Assess the Magnitude of Disparity in Farm Income among Different Farm-size Groups of Jammu Division

India's agricultural sector covers 140 million hectares of net cropped area, contributing 42.76% of GDP and employing 45.76% of the workforce. By 2023, agricultural exports made up 60% of the country's total exports, with key products like rice, sugar, and spices driving growth. Technological advancements, strategic planning, and infrastructure improvements have boosted productivity and export volumes. Jammu & Kashmir, despite economic instability, excels in low poverty and inequality, with agriculture employing 70% of its workforce. However, small farmers face challenges accessing expensive technologies like tractors, widening income disparities and limiting their growth potential. The study, conducted in the subtropical region of Jammu division, Jammu and Kashmir, employed a multi-stage random sampling technique. It involved 360 farmers selected from 18 villages across two developments per district, with 20 farmers per village. Primary data, collected through farmer interviews, and secondary data were used to analyze major crops, yields, and agricultural activities. Data collection occurred in 2021-22, covering 9 parameters, including landholding, labor, and various expenditures. Logarithmic transformations were applied to stabilize variance and linearize relationships for multiple linear regression analysis using 360 data points per parameter. The regression analysis identifies landholding as the most significant predictor for all 360 respondents, while other variables like labor days and expenditures on milch animals, seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, farm machinery, and plant protection measures are not statistically significant. For marginal farmers (0-1 ha), landholding has a highly significant positive effect with a coefficient of 1.158. Similarly, for small (1-2 ha), medium (2-4 ha), and large farmers (above 4 ha), landholding shows a strong positive relationship with the dependent variable, with coefficients of 0.818, 0.901, and 1.002, respectively, across all farm sizes. Additionally, by recognizing the factors driving disparity, efforts to promote agricultural diversification and optimal resource use can enhance long-term sustainability, benefiting the region as a whole.