07.03.2014 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

elahorate this argument further. it may be noted that the method <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> field to field<br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong> is the existing practice <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> followed in case <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy <strong>and</strong><br />

water courses have not been c<strong>on</strong>nected to individual plots. Field to field<br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong> is not possihle <strong>for</strong> garcen l<strong>and</strong> crops. such as coc<strong>on</strong>ut. since upper plots<br />

will be completely inundated. The irrigati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these crops requires substantial<br />

investment <strong>for</strong> redesigning <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the watercourses <strong>and</strong> corresp<strong>on</strong>ding <strong>farm</strong> level<br />

Investments by the <strong>farm</strong>ers. However. the local field level dynamics need further<br />

scrutiny.<br />

The trends in the share <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the important crops in the gross irrigated area.<br />

h.owevef.<br />

lends support to the argument that irrigated paddy fields have been<br />

gradually c<strong>on</strong>\ erted into wc<strong>on</strong>ut. arecanut <strong>and</strong> banana to some extent <strong>on</strong> account<br />

Llf the irrigallDn facilities a\ailable. It is no doubt that the <strong>farm</strong>ers are guided<br />

more by comparative protitability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> alternate crops than the assured supply <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

water per Sf. The pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>itability ratios <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> those crops are much higher than paddy.<br />

For instance. the estimates based <strong>on</strong> productivity <strong>and</strong> prices <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> important crops<br />

during 1997 show that the gross income realised from paddy per ha. is equivalent<br />

to <strong>on</strong>ly 13 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the income from arecanut. 10 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> banana. 22 per<br />

cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> tapioca. 44 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coc<strong>on</strong>ut. 21 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rubber <strong>and</strong> 8 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

horticulture crops. In spite <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the average productivity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy increasing in the<br />

comm<strong>and</strong> areas, the relative pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>itability is less. But the reported increase in<br />

average productivity may be explained in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> marginal l<strong>and</strong> going out <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

cultivati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> nl)t the productivity increase per sc. In the given scenario.<br />

cultivati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the otherwise limited paddy in the state could be sustained <strong>on</strong>ly<br />

338

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!