An economic analysis of varietal diversification of paddy in agro-climatic zone of Chhattisgarh plains

Introduction

Varietal diversification of paddy refers to the practice of cultivating multiple rice varieties within a region or farm to ensure stability in production and sustainability of the farming system. It is an important aspect of crop diversification that focuses specifically on varietal choice rather than crop type. This approach enhances the adaptive capacity of farmers against environmental stress, helps conserve valuable genetic resources, and meets diverse consumer preferences for grain quality and market demand. In recent years, the adoption of improved and hybrid rice varieties has expanded significantly in India, including Chhattisgarh, resulting in yield enhancement and better returns. At the same time, the continued cultivation of traditional and location-specific varieties maintains the ecological and cultural heritage of rice farming. Therefore, studying varietal diversification provides critical insights into how farmers balance productivity, risk management, and sustainability in the changing agricultural landscape. The most often used Simpson diversity index which is essentially a derivation of the Herfindal index was employed in this study to numerically assess the diversification of rice varieties in the state. Diversity in varieties at the farmer level indicates the adoption and spread of varieties by individual farmers. A higher diversity index reflects a wider choice of varieties of the farmers. This can be further disaggregated at the ecology level to understand how the varietal diversity index differs across ecologies. Simpson diversity index (SDI) assesses the degree of concentration of varieties at farm level in different ecologies (Dar et al., 2020) [1] . The same index was often used to measure the extent of diversification. Given as per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, 2024) and national statistics, India continues to be the largest exporter and second-largest producer of rice globally, contributing approximately 27 percent of the world's rice output. Furthermore, domestic rice inventories reached a record 44.1 million tonnes by December 2024, exceeding buffer norms and positioning India to remain a leading player in the global rice market (Reuters, 2024) [5] .

Methodology

To achieve the study's objectives, primary data collected from the selected paddy growers using a well-structured and pre-tested questionnaire and schedule through personal interviews. The primary data collected pertained to the agricultural year of 2024-25. A diversity index is a quantitative measure. These indices are statistical representations of the diversification of the dataset. The diversity index technique was used to analyze the varietal diversification of paddy in the study area. The Simpson Diversity Index (SDI): index used to explain diversification: Simpson Diversity Index (SDI):

Where: αij = Area under the jᵗʰ paddy variety in the iᵗʰ farm or unit Ai = Total paddy area in the iᵗʰ farm or unit VDI = Varietal Diversification Index A higher VDI value (closer to 1) indicates a higher degree of varietal diversification at the farm level. The data highlights that while the public sector continues to dominate seed distribution, particularly through Chhattisgarh State Seed and Agriculture Development Corporation (SSC), the private sector has established a strong presence, contributing over one-third of the total supply. This indicates a balanced but shifting trend in the seed distribution system of Chhattisgarh, where both public and private agencies play complementary roles in meeting farmers' demand (Table 2 and Figure 1).

The varietal diversification of

Varietal Diversification of Paddy

To study the varietal diversification of paddy in the Chhattisgarh plain, a total of 386 paddy-growing farmers were surveyed. Out of these, 208 farmers cultivated a single variety, 113 farmers cultivated two varieties simultaneously, and 65 farmers grew more than two varieties. Table 3 and Figure 2 present the varietal distribution of paddy adopted by farmers under different conditions. Among the different varieties, Swarna (MTU-7029) emerged as the most widely cultivated, adopted by 127 farmers, followed by Cottondora Sannalu (MTU-1010) grown by 62 farmers, and Vijetha (MTU-1001) cultivated by 44 farmers. Other varieties such as MTU-1061 (17 farmers), MTU-1064 (19 farmers), and MTU-1156 (24 farmers) also had notable presence. Less common varieties included Arize 6444 Gold (41 farmers), MPR-404 (7 farmers), MPR-606 (7 farmers), and HMT (15 farmers).

The findings indicate that while some degree of varietal diversification exists, the paddy farming system is dominated by a few major varieties, particularly Swarna and MTU-1010, which together account for nearly half of the sampled farmers. This concentration suggests a preference for varieties with higher yield potential and adaptability, though it may also imply a risk of varietal vulnerability in the event of pest, disease, or climatic stresses (Table 3 and Figure 2).

Paddy varietal diversification as per area coverage

Table 4 presents the varietal diversification of paddy in the study area based on the area cultivated and the number of farmers. The total area under paddy varieties was 522.85 hectares, cultivated by 386 farmers. Which reveals a clear dominance of a few high-yielding and popular varieties with marked differences in area coverage and number of adopting farmers. Among all the reported varieties, Swarna (MTU 7029) emerged as the most dominant, covering the maximum area of 181.49 ha (34.71 percent) and adopted by 147 farmers (38.08 percent). This shows its wide acceptance owing to high adaptability, yield potential, and farmer preference. The second most important variety was Cottondora Sannalu (MTU-1010) with 86.60 ha (16.56 percent) and 62 farmers (16.06 percent), closely followed by Vijetha (MTU-1001) which covered 71.65 ha (13.70 percent) with 44 farmers (11.40 percent). Together, these three varieties alone accounted for more than 65 percent of the total paddy area, indicating a high concentration in varietal adoption. Cottondora Sannalu (MTU-1010) (62) Number presented in the parentheses were percentage to total Among the other varieties, Arize 6444 Gold was cultivated over 53.13 ha (10.16 percent) by 41 farmers (10.62 percent), followed by MTU-1156 with 38.19 ha (7.30 percent) and 24 farmers (6.22 percent), and MTU-1064 with 32.53 ha (6.22 percent) and 19 farmers (4.92 percent). These varieties contributed moderately to overall varietal spread in the region. In contrast, some varieties had only a limited share. MTU-1061 accounted for 20.14 ha (3.85 percent) with 17 farmers (4.40 percent), and HMT covered 19.50 ha (3.73 percent) with 15 farmers (3.89 percent). Similarly, MPR-606 recorded a marginal coverage of 13.94 ha (2.67 percent) with 10 farmers (2.59 percent), while MPR-404 was the least adopted variety with only 5.68 ha (1.09 percent) and 7 farmers (1.81 percent). Thus, the overall results of Table 4.9 highlight that varietal concentration is skewed towards a few dominant varieties, particularly Swarna, MTU-1010, and MTU-1001. While this ensures higher productivity, it reflects a low level of varietal diversification, which may increase the risk of vulnerability to pests, diseases, and climatic variability. Hence, extension services and better seed distribution policies are needed to promote a wider adoption of other promising varieties to ensure resilience and sustainable paddy production in the Chhattisgarh plain. These findings suggest that as farm size increases, farmers tend to diversify more, likely due to greater resource availability and risk-spreading strategies. However, the consistently high index values across all categories also indicate that even smaller farmers did not depend solely on a single paddy variety.

The results are in line with previous studies (Jangde et al., 2024) [4] , which also reported a high level of varietal diversification in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, reflecting farmers' efforts to balance productivity, market preference, and risk management in paddy cultivation.

References

1. Dar MA, Kachroo J, Parrey AH. Measurement and determinants of crop diversification in Jammu and Kashmir: an economic analysis. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 2020;90(3):517-521.
2. Directorate of Agriculture, Government of Chhattisgarh. Agricultural statistics: Kharif paddy production report. Raipur (Chhattisgarh): Directorate of Agriculture; 2019-2020.
3. Jaiswal H, Shrey R, Chandrakar MR, Sao A. An economic analysis of varietal diversification and market share of paddy in Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh. International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development. 2025;8(6):291-298.
4. Jangde C, Shrey R, Verma PK, Choudhary VK. An economic analysis of varietal diversification, market share and paddy cultivation on household farms in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh. International Journal of Agriculture Sciences. 2025;SP-9(1):645-652.
5. Reuters. India's rice stocks reach new highs: implications for exports. Reuters; 2024 Dec. Available from: https://www.reuters.com
6. Sahu R, Gauraha AK, Verma PK, Pradhan MK. An economic analysis of varietal diversification of paddy in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh. Agri Express. 2024;2(2):V02I02.19.
7. Raipur (Chhattisgarh): Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya; 2025.
8. Singh R, Sharma K, Kaur J. Varietal replacement and yield stability of rice in Punjab, India. Journal of Rice Research. 2019;12(1):1-12.
9. Thant YT, Htun TM, Fujita K. On-farm rice varietal diversity and farmers' preference for varietal attributes in the Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar. Agricultural Systems. 2020;178:102735.
10. Thapa S, Lama D, Rai S. Rice varietal diversity and climate adaptation in the Eastern Himalayas. Mountain Research and Development. 2020;40(1):20-30.
11. Tionogco M, Hossain M. Adoption of modern varieties and rice varietal diversity on household farms in Bangladesh. HarvestPlus Working Papers. 2015. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a0899 940f0b6497400017a/HarvestPlus_WorkingPaper22.pdf
12. Venkatesan S, Singh ON, Dutta P. Rice varietal release and deployment trends in India: a spatio-temporal analysis. Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding. 2019;79(4):643-651.