Economic viability of sustainable farming systems in Himachal Pradesh

Farming systems can be proved as viable approach represents an appropriate combination of farm enterprises, viz; crop production, horticulture, livestock, fishery, forestry, poultry, goatry, etc. in specific farming situation to address the problems of sustainable economic growth of Indian farming communities. Farming systems of households in Himachal Pradesh have been analyzed based on the primary data collected through a sample of 160 farmers. The present study has been made to identify type of existing farming systems under rainfed and irrigated conditions and also to suggest sustainable optimum farming systems in the study area. The study of the existing cropping pattern revealed that major share of the area was under cereals. Pulses were mostly grown on medium and large farms. The fodder crops like sorghum in Kharifand Barseemin winter were the important fodder crops. Under rainfed farming, maize-wheat cropping system was the main cropping system. Under irrigated conditions, paddy-wheat and chari-berseem were the two main cropping systems.