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

involving farmers as active members. There were 3063 such groups covering
1.63 lakh farmers. which went up to 5043 covering 3.67 farmers during the
above period. Though there was increase in the production <strong>of</strong> rice by 1.3 lakh
tonnes (GOK. 1991:28) during 1989-90. a fall in production (0.75 lakh tonne)
was observed during the second period. accompanied by a fall in area (23938) as
well as productivity (14 kg.lha.). Thus. the programme could neither arrest the
process <strong>of</strong> area conversion nor ensure increase in returns to rice growers. This
was in spite <strong>of</strong> the increase in number <strong>of</strong> Group Farm committees to 6100,
consisting <strong>of</strong> 4.86 lakh farmers and 4.49 lakh ha. area in 1991-92 (Suresh,
2000:68).
In the Eighth Plan (1992-97) also, efforts were made in this line. An
amount <strong>of</strong> Rs. 139 crores was earmarked for rice development during the plan.
The Government <strong>of</strong> India provided a support <strong>of</strong> Rs. 16.84 crores under the Prime
Minister's Programme for Infrastructure improvements through group farms. In
1996-97, the government extended assistances like free electricity for irrigation
and production purposes, subsidy <strong>of</strong> Rs. 350 per ha. for production activities and
<strong>of</strong>fered Rs. 100 per quintal for paddy processing by co-operatives. In spite <strong>of</strong> all
these incentives, the government has finally concluded that 'rice farming in
Kerala which has been ailing for quite some time ap!2l!ars to be moving towards
a point <strong>of</strong> no return' (GOK, 1998:37).
Group Farming was reintroduced later on in the state under a new name,
called the 'Group Approach for Locally Adjusted Sustainable Agriculture'
(GALASA) in 1998 in some parts <strong>of</strong> the Palakkad district. However, the
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