Anantapur is the southern-most district of the Rayalseema region of Andhra
Pradesh. While agriculture remains the most important economic activity of the
district, it is characterised by high levels of instability and uncertainty. Being
located in the rain-shadow region of Andhra Pradesh, the district is drought-prone.
By now, it is well established that while a generalised rural crisis is prevalent
across the country, a disproportionate burden has fallen on its drier tracts. In 2006,
Anantapur was one of the thirty-one districts identified by the Government of India
as being prone to agriculture-related suicides. A few committees have been set up
by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to study the agricultural crisis as well as
the problem of farmers’ suicides in the state. While these committees have looked
at a whole gamut of issues underlying the agricultural crisis of Andhra Pradesh,
our study of Anantapur district focuses specifically on the technological dimension
of the crisis. Our study addresses such factors that have a bearing on agricultural
production and productivity, namely, the physical environment; the extent and
nature of agricultural inputs used; the nature of crop protection practices followed;
the overall management practices adopted in cultivation including irrigation
practices and aspects of technology delivery.

M S Swaminathan Research Foundation