economics of on-farm development - Institute for Social and ...

Table 4.4: Distribution <strong>of</strong> operational holdings in the study districts, 1991
Size Kollam district Thrissur district
class Holdings Area Avg. hold. Holdings I Area Avg. hold.
(ha.) (000 nos.) (000 ha.) Size (ha.) (000 nos.) (000 ha.) Size (ha.)
Belo" I
465.04 71.68 199.1 33.10
0.15
(97.04 ) (76.30)
(81.46) (19.74)
0.17
1-2
I I. 81 15.33 22 31.30
1.30
('.46) (16.32)
(9.00) (18.66)
1.42
2-4
2.07 5.22 15.3 40.90
2.52
(0.43 ) (5.56)
(6.26)
(24.39)
2.67
4-10
0.29 1.49 6.8 41.70
5.14
(006) ( 1.59)
(2.78) (24.87)
6.13
Above 0.02 0.23
20.70
I 1.50 1.2 (0.49)
10 (00 I) (0.24)
(12.34)
17.25
Total
479.23 93.95
244.4 167.7
0.20
(10000) ( 100.00) ( 100.00) (10000)
0.69
Note: Figures In parenthesIs are respective percentages.
Source: Census, 1991.
Whereas. in Thrissur district (where the Peechi project is located) 81 per
cent <strong>of</strong> the operational holdings are below one ha. with an area share <strong>of</strong> below 20
per cent. This indicates the magnitude <strong>of</strong> the problem <strong>of</strong> marginalisation <strong>of</strong>
operational holdings in the Kollam district. Among the other size groups. while
two per cent <strong>of</strong> the farmers in the size group <strong>of</strong> 1- 2 ha. in Kollam district holds
16 per cent <strong>of</strong> the area, in Thrissur district 20 per cent <strong>of</strong> the area is held by 81
per cent <strong>of</strong> the farmers. Though the proportion <strong>of</strong> farmers holding higher sizes <strong>of</strong>
operational holdings in the Thrissur district is less than 10 per cent, the area
owned is more than 24 per cent in the 2-4 and 4-10 ha. size classes. The
proportion <strong>of</strong> area held by the farmers in the above 10 ha. is also the highest in
the Thrissur district at 12 per cent and it is less than one per cent in the Kollam
district. Thus. the pattern <strong>of</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong> operational holdings in the Kollam
district is skewed largely in favour <strong>of</strong> the lower size groups
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