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

implications on the dynamics <strong>of</strong> land use and water management practices In
irrigation commands. For analytical simplicity, these problems and constraints
have been conceived as originating from institutional socio-economic technical
, "
financial and agro-management aspects affecting land development and water
management measures in Kerala. Among these, the technical as well as financial
constraints may be specifically identified as supply-side problems with respect to
the provision <strong>of</strong> irrigation water by the government. On the other, the farmers
mostly relate the socio-economic and agro-management constraints to effective
utilisation <strong>of</strong> water. The institutional constraints in irrigation development and
water management have both supply side as well as demand side implications.
Some <strong>of</strong> these aspects have been discussed in detail in the following paragraphs.
7.3.1 Institutional factors
The major institutional constraints purportedly affecting adversely the utilisation
<strong>of</strong> irrigation water in the canal commands are: (i) the declining size <strong>of</strong>
operational holdings leading to the failure <strong>of</strong> institutional intervention for
promoting paddy cultivation; (ii) labour related problems; (iii) un-remunerative
prices for paddy coupled with rising wage rates; and (v) the large-scale
conversion <strong>of</strong> paddy lands in irrigation "ommands, having greater implications
on water use, pattern and the consequent efficiency <strong>of</strong> irrigation systems in the
state.
One <strong>of</strong> the crucial factors influencing institutional issues in farming in
general and irrigated farming, in particular, in Kerala is the constraints imposed
by the size <strong>of</strong> holdillgs. As a matter <strong>of</strong> fact, marginal and smallholdings
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