High rural population density implies intensive land use. Table 2.5 shows that 68.82 per cent of geographical area put under cultivation in the district as compared to 59.36per cent in the state as a whole. Area under forest is lower in the district having 0.68 per cent as compared to 6.64 per cent in the state. Permanent pastures and grazing land have lost area and so have current and permanent fallows. The proportion of permanent pasture and grazing land is very dismal, having 0.25 per cent of total geographical area. The proportion of permanent and current fallow land is (9.61 %) in the district as compared to 8.50 per cent in the state. Marginal lands (culturable and unculturable water land under village commons) is about 2.39 per cent which can be brought under cultivation with proper land improvement programme.

It has been noted from Table 2.5 that 68.82 per cent of land is locked into crop production. Information provided in Table 2.6 shows that foodgrains crops account for 95.52 per cent of the gross cropped area in the district. Subsistence crops obviously dominate Bihar farmers. At the country level, only about 65 per cent area is occupied by foodgrains crops. Rice is the most dominant crop of the Kharif season and it occupies 55.78 per cent of the cropped area.

Cropping Pattern in Jehanabad District - 2005-06

In fact, rice and wheat together claim nearly 80.7 per cent of the gross cropped area. The five cereals (rice, wheat, maize, barley and cereals) occupied 81.82 per cent and have little area for pulses (13.68 per cent) an important group of foodgrains crops. Oilseeds have a minor presence and so as non-food crops. As such, the crops which can generate higher value for crops have little presence in the district meaning thereby very less crop diversification may be seen. These data and comparison with national figures suggest that small farm size and high subsistence pressure has forced low-value subsistence crops in the district lands even thoughs these have high potential. As being shown latter, this is exacerbated by low productivity and limited diversification to higher value crops due to a number of technical and socio-economic constraints. The results of the cropping pattern further reveals the rigidity over time and continued dominance of subsistence crop. However, taking into account the state as a whole. There are variations in preferences of crop due to soil suitability and other location-specific factors. In nutshell, it can be said that Bihar's agricultural economy is predominantly foodgrains economy and Jehanabad district is not exception to it.