CONSOLIDATING FRAGMENTED FIELDS: A PATH TOWARD EFFICIENT FARM MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Small and highly fragmented operational land holdings at varying spatial scale is one of the biggest challenges in agricultural development. The structure of landholding plays a pivotal role in shaping efficiency, productivity, and overall growth of an agricultural region. The task of farm management becomes significant in not only improving the present farming practices but also to identify the external factors which obstructs farmers opportunities and motivations to increase the production and farm income. Land holding fragmentation in the study area, stems primarily from the deeply entrenched system of law of inheritance in which land is passed down through generations leading to progressively smaller and more dispersed plots. Land fragmentation not only affects management practices related to land but also the decision-making process of a farmer related to the structure of the farm. Conversely land consolidation emerges as a potential solution to restructure the agricultural landscape by reorganizing fragmented landholdings into a larger and more manageable holdings. By analyzing the interplay between land fragmentation and land consolidation, this abstract underscore the gravity and urgency for a strategic land consolidation approach aimed at reorganizing fragmented land holdings into larger and more manageable parcels to enhance better farm management. The specific objective of the study is to investigate the spatial distribution of fragmented holdings to highlight the significance of land consolidation as a pre-requisite for farm management in Bassi tehsil. In this essence, an attempt has been made to show that how consolidation and semi consolidation will benefit and modify the farm structure. Also, an action plan has been prepared for effective management of farms in the study area.