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

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substantial rise in productivity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> banana, tapioca <strong>and</strong> arecanut. Surprisingly, the<br />

productivity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy has never crossed bey<strong>on</strong>d 2023 kg. per ha.<br />

Ta ble 7.20: Trends in productivity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> important crops in Kerala, 1988-89 to 1997-98<br />

Paddy Coc<strong>on</strong>ut Arecanut Tapioca<br />

Year<br />

Banana (Kg.!<br />

(Kg.! hal (nos. hal (000 nuts/ hal (Kg.! hal ha. )<br />

1988-89 1753 5159 183.29 18676 7380<br />

1989-90 1956 5236 189.37 19070 7408<br />

1990-91 1942 4864 160.05 19134 7483<br />

1991-92 1959 5377 206.76 18822 7629<br />

1992-93 2018 5843 213.41 19470 7653<br />

1993-94 2193 5890 217.56 19&66 7951<br />

1994-95 1937 5856 243.1 20511 7914<br />

1995-96 2023 5638 245.76 22008 8137<br />

1996-97 2022 5846 225.79 22353 9510<br />

1997-98 1975 5890 265.43 22586 9838<br />

Mean 1978 5560 215 20249 8090<br />

SD 108.65 373.73 31.89 1525.65 873.41<br />

CV(%l 5.49 6.72 14.83 7.53 10.80<br />

Source: OOK, Ec<strong>on</strong>omic Review (various issues).<br />

A brief discussi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the stagnancy <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coc<strong>on</strong>ut yields in the state, in spite<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> substantial rise in area under it, may be relevant here. As highlighted in<br />

Chapter 5, coc<strong>on</strong>ut has been emerging as an important crop accounting <strong>for</strong> about<br />

28 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the total cropped area. The following are the important reas<strong>on</strong>s<br />

widely reported <strong>for</strong> the relatively low <strong>and</strong> stagnant yield <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coc<strong>on</strong>ut.<br />

1) The existing stock <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coc<strong>on</strong>ut palms in the state are very old <strong>and</strong> there<strong>for</strong>e,<br />

seem to have lost their productivity potential. The productivity levels are<br />

very low when &ompared to other states. While the average annual<br />

productivity per palm per annum is in the range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 60-75 nuts in states like<br />

Tamilnadu <strong>and</strong> Andhra Pradesh, it is <strong>on</strong>ly 20-35 nuts in Kerala, which is<br />

obviously very low.<br />

310

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