ECONOMIES OF MANGO CULTIVATION IN A WHOLE-FARM APPROACH FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS: A CASE STUDY FROM INDIA

This case study is about farming systems followed by small mango growers of a Srinivaspur sub-district of Kolar district in Karnataka, India. Over the years, the size of landholdings decreased and suitability has become an issue. The integrated farming system is mostly desired but, the kind of cropping pattern which would bring profitability and sustainability for smallholding farmers under dryland conditions has not been extensively explored. This research analyzes and explains the economies of scale and scope for the smallholder mango growers both in irrigated and rain-fed conditions. The data covers the period from April 2016 to March 2017. Total, 320 smallholder mango growers from Srinivaspur; a sub-district of Kolar in India were randomly interviewed in person, using a structured pre-tested interview schedule. Suitable analytical techniques were used with the data obtained. Further, the results of the study suggested the optimum farming pattern to enhance the income and bring more sustainability to the farmers both in rain-fed and irrigated conditions