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

involving farmers as active members. There were 3063 such groups coveTIng
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 I.:; la"h
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
tliese incentives, the government has finally concluded that 'rice farming in
Kerala which has been ailing for quite some time appears 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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