Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Cropping Pattern, Crop Diversification and Irrigation in Hamirpur District, Uttar Pradesh (2011-12 to 2023-24): A Geo-Statistical Analysis

Cropping pattern in semi-arid, drought-prone Bundelkhand undergoes continuous re-adjustment in response to irrigation expansion, market signals and agro-climatic stress. This paper examines change in the area under principal crops of Hamirpur district, Uttar Pradesh, between 2011-12 and 2023-24 using official block-wise agricultural statistics (Directorate of Economics and Statistics / UPDES). Two complementary objectives are pursued: (i) the temporal change and growth rate of major crops at the district level, and (ii) the spatial variation in cropping structure, crop diversification and irrigation intensity across the seven development blocks. Percentage change, Compound Annual Growth Rate, the Coefficient of Variation, Simpson's Index of Diversification, Location Quotients and Pearson correlation are used as analytical tools. Results show that wheat area rose by 27.4 per cent (CAGR 2.04% per annum) and now occupies about 44 per cent of the gross cropped area considered, while pulses stagnated (-2.1%) and sugarcane disappeared entirely from the district. Oilseeds recorded the sharpest expansion (+39.7%), led by mustard and til. Irrigation intensity rose by 18-29 percentage points in every block, and this expansion is strongly and negatively associated with the pulses area (r = -0.91), indicating a shift from rainfed pulses toward irrigated wheat and oilseeds. Crop diversification, measured by the Simpson Index, increased marginally in six of the seven blocks. The findings have implications for irrigation planning, pulses revival programmes and drought-proofing strategy in the Bundelkhand region.