International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
Abstract
This study uses existing data from two Indian watersheds to characterize the study sites and document the socioeconomic conditions and resource-use patterns of the watershed farmers. The analysis aims at identifying gaps in the existing socioeconomic database and suggesting areas for further investigation as part of ongoing research in the benchmark watersheds. The paper deals with different socioeconomic issues and resource use-patterns; the general biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics of the watershed locations; the basic characteristics of the surveyed households with an emphasis on demographic features, labour force, and levels of education; land ownership and asset position (including livestock and other household assets) of surveyed households; and cropping patterns, input intensities, and average crop yields from farmers' fields. It also discusses crop utilization and the degree of commercialization of production in the areas; farmers' access to and utilization of credit from formal and informal sources; and the level of adoption and use of soil, water, and pest management technologies. The paper finally discusses the limitations of the baseline data and proposes some areas for future research
