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

The characteristics <strong>of</strong> the sample holdings in terms <strong>of</strong> the land use being
followed across the three locations are furnished in tables 4.5 and 4.6. From the
table 4.5. it is apparent that in the Kallada project. the effective area under paddy
is less than 50 per cent. which shows that most <strong>of</strong> the farmers have converted
their paddy fields for other uses. The proportion <strong>of</strong> rubber area is 56 per cent and
the highest percentage is found in the head reaches at 59 per cent compared to 56
per cent in the tail reaches and 52 per cent in the middle. The average size <strong>of</strong>
paddy holding is 0.45 acres across the three locations.
Table 4.5: Characteristics <strong>of</strong> Sample farm households in Kallada project
Characteristics Head Middle Tail Total
Total sample (No.) 78 65 57 200
Wet area (acres) 56.92 41.38 32.85 131.15
Drv area (acres) 108.13 130.6 91.67 330.4
Total area (acres) 165.05 171.98 124.52 461.55
Effective paddv area (%) 49.77 38.02 44.67 41.58
Share <strong>of</strong> rubber area (%) 49.33 51.13 49.73 50.11
Rubber area holders (%) 58.97 52.31 56.14 56.00
Average holding size (acres) 2.12 2.65 2.18 2.31
Average rubber area (acres) 1.77 2.59 1.94 2.07
Average paddv area (acres) 0.44 0.45 0.43 0.45
In the Peechi project. the area under paddy continues to be almost 57 per
cent <strong>of</strong> the cropped area (Tahle 4.6). But in the head reaches. the area under
paddy is 61 per cent. followed by 57 per cent in the middle reach and 46 per cent
in the tail end. Rubber is gnlWn predominantly in the tail reaches where 63 per
cent <strong>of</strong> the farmers in the tail end grow rubber. The proportion <strong>of</strong> paddy fields
leased out for banana cultivation is more in the tail reaches (38 %). followed by
21 per cent in the middle: reaches. The conversion <strong>of</strong> paddy area for other land
uses is rdativdy high in the tail reaches at 25 per cent as against 22 per cent in
the head and 20 per cent in the middle reaches.
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