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

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area <strong>and</strong> yield <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy as taluks with: a) high area-high yield, b) high area-medium<br />

yield: c) high area-low yield: d) low area-high yield: e) low area-medium yield: <strong>and</strong><br />

f) low area-low yield. The analysis shows that 55.3 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> yield has come from<br />

the first two groups <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> taluks, which occupies 48.6 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy growing area,<br />

followed by low area - medium yield taluks (18.62 %) occupying 20.21 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

area. it is found that the rate <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>versi<strong>on</strong> is thc highest _ in hioh e in low area-low<br />

yield taluks (-3.5%). followed by high area - low yield taluks (-3 %), low area-high<br />

yield taluks (-2.5%) <strong>and</strong> low area - medium yield ta1uks (-2.1 %)14. Kannan <strong>and</strong><br />

Pushpangadan (1990) find that most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the decline in paddy area has been<br />

c<strong>on</strong>centrated in regi<strong>on</strong>s that have not traditi<strong>on</strong>ally specialised in rice cultivati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

A. study by Indiradc\'i ('I (1/ (1991) examine the dynamics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy field<br />

c<strong>on</strong>wrslOn in Thrissur district (Central Kerala) <strong>and</strong> find that about 47 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

paddy l<strong>and</strong> is leased out <strong>for</strong> tile <strong>and</strong> brick manufacturing industries lS , followed by 13<br />

" Similar study by Suresh (2000) examined the changes in paddy area across the districts<br />

<strong>for</strong> the period 1975 to 1997 <strong>and</strong> finds that the decline <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy was higher in the large area-<br />

10\\ yield districts as well as large area- medium yield districts. Accordingly, the share <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these districts in the total paddy area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the state has declined from 27.15 per cent<br />

during 1975-85 to 18.72 per cent in 199'i-97 in the f<strong>on</strong>ner case <strong>and</strong> from 45.11 per cent to<br />

13.34 per cent in the latter case (Surcsh. 2000: 43)<br />

I~ Hinterl<strong>and</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Thrissur district are famous <strong>for</strong> clay mining activities in paddy fields<br />

primarily to cater to the dem<strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong> clay from numerous tile manufacturing units spread<br />

around the regi<strong>on</strong>. Besides, the presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> about hundreds <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> private brick-kilns also<br />

induce the <strong>farm</strong>ers to lease out their paddy fields <strong>for</strong> mining <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this industrial raw-makrial<br />

<strong>and</strong> it works out to be highly pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>itable than paddy cultivati<strong>on</strong> per .I"I!. Howcver. this<br />

process makes the paddy fields deeper <strong>and</strong> deepcr resulting in water logging through out<br />

<strong>and</strong> as a result. further cultivati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy i,l ,uch fields becomes difficult. II" al all<br />

interested. individual <strong>farm</strong>ers may have to incur huge expenses to reclaim the waterlogged<br />

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