district showed that the limited outlay was utilised to the maximum possible extent.

Agricultural Programmes: The planned outlay and actual expenditure on different programmes during the Third Plan were as under: —