Agriculture

Crops

The Shivalik region has 66.2% of its geographic area under cultivation and 88.3% of it under irrigation. Similar to the situation in Haryana state, the Shivalik area has maximum acreage under wheat, which accounts for 48% in the state of Haryana and 46%, 43% and 37% of the total sown area in Ambala, Panchkula and Yamunanagar, respectively. Similarly, 40 % of net sown area in Ambala and 31% in Yamunanagar is under rice cultivation, wheareas Panchkula has only 17%. Around 25% of the net sown area in Panchkula is under maize. What is another popular crop occupying 39%-45% of net sown area in these districts.

Sugarcane also draws significant acreage in the districts of Yamunanagar (27%) and Ambala (10%), but not in Panchkula (3%). Oilseeds and pulses cover around 11% of net sown area in district Panchkula, as against about 3% in the other districts (Table 2.11).

Table 2.11: Agriculture Produce in the Year 2003-04

  Ambala Panchkula
Crop Area (‘000 ha) % of Total Production (‘000 MT) Yield MT /ha Area (‘000 ha) % of Total Production (‘000 MT) Yield MT /ha
Rice 73.20 40 227.00 3.10 6.90 17 21.00 3.04
Bajra 0.30 00   0.00 0.50 01 2.00 4.00
Maize 3.00 02 7.00 2.33 9.60 24 25.00 2.60
Wheat 83.70 45 273.00 3.26 17.40 43 44.00 2.53
Oil Seeds 2.70 01 3.50 1.30 2.40 06 2.10 0.88
Pulses 2.80 02 1.60 0.57 1.90 05 1.60 0.84
Sugar cane 14.50 08 89.00 6.14 0.90 02 6.00 6.67
Potatoes 1.20 01 33.00 27.50 0.37 01 8.90 23.99
Fruit & veg 3.28 02   NA 0.76 02   NA
  Yamunanager( Under SDA) Haryana
Crop Area (‘000 ha) % of Total Production (‘000 MT) Yield MT /ha Area (‘000 ha) % of Total Production (‘000 MT) Yield MT /ha
Rice 29.53 31 89.44 3.03 1015.20 20 2790.00 2.75
Bajra 0.20 00 1.04 5.20 624.50 12 1006.00 1.61
Maize 0.88 01 2.60 2.94 16.60 00 41.00 2.47
Wheat 37.07 39 125.84 3.39 2315.00 46 9114.00 3.94
Oil Seeds 1.30 01 1.16 0.89 632.70 13 976.80 1.54
Pulses 1.46 02 0.83 0.57 198.30 04 143.10 0.72
Sugar cane 22.10 23 129.00 5.84 160.30 03 928.00 5.79
Potatoes 0.68 01 14.61 21.61 10.50 00 256.00 24.38
Fruit & veg 1.34 01    NA 49.04 01   NA

(Source: Statistical Abstract, Haryana, 2004-05)

The yields of most crops are slightly higher compared to the State average, except in case of wheat and oilseeds. Yet these are lower than some other districts of Haryana and some moderately progressive areas of the country.

Irrigation

The state of Haryana has more than 84 % of its sown area as irrigated, with canals and tube wells being the primary sources. Both contribute approximately 50% of the irrigated area (Table 2.12). The same trend follows in the rural area of Yamunanagar and Ambala districts, but in Panchkula around 75% of the sown area is rainfed.

Table 2.12: Net Area Under Irrigation for 2002-03 (in '000 hectares)

District  Net Sown Area Govt Canals Tube wells Other Total As percent of sown area
Ambala 133 16 95 < 500 111 83.5%
Panchkula 24 <0.5 6 <0.5 6 25.0%
Yamunanagar 39 1 34 - 35 89.6%
Haryana 3,526 1,433 1,522 11 2,966 84.1%

Consumption of Chemicals

Overall the consumption pattern of fertilizers in all the three districts is akin to the state (290 kg/ha).

The consumption of pesticides in these three districts (litres per hectare) has followed similar trends in Haryana state (0.0013 tonnes/ha). Panchkula and Ambala together have reduced its consumption from 569 tonnes in 1985-86 to 232 tonnes in 2003-04. Though there has not been such significant fall in Yamunanagar, the overall consumption has reduced from 270 tonnes in 1995-96 to 250 tones in 2003-04.

Land Holding Pattern

The land holding pattern of the three districts shows that majority of the holdings are below 3 hectares (Table 2.13).

Table 2.13: Distribution of Operational Land Holdings

Figures in parentheses indicates percentage of total holdings

S No Holding size Number of Holdings
Ambala Panchkula Yamunangar Haryana State
1 Less than 0.5 ha 22,122 (34.7) 14,343 (13.0) 18,482 (28.3) 479463 (27.74)
2 0.5 ha – 3.0 ha 30,382 (47.7) 42,668 (37.0) 34,275 (52.4) 870168 (50.35)
3 3.0 ha – 7.5 ha 9,610 (15.1) 41,426 (36.0) 10,404 (15.9) 178830 (10.34)
4 7.5 ha - 20.0 ha 1,570 (2.5) 16,014 (14.0) 2,051 (3.1) 73904 (4.2)
5 More than 20.0 ha 69 (0.1) 38 (Negli) 155 (0.2) 7628 (0.04)
  Total 63,753 1,14,489 65,367 17,27,993

(Source: Statistical Abstract, Haryana, 2004-05)

Income from Agriculture

The average annual income from agriculture per hectare of sown area in Haryana is Rs 41,323, where Ambala and Yamunanagar have Rs. 43,903 and Rs. 49,922, the district of Panchkula has Rs. 28,315 per year (2000-01).

Haryana state has the per capita income from agriculture in rural areas at current prices is Rs 9,700 per annum, whereas it is Rs 9,000 for Ambala, Rs 3,000 for Panchkula and Rs 6,000 for Yamunanagar. Hence there lies significant scope for improvement in Panchkula and Yamunanagar, and also in Ambala, which still lies behind the state average.

Horticulture

In the State of Haryana , area and production of fruits has experienced a significant jump in the last 10 years (Table 2.14). In the Shivalik region, 0.4% of cultivated area is under fruits and 4.5% under vegetable. Yamunanagar has a very high share, corresponding to 1.4% of cultivated area is under fruits and 8.9% under vegetable cultivation.

Table 2.14: Horticulture Development

  Shivalik Region Haryana State
Produce Area, ha Production, MT Area, ha Production, MT
Fruits 791   24,071 2,32,220
Vegetables 8839   2,07,750 29,80,400
Mushroom NA     6,163
Flowers NA   4,810 -
Medicinal Plants - - 2,316 -

(Source: Statistical Abstract, Haryana, 2004-05)

In Panchkula, 3222 hectare of land is covered under horticulture crops and about 6778 hectare is under production of vegetables and fruits. Department of Horticulture in the district had proposed to cover per year about 175 hectare of land of the district specially in sub humid and high rain fall area of Shivalik hilly region where Peach, Plum, Pear, Mango, Sapota , Aonla , Jamun and Gauva are recommended fruit crops.

District Ambala has 3000 hectare of land under horticulture crops and Department of Horticulture has proposed to cover 200 hectare of land per year in the hilly region of the district.

Yamunanagar district has a target fixed for the year 2005-06 under flowers is 5000 hectares and is likely to increase to 5100 hectares. By the end of the year 2004-05, 4268 hectares area was covered under drip irrigation system. For raising disease free nursery and off-season production of vegetables, green house technology plays a vital role. Up to the end of the year 2004-05, 212 green houses have been established. A target of 232 green houses has been fixed to be established by the end of the year 2005-06 and it is likely to be achieved. During the year 2004-05, the total area under medicinal plants was 2316 hectares. A target fixed for the year 2005-06 is 5900 hectares and it is expected to be achieved by the end of the year 2005-06.