AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

LAND UTILIZATION

The total geographical area of the district in 1971-72 was 977,185 hectares. As compared to the State average the district has considerably lower proportion of area under forests and as barren, unculturable, cultivable wastes, current and other fallows; and the proportion of net area sown in the district is much higher (70.40 per cent of the total geographical area of the district in 1971-72) than the average for the whole State. The table No. 2 gives tahsilwise statistics of land utilisation in Buldhana district from 1956-57 to 1971-72.

TABLE No. 2

STATISTICS OF LAND UTILISATION IN BULDHANA DISTRICT
 FROM 1956-57 TO 1971-72.

(In Acres*)

*Figures for 1968-69 and 1971-72 are in hectares.

TABLE No. 2 — contd.

(In Acres*)

*Figures for 1968-69 and 1971-72 are in hectares.

Within the district the proportion of net area sown to geographical area, was 64.80 per cent in Jalgaon tahsil; 74.14 per cent in Malkapur tahsil; 74.28 per cent in Khamgaon tahsil; 76.93 per cent in Chikhli tahsil and 70.98 in Mehkar tahsil during 1971-72. The proportion of net area sown is thus higher than the State average, in each tahsil of the district. As per the 1961 Census Jalgaon tahsil has nearly one-fourth of geographical area under forests and as such the proportion of net area sown is comparatively low in this tahsil. On the other hand Malkapur tahsil has very low proportion of area under forests, unculturable wastes and fallow land, as a result of which the proportion of net area sown in this tahsil is very high. In the southern tahsil of Mehkar, there is sizeable area under permanent pastures.

Forest Areas.—The total forest area in the district is 1,56,468 hectares which is 16.00 per cent of the total geographical area of the district in 1972-73. The forests lie mainly in the hilly tracts of Mehkar, Chikhli and Jalgaon tahsils. The district does not fall in the dense forest belt. However it accounted for forest wealth valued at Rs. 16,51,400 comprising timber, fuel-wood, bamboo and grass during 1972-73. Buldhana district is divided into following ranges:—

The Buldhana forest division is coterminous with the Buldhana Civil District. The details of the forest area in the division in 1972-73 are given in the following statement:—

 [In hectares]

The forests are mainly situated on the Balaghat plateau of the Ajanta hills and in the Purna Valley. The forest belongs to the " Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous" type and can be further classified as—(1) Superior teak forests, (2) Inferior teak forests, (3) Anjan forests, (4) Babul forests, (5) Mixed forests, (6) Salai forests, and (7) Grass and brushwood areas.

Teak is the main species found all over the district. Anjan is found in pure patches and babul is confined mainly to the river banks along the black cotton soil.

The forests in the district are classified into two categories, viz., reserved and protected forests as per the Indian Forest Act (XVI of 1927). The reserved and protected forests are organised and managed under the prescription of working plan. [Workig plan is a document which lays down the details of scientific management of forests and exploitation, regeneration, plantation, and protection: of forest for all number of prescribed years.]

Exploitation of forests is regulated by scientifically prepared working plans which are different for different types of forests. The major forest products are timber and firewood. The minor forest produce mainly comprises temburni leaves, gum and rosha grass. The particulars of major and minor forest produce together with their value in 1972-73 are as under:—

Cropped Area.—Both the kharif and rabi crops are grown in the district. The main food crops of the district are kharif jowar and wheat among cereals; tur, gram, mug and udid among pulses: chillis among condiments and spices and fruits and vegetables. The main non-food crops primarily include cotton among fibres having 80 per cent of area under that group. Most of the remaining area under non-food crops is occupied by oil-seeds chief of them being groundnut and safflower; other oil-seeds like linseed, sesame have very insignificant area under them. The gross cropped area of the district in 1971-72 was 7,25,521 hectares, of which the area cropped more than once was 66,922 hectares, the net cropped area being 6,88,599 hectares. The following table shows the percentage of food crops and non-food crops to gross cropped area in each tahsil during the years 1960-61 and 1971-72 [(Source: Bureau of Economics and Statistics, Government of Maharashtra, Bombay, 1972-73).]: —

TABLE No. 3

PERCENTAGE OF FOOD AND NON-FOOD CROPS TO GROSS CROPPED AREA IN THE DISTRICT.

There was a slight increase in the gross cropped area to net cropped area in 1971-72 over the year 1960-61, viz., 2.79 per cent.

Out of the gross cropped area during 1971-72, 55.26 per cent was under food-grains, 0.2 per cent under sugarcane, 2.6 per cent under groundnut, 35.5 per cent under cotton and the rest of area was under miscellaneous crops.

During the period from 1960-61 to 1971-72, the percentage of area under food crops decreased from 57.51 per cent to 55.26 per cent. This decrease is mainly confined in Jalgaon, Mehkar and Khamgaon tahsils. However, the percentage of area under nonfood crops has increased from 42.49 per cent to 44.74 per cent during the same period. This increase has heen mainly in Jalgaon, Mehkar and Chikhli tahsils.

The following table indicates the increase or decrease in the area of the important crops during 1971-72 over 1960-61 [(*Source: Bureau of Economics and Statistics, Government of Maharashtra, Bombay, 1965-66 and 1972-73).]:—

TABLE No. 4

INCREASE OR DECREASE IN THE AREA OF IMPORTANT CROPS IN THE DISTRICT.

†Figures for 1960-61 are in acres and for 1971-72 are in hectares.

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