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

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competitive m<strong>on</strong>ocropl2 as no other crops or cropping systems could be<br />

effectively grown under its canopy. The average size <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an operati<strong>on</strong>al holding in<br />

Peechi comm<strong>and</strong> area is also disappointingly lower as shown in table 7.11.<br />

Table 7.12: Size-class -wise <strong>and</strong> type -wise average operati<strong>on</strong>al holdings in the Peecbi<br />

comm<strong>and</strong> area<br />

Size class Dry area Wet area All crops<br />

(acres)<br />

Below 0.5 0.38 0.24 0.36<br />

0.5 to I 0.78 0.80 0.67<br />

I to 2 1.44 1.23 1.34<br />

Above 2 2.70 2.50 2.45<br />

All classes 1.28 1.12 1.20<br />

ThIS eventuality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> perceptible decline In the average holding sIze In the<br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong> comm<strong>and</strong>s bring to the <strong>for</strong>e, important implicati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>for</strong> the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

water as well as other yield augmenting inputs, including <strong>farm</strong> mechanisati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

Immediate impact is that it would tum out to be scale neutral where the<br />

ec<strong>on</strong>omies <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> scale cannot be achieved in <strong>farm</strong>ing operati<strong>on</strong>s. This has further<br />

been accentuated by declining pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>itability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy cultivati<strong>on</strong> caused by<br />

12 It is also important to note that the incentive linked instituti<strong>on</strong>al interventi<strong>on</strong> by the<br />

Rubber Board has been successful in implementing a planting policy in Kerala. This<br />

policy was primarily to promote intensive rubber cultivati<strong>on</strong> in the traditi<strong>on</strong>al rubber<br />

growing regi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kerala <strong>and</strong> extensi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the same to the n<strong>on</strong>-traditi<strong>on</strong>al regi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />

The policy was linked with cash <strong>and</strong> input subsidies <strong>and</strong> was very specific in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

the number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> interplants that could be grown al<strong>on</strong>g with rubber. This essentially<br />

resulted in a m<strong>on</strong>ocrop cultivati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rubber. Attracted by the incentives as well as the<br />

remunerative prices <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rubber, there was large-scale adop~<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rubber over time<br />

am<strong>on</strong>g the small <strong>farm</strong>ers. This process was also stimulated by the introducti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a<br />

newly developed cl<strong>on</strong>e by the Rubber Research <strong>Institute</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> India, viz., RRII 105, which<br />

proves to be the highest yielder <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rubber in the world in comparis<strong>on</strong> to other varieties<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Malaysian <strong>and</strong> Ind<strong>on</strong>esian origin. The planting policy has been modified from time<br />

to time to cater the structural changes in rubber cultivati<strong>on</strong> characterised by emergence<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> small <strong>and</strong> marginal holdings. This process <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> proliferati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> operati<strong>on</strong>al holdings<br />

into marginal <strong>and</strong> suh-marginal units has become a widespread phenomen<strong>on</strong> in the<br />

state.<br />

292

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