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

dominate the agriculture sector in the state. Of the state's 5.4 million operational
holdings, 92 per cent were less than one ha. in size in 1991 (GOK, 1993).
This process <strong>of</strong> marginalisation is also noticed on a large scale In the
irrigation commands as well (chapter 5, table 5.8). The size-class wise and cropwise
average operational holdings in the Kallada command area shows that even
the average holding size <strong>of</strong> a plantation crop like rubber appears to be marginal
or even sub marginal according to the national classification <strong>of</strong> operational
holdings as revealed from table 7.11.
Table 7,11: Size-class wise and crop-wise average operational holdings in the Kallada
command area
Size class
(acres)
Paddy Coconut Rubber Tapioca All crops
Below 0.5 0.25 0.30 0.32 0.20 0.28
0.5 to I 0.65 0.58 0.69 0.52 0.67
I to 2 1.16 1.25 1.50 1.27 1.22
Above 2 2.00 2.83 3.54 0.00 3.28
All classes 0.62 0.82 0.91 0.28 0.82
Among the crops, the highest average operational holding size is noticed
in the case <strong>of</strong> rubber at 0.91 acres, followed by coconut (0.82 acres), paddy (0.62
acres) and tapioca (0.28 acres). Interestingly, in the case <strong>of</strong> all the crops, the
average size is far below the upper limit <strong>of</strong> each size class, which reflects the
intensity <strong>of</strong> the problem <strong>of</strong> marginal operational holdings. Moreover, the crops
like coconut and tapioca are grown in homesteads ll as mixed crops and does not
reflect the actual size <strong>of</strong> the holding. The only crop grown, as a monocrop is
rubber. This is because, the physiological parameters <strong>of</strong> rubber make it as a
II An overwhelming majority <strong>of</strong> the farm holdings in Kerala are homestead based
garden lands and a typical holding has a combination <strong>of</strong> different garden land crops,
dominated by coconut.
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