DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2015.v03i05.012

Pages: 1040-1044

The economy of North-Eastern India is mainly depending on agriculture. The majority of populations of North-Eastern states are getting their means of livelihood from the agricultural sector as they have accepted agriculture as their primary occupation. Therefore, agriculture is playing an important role in the economy of North-East India. The major portions of the total population in Assam (89.0%) are living in rural areas. More than 70 per cent of the total populations in Assam are getting their means of livelihood from agricultural sector. As per 2001 census, 57.4 per cent of the total workers in Assam are agricultural workers. In 2005-06, agriculture alone contributed 28.7 per cent to the total state domestic product. Thus agriculture occupies a very important place and forms the major source of occupation of the people of Assam. The soil, topography, rainfall and climate in Assam is quite suitable for cultivation of rice crop which occupies about 70 per cent of gross cropped area and more than 90 per cent of the total area under food grains. Agriculture in Assam is mainly dependent on rainfall. Thus top priority must be given to the development of rural areas which requires development of agriculture, implementation of land reform measures and the development of Co-operatives.The cropping pattern is an important indicator to show the proportion of area under different crops at a definite point of time. Cropping pattern in a region or a state may change with the changes in proportion of area under different crops. At the beginning of the century about 90 per cent of the total cultivable land of Assam was put under food crops and the remaining 10 per cent was put under non-food crops. After independence a lot of change had been recorded in respect of cropping pattern in Assam. The proportion of area under cultivation between food crops and non-food crops has recorded a little change from 85:15 in 1960-61 to 80:20 in 2004-05.