The area under study is one of the districts of Karnataka and is predominantly agrarian, with over 70 per cent of the population dependent on farming. The impact of the industrial sector on primary activities, particularly agriculture and forests, is a multifaceted issue, involving both positive impacts (such as agro-based industries) and negative impacts (such as resource competition). This study aims to examine the impact of industrialization on agriculture and forests in Bagalkot district over three periods (2000, 2010, and 2020). In the year 2000, the district recorded 4,500 industrial units, utilizing 1,838 hectares of agricultural land for industrial purposes. This period marked the initial phase of industrial expansion, characterized by moderate growth. Within a span of a decade, the number of industries nearly doubled to 10,991 in 2010, accounting for a 144 per cent increase. However, land acquisition during this period sharply declined to 98.99 hectares, owing to a shift toward small-scale industries that required less physical space. The period from 2010 to 2020 shows an explosive industrial expansion, with the number of industries surging to 38,442, marking nearly a 250 per cent increase. Land acquisition also rose steeply to 1,188.72 hectares, indicating renewed large-scale industrial development. This expansion has had a notable influence on crop production and cultivated areas, as industrialization and market demands have driven a clear shift from traditional crops toward commercial crops and industrial inputs. The growth of industries has not only impacted agricultural land but has also led to significant changes in cropping patterns. Sugarcane, a key industrial crop, exhibited massive growth, with production soaring from 13,157,984 tons in 2000 to over 104,801,751 tons in 2020, registering a net increase of 91,643,767 tons. This substantial rise was supported by a corresponding expansion in the cultivated area, which increased from 115,938 hectares to 1,203,297 hectares. This trend clearly signifies the impact of industrialization, where crops are cultivated on an industrial scale to supply processing factories such as sugar mills and ethanol production units. In contrast, banana production recorded negative growth, declining from 3,862,800 tons in 2010 to about 3,172,800 tons in 2020. Although production decreased slightly, the cultivated area nearly doubled, expanding from 1,578 hectares to 2,645 hectares. Overall, the period from 2000 to 2020 witnessed a decisive shift away from traditional agriculture toward highly commercialized farming. The industrial sector’s impact on agriculture in Bagalkot district is primarily centered on agro-processing industries particularly sugar factories and presents both opportunities for economic growth and significant challenges, especially with regard to water resource management and crop diversification.
Hippargi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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