AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

LAND UTILISATION

The data regarding classification of the total area of the district according to various heads of land utilisation not only reflects the extent of development of agricultural activities in the district but also represents the cultivation potential of the area. The total geographical area of the district in 1971-72 was 15,01,069 hectares. Table No. 2 gives the classification of the total geographical area under different categories.

Cropped area: The percentage of total cropped area to total geographical area in the district was 90.00 in 1971-72, but it varied from taluka to taluka. The gross cropped area of 11,62,112 hectares in 1971-72, comprised 11,16,489 hectares of net area sown and 45,623 hectares of area sown more than once, distributed into food-crops and non-foodcrops. The main foodcrops of the district are jowar, bajri and wheat among cereals; tur, math and gram among pulses; chillis among condiments and spices and fruits and vegetables. The main non-foodcrops primarily included cotton among fibres, ground-nut, safflower and sesamum among edible oil-seeds and linseed among non-edible oil-seeds.

Forest area: The district has a very limited area under forests, mostly arid and scrub forest patches in Barshi and Malshiras talukas. The remaining forest area is included in Malshiras range, Akkalkot round and a part of Jath round. Table No. 3 gives the taluka-wise distribution of forest area under the revenue and forest departments in Sholapur district in 1968-69 and 1972-73.

Forest produce: The principal forest produce comprised timber, fire-wood and charcoal. The minor forest produce included mainly fodder grass and other minor forest produce. The following statement gives details regarding the output and value of forest produce in Sholapur district in 1968-69 and 1972-73:-

STATEMENT SHOWING THE OUTPUT AND VALUE OF FOREST PRODUCE IN SHOLAPUR DISTRICT, 1968-69

FOREST PRODUCE IN 1972-73

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