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

In the absence <strong>of</strong> any systematic programme for replanting, the holdings with
disease-prone unproductive palms will increase followed by a further declinc
in coconut output in the state.
In a survey conducted in a village in the Kallada command area, it has
been found that <strong>of</strong> the 2.4 lakh coconut palms, about 56 per cent <strong>of</strong> the palms are
affected by leaf rot, followed by bud rot (26 per cent) and root wilt (18 per cent).
4) Even though nearly 50 per cent <strong>of</strong> the farmers apply fertilisers the percentage
<strong>of</strong> farmers following the recommended level <strong>of</strong> fertiliser use was less than 10
per cent.
5) Average size <strong>of</strong> coconut holdings is as small as 0.25 ha. Out <strong>of</strong> the 2.5
million coconut holdings about 90 per cent <strong>of</strong> the holdings covering 60 per
cent <strong>of</strong> the area under the crop are in marginal holdings not capable <strong>of</strong>
supporting an average farm family. Given this, how a farmer could invest for
land development and supply <strong>of</strong> irrigation?
6) The absence <strong>of</strong> technological diffusion is also pointed out as an important
constraint in enhancing productivity <strong>of</strong> coconut. For instance, Narayana et al
(1989) point out that the problem <strong>of</strong> lower levels <strong>of</strong> productivity needs to be
explained as the absence <strong>of</strong> technological diffusion confounded by lack <strong>of</strong>
"
irrigation, lower size <strong>of</strong> holdings, etc. Information on input use intensity is
also interesting in the case <strong>of</strong> coconut. The plots receiving manure have
declined from 65.4 per cent in 1962-63 to 43 per cent in 1978. Expenses on
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