In the absence of adequate rainfall, Gujarat is not well-
provided by a system of irrigation canals. We have
some tanks and wells, but their condition is not satisfac-
tory. During the quinquennium 1922-23 to 1926-27,
the average annual area irrigated from all sources amount-
ed to about 103,000 acres, or only 2,3 per cent, of the
gross cropped area in 1926-2.7. Gujarat is traversed by
several rivers, which can be utilised for irrigation. The
Indian Irrigation Commission of 1901-03 recommended
the construction of large canals connected with the Sabar-
mati, the Mahi, the 'Narbudda and the Tapti—the four
principal rivers of Gujarat. Schemes were submitted to
the Bombay Government in 1919 and in 1921 for the
Sabarmati Canal project, but they were rejected on the
ground of financial stringency. A well-thought scheme
of irrigation fpr Gujarat is an urgent necessity in the inter-
ests of the farmer.1
CROPS
The most important food crops grown in British Guja-
rat are jowar, bajri, paddy and wheat. Cotton and oil-
seeds are the important non-food crops. On a detailed
analysis of the figures, we notice that there is a tendency
to increase the area of non-food crops. The total cropped
area in 1895-96 amounted to 3403 thousand acres; in
1926-27 the figure rose to 4421 thousand acres. The
area under food crops, which was 2575 thousand acres
in the former year remained more or less stationary, being
2581 thousand acres in the latter year. The area under
non-food crops accounted for the total increase having
risen from 838 thousand acres to 1840 thousand acres in
the period mentioned above. Among the non-food
crops, cotton is popular in all the districts ; Broach having
46 per cent, of its cropped area under cotton, Ahmedabad
25 per cent., Surat 20, Kaira n and Panch Mahals 6.
Another crop of importance which is grown in recent years
is groundnut which has become popular in Northern Gu-
1 Cf. the written memoranda and evidence of witnesses from Gujarat
before the Royal Commission on Indian Agriculture; VoL II, Part 2.