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

labourers. In the case <strong>of</strong> female labourer, there was three times increase from
4.34 kg. to 11.39 kg. during the period under consideration.
This brings out very interesting dynamics <strong>of</strong> the process <strong>of</strong> costineffective
paddy cultivation in the state. An analysis <strong>of</strong> the trends in output
prices and factor prices (male and female agricultural wages) using the semilogarithmic
function has indicated that the wage increase has been higher than
that <strong>of</strong> rise in output prices. When the price <strong>of</strong> paddy increased by about 8 per
cent, the male wage rates increased by 11.83 per cent and female wages by
almost 13 per cent. Thus, the rise in factor prices has increased by almost two
times than the product prices in the case <strong>of</strong> paddy.
Table 7.15: Trends in agricultural wages and price <strong>of</strong> paddy in Kerala, 1983-1998
Year
Kg. <strong>of</strong> paddy required for
Price <strong>of</strong> Agri. Wages (Rs.)
en.ll.a.ll.ing
paddy
Female
Female
(Rs.l kg.) Male labour
Male labour
labour
labour
1983 2.54 15.86 11.02 6.25 4.34
1984 2.31 23.60 11.89 10.23 5.15
1985 2.25 26.08 15.10 11.58 6.71
1986 2.42 28.36 16.39 11.71 6.77
1987 2.48 30.36 17.68 12.23 7.12
1988 2.77 31.95 18.59 11.52 6.70
1989 3.03 33.31 19.63 11.00 6.48
1990 3.00 35.77 2l.l1 11.94 7.05
1991 3.75 41.38 26.12 11.04 6.97
1992 4.21 48.40 32.31 11.50 7.68
1993 4.15 54.26 35.49 13.09 8.56
1994 4.95 6353 41.92 12.84 8.47
1995 5.47 77.17 51.17 14.11
...
9.35
1996 6.07 92.18 60.52 15.19 9.97
1997 5.83 103.72 69.35 17.79 11.90
1998 6.27 112.45 71.40 17.93 11.39
v f10US
Source: Estimates are based on wages and pflces data complied from GOK ( a
issues).
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