Agricultural Economics Research Review
Year : 2012, Volume : 25, Issue : conf
First page : ( 545) Last page : ( 545)
Print ISSN : 0971-3441. Online ISSN : 0974-0279.

Utilization and Effects of Agricultural Input Subsidies: An Evidence from Field Survey of SC/ST Farmers in Bihar

Singh Lal Narayan, Kumar Amalendu, Kumar Janmejay

Department of Economics, T.C.A., Dholi, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar

Online published on 9 October, 2012.

Abstract

The study has estimated the share of SC/ST farmers in the total amount of subsidies and the overall effect of input subsidy used by the targeted farmers by selecting 200 farmers (100 SC/ST and 100 non-SC/ST) from Vaishali, Katihar and Rohtas districts as per the classification of irrigated and dry districts in the state of Bihar. The study has revealed that the inputs on which subsidy were being availed by the sample farmers were: seeds, farm assets, irrigational equipments, fertilizers and other agricultural items. The analysis has suggested that SC and ST farms in the study area availed a comparatively low amount of subsidies as compared to other classes due to their poor economic condition. This situation was worse in dry districts than irrigated district due to poor development of input delivery systems in these districts. The study has also found that the farms in the irrigated districts applied higher doses of inputs than the farmers of dry districts. The farmers belonging to big size of farms in SC/ST did not receive the right quantity of input subsidies at the right time for cultivation of crops. The small categories of SC/ST farmers were found to sell out subsidized items without utilizing due to acute poverty. The study has suggested various measures like proper distribution of subsidized agricultural inputs, farmer's awareness and proper supervision by the central, state, district and village level government bodies.

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Keywords

Input subsidies, SC/ST farmers, Bihar.

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