An investigation entitled “Assessment of Agricultural Land Holdings using Stratification
Techniques in Jammu District” was conducted with the objectives to assess the agricultural
land holdings pattern in Jammu district as well as to categorize the farmers of Jammu District on
the basis of their land holdings. The information on land use pattern is necessary to develop future
research strategies on land use planning and policies. Categorization of farmers based on land
holdings may be properly done using various stratification techniques as the size of land holdings
varies from farmer to farmer. For the purpose of categorization of landholdings, the techniques
used for stratification were cumulative square-root (cum.√f) rule and cumulative cube-root
(cum.∛f ) as these have been found to be more suitable and practicable in most of the cases . The
method of choosing the best boundaries that make strata internally homogeneous as far as
possible is known as optimum stratification. To achieve this, the strata should be constructed in
such a way that the strata variances for the characteristic under study be as small as possible.
Land use pattern indicated that out of total reporting area of the Jammu district, which was 237.02
thousand ha in the both the periods I (2007-08) and II (2012-13), 13 percent was under forest
during both the periods, 34 percent and 38 percent net sown area in period-I and period-II showed
increase by 4 percent. For area not available for cultivation, the figures stood at 75.05 and 68.99
thousand ha for the period I and II, respectively, thereby showing a decrease of 6.06 thousand ha.
It accounted 32 percent in the period-I and 29 percent in the period-II showing marginal decrease.
The area under fallow land had increased to 17.57 thousand ha in the period-II from the figure of
5.37 thousand ha in the period-I, accounting 5.37 percent and observed rise through the period
and stood at 7 percent in the period-II. The area under other uncultivated land excluding fallows
stood to the tune of 45.63 thousand ha and 29.77 thousand ha in the respective periods, which
accounted for 19 and 13 percent of the total reporting area respectively indicating decrease under
such lands. As per the present investigation the categorization of land holding (in ha) was found
to be marginal (0-0.85), small (0.85-1.95), semi-medium (1.95-3.35), medium (3.35-5.22), large
(5.22-8.0) and very large (8.0 & above). On the basis of auxiliary variable viz. agricultural net
income, wheat production, Paddy production, and maize production, significantly highly
correlated with study variable, the categorization were also done. And, in case of net income, the
strata were: marginal (0.0-11.16.67), small(16.67-39.25), semi-medium (39.25-68.17).