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

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eqUires substantial investment <strong>for</strong> redesigning <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the watercourses 22 <strong>and</strong><br />

corresp<strong>on</strong>ding <strong>farm</strong> level investments by the <strong>farm</strong>ers B<br />

Given this technical<br />

problem. whatever area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficially reported to be irrigated by the irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects in<br />

the case <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these crops needs to be corroborated with detailed investigati<strong>on</strong> at the<br />

field level.<br />

The higher irrigati<strong>on</strong> ratios <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy (table 5.10) may also be proved to be<br />

unrealistic by examining the seas<strong>on</strong>-wise area under paddy in the case <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

completed irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects in the state. It is evident that in the three districts. viz .•<br />

Thrissur. Palakkad <strong>and</strong> Triv<strong>and</strong>rum which comm<strong>and</strong> II <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the 14 completed<br />

schemes. the proporti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigated area under paddy during Puncha (summer) has<br />

been <strong>on</strong>ly 5.86 per cent. compared to 36.89 per cent during Mundakan (winter) <strong>and</strong><br />

3~.62 per cent during Virippu (autumn). The proporti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> HYV paddy cultivated in<br />

the state during summer has also been less (21 %). compared to autumn (40 %) <strong>and</strong><br />

\\Inter (39 %). This decline could be partially explained in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water shortage<br />

during summer.<br />

The trends 10 the crop-wise irrigati<strong>on</strong> ratios III the state indicate that the<br />

lTTigati<strong>on</strong> ratio <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy expressed as percentage to gross cropped area has declined<br />

11 The existing rice based irrigati<strong>on</strong> sv,tems are c<strong>on</strong>strained by rigid design <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> infrastructure<br />

<strong>and</strong> innexible water delivery sySkl11S. thus disallowing crop diversificati<strong>on</strong> (For more<br />

details. see Rosegrant, el ar 1995).<br />

B Farm level investments are imperative due to the undulating topography <strong>and</strong> the <strong>farm</strong>ers<br />

may not invest, as their l<strong>and</strong>holdings are too small to have the benefit <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> scale ec<strong>on</strong>omies.<br />

The excessively small size <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Iwldlngs <strong>and</strong> the high density <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> populati<strong>on</strong> make the <strong>farm</strong>er<br />

reluctant to pari with l<strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong> watercllU"CS <strong>and</strong> field channels (GOI. 197'2: 181). The timely<br />

166

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