Evaluating the status of gross and net food availability in special reference to carrying capacity of land of Sikkim

Abstract

In Sikkim, because of vast variation in altitude within short distances and uniqueness of diverse ecological conditions, it supports the cultivation of a large variety of food crops. Even though, the livelihood and economy of the people of Sikkim is still unsustainable. Therefore, an attempt was made to analyse gross and net food availability. For this various secondary data were collected and gross and net food availability was calculated in terms of calorific and monetary value. Carrying capacity of land in terms of gross and net calorific and monetary values was also calculated and analysed. The result shows that the gross and net food availability in Sikkim is very less in commensurate to the existing population. The productivity of food crops has been improved, but the area under it has decreased. The agricultural economy on a whole has been gradually moving from subsistence to commercial orientation over the past three decades, and therefore their sustainability seems comparatively less prosperous in the context of food crops production. Therefore, there is urgent need to look into, for feeding the increasing population.

Keywords

• Gross food availability
• Net food availability
• Standard nutrition unit
• Carrying capacity
• Food crops