Abstract

Atanu Sengupta and Chandan Kumar Maity

Maharastra is one of the progressive states in India but it has been reported to be a deficit state for long when
one considers to major pursuit of economic activity, which is agriculture. In the present study, an attempt has
been made to analyze welfare aspect of growth performance of agriculture of the Maharastra State for the period
from 1970/71 to 2005/06 by using Kakwanie’s (1997) growth parameters. Based on aggregated district level data
on area, production and yield of food grains, the study reveals considerable variations in district wise growth
rates. For the overall period of study, food grains production in most of the districts of the State recorded a
deceleration of growth in respect to all agrarian parameters. A periodisation analysis as suggested by Kakwani
(1997) concludes that the growth performance in Mahasrastra agriculture is highly unequal. The new policy
changes have failed to bring about a shift in this pattern so as to enhance the economic wellbeing of the people.