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

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A micro level study by Narayanan (1994) indicates that there was 60 per cent<br />

reducti<strong>on</strong> in the area under paddy from 1107 ha in 1960 to 438 ha in 1980 <strong>and</strong> the<br />

aerial photographs haw shown the area to have declined further to 330 ha in 1990.<br />

While the studies by George <strong>and</strong> Mukherjee (1986); Kannan <strong>and</strong><br />

Pushpangadan (1990) <strong>and</strong> Narayana (1990) have shown the relative pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>itability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

cash crops as the reas<strong>on</strong> <strong>for</strong> the c<strong>on</strong>versi<strong>on</strong>. Narayanan (1994) shows the reas<strong>on</strong>s<br />

such as the problem llf availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water. labour. pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>itability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> competing crops.<br />

high cost <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy cultivati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> the ever decreasing size <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> operati<strong>on</strong>al holdings<br />

as factors resp<strong>on</strong>sible <strong>for</strong> c<strong>on</strong>versi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy l<strong>and</strong>s.<br />

The study b:-<br />

the Popul:H Expert Committee 10 1998 <strong>on</strong> the c<strong>on</strong>versIOn <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

paddy l<strong>and</strong>s estim:l1ed that 1 ~,<br />

lakh ha. <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy area (about 46 %) were c<strong>on</strong>verted<br />

fnr I1lln-agnculturJI uses <strong>and</strong> ahllut 0.4 7 Iakh ha. were kept as fallow during 1975-<br />

97. ()f the total area (oll\erted. I S.5 per cent was <strong>for</strong> tree crops. 7.5 per cent <strong>for</strong><br />

Jnnual crops <strong>and</strong> 11.4 per cent tor n<strong>on</strong>-Jgricultural uses. About 11.6 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

single cropped JreJ <strong>and</strong> ,:;5 p..:r cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the double-cropped area were also<br />

Cl)J]verted (Popular Expert Committee. 1995).<br />

-- -<br />

There are also evidences sll~l.!estinl.!<br />

c<strong>on</strong>siderable reducti<strong>on</strong> in the ayacut area<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> proJects in the ,tate For instance. the evaluati<strong>on</strong> study by CADA<br />

((,A[)A. 1')')(,) n:ports clInsider;illiL' C(lnv..:rSllln <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy fields in the ayacuts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

,.<br />

clImplcted irrigati<strong>on</strong> proJccts in thl' st;lte ftlr c<strong>on</strong>structing buildings. courtyards. etc.<br />

I he ayacllt c<strong>on</strong>vertcd Imallll:- pa,hh ;lrC;I) <strong>for</strong> n<strong>on</strong>-agricultural uses c<strong>on</strong>stitute about<br />

15 per cent In the «(lmplcted Img.a!I'"l pfllJcclS (table 5.S).<br />

158

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