The Comprehensive Scheme for Studying the Cost of Cultivation of Principal Crops in India

The Comprehensive Scheme for Studying the Cost of Cultivation of Principal Crops in India is a Central Sector Scheme initiated by the Government of India in the year 1970-71 as recommended by the Standing Committee on Indices of Input Costs. The Scheme, popularly known as ‘Cost of Cultivation Scheme’ (CCS) was sanctioned to Assam Agricultural University (AAU) for its implementation in the state of Assam way back in 1971-72, vide F.No.11/37-Econ-py dated the 25th March, 1971. The University, vide Memo No. CS/I-A/71-72/17-18 Dt. 13.4.1971 entrusted the Agro Economic Research Centre (AERC) for North East India, located in Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat to implement the Scheme. Since then, the AERC, Jorhat continues to shoulder the additional responsibility of executing another important flagship programme of the Government of India. In the initial stage of implementation only 30 sample clusters comprising of 300 farm households (i.e. 10 farm households from each sample cluster) were allotted to the state of Assam with 33 nos. of Field Man, one Field Officer, one Asstt Statistician, four Field Supervisors (one Field Supervisor to supervise 10 Field Man), four Computors and one each of Clerk, Typist and Peon. In the initial years i.e. from 1971 to 1973, only paddy was taken as the principal crop in Assam and in 1973-74, Jute was taken as principal crop and paddy as sub- sample for the study. From 1981-82 onwards, new crop complex approach was adopted. Paddy, Jute and Rapeseed & Mustard crops were included in the crop complex. The Govt of India subsequently increased the sample size to 45 (fourty five) from the agricultural year 1984-85 as intimated vide its letter No 17012/2/82- Econ. Admn.Dated the 5th May, 1983. The cost of cultivation data are now collected from 45 sample clusters covering 450 farm households across five different size classes. The staff strength at the field level, supervisory level, data entry and validation level has also been strengthened along with the increase in number of samples. From the block period 2014-17, potato crop has also been included in the crop complex in Assam. In order to capture all categories of farmers of all the districts of the state and for efficient supervision, scrutiny and validation a fresh proposal has also been moved to the Ministry of Agriculture, GOI to increase the number of sample clusters to 50 and also to strengthen the number of Field Man to 50, Field Supervisor to 5 and Computor to 5 numbers vide letter No CS/C-2/2088-94 dated 20th November, 2011 (Annexure V).

Besides fulfilling the mandate of the Ministry (Collection of cost data), the Cost of Cultivation Scheme at Jorhat is also undertaking cost-related studies in the interest of the state and provides academic support to the researchers, academicians and students as well maintaining strict data quality, consistency and timeliness. It also works in close collaboration with the University (KrishiVigyanKendras) and State Department of Agriculture, Government of Assam.

The study design prescribed by the Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India is three stage random sampling design with the tehsil (revenue circle) as the first stage sampling unit. In the second stage, depending on the proportion of cultivated area in each selected circle one nucleus village is selected and other two villages adjacent to the nucleus (one in South of the nucleus village and the other village is selected anti clock wise) which formed a cluster of sample villages. In the third and final stage, a list of operational holdings is prepared in ascending order and after stratifying the households into differentfarm size classes, 10 households are drawn at random proportionately from each of the size classes to collect the cost of cultivation data of principal crops continuously for a block period of three years.

The data on different inputs and output are collected from the sample households by the whole time Field Man posted at different sample clusters across the state. The data collection is undertaken as follows.
            The Field Men are to prepare a map of the cluster of villages indicating the selected (ten) sample households.
            The Field Men are to maintain a record book of each sample farmer indicating the number of plots of land, crops grown and total cropped area.
            The Field Man records all the entries in the record book relating to daily operations, hours of work, all input items, human labour, bullock labour, machine labour, farm expenditure and receipts etc.
            The Field Men are required to establish a good rapport with the farmers regarding his purpose of visit and usefulness of his work in the greater interest of the farmer.
            The Field Supervisors are to visit the sample clusters under his jurisdiction at regular interval and verify the work done by the Field Man.

After collection of data in prescribed Record Types (RTs), data are thoroughly scrutinised, compiled and checked at Field Supervisor, Assistant Statistician and Field Officers level and validated data are entered in computer software (Dataman) by the Computors and the recorded data are then sent to the DES, MOA, GOI.