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

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The overall per<strong>for</strong>mance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> agriculture <strong>development</strong> in<br />

Kerala took many twists <strong>and</strong> turns in successive plan periods. Reas<strong>on</strong>s <strong>for</strong> it are<br />

wide <strong>and</strong> varied, covering technical. managerial, social, political <strong>and</strong><br />

bureaucratic, besides agro-ec<strong>on</strong>omic <strong>and</strong> envir<strong>on</strong>mental issues.<br />

The implementati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> OFD works under the Comm<strong>and</strong> Area<br />

Development (CAD) programme in the completed irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects has been<br />

slow <strong>and</strong> unscientific, if viewed from the CAD perspectives. The CADA was<br />

resp<strong>on</strong>sible <strong>for</strong> taking up soil <strong>and</strong> topographical surveys, c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> field<br />

channels <strong>and</strong> drains with related structures, introducti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> warab<strong>and</strong>i,<br />

organisati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> beneficiary <strong>farm</strong>ers' associati<strong>on</strong>s (SF As), adaptive trials <strong>and</strong><br />

large scale dem<strong>on</strong>strati<strong>on</strong> (LSD) <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> agricutlural practices.<br />

But in reality. implementati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> OFD in the irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects In the<br />

state shows that n<strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the schemes could achieve physical <strong>and</strong> financial<br />

targets. Even the most important items <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> OFD, viz., field channels <strong>and</strong> drains<br />

have not been completed as envisaged. The achievement in the c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

field channels in smaller plots (below 5 ha.) has been very disappointing both in<br />

financial <strong>and</strong> physical terms. The shortfall was attributed by CADA to smallness<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> holdings, as small <strong>farm</strong>ers were reluctant to part with l<strong>and</strong> free <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cost <strong>for</strong><br />

c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> field channels <strong>and</strong> drains. It was mainly due to the unwillingness<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <strong>farm</strong>ers to c<strong>on</strong>struct field channels <strong>and</strong> drains as the expenses required<br />

would be more than the nominal loan <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Rs. 200 per ha. <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fered by the C ADA <strong>for</strong><br />

l<strong>and</strong> <strong>development</strong>.<br />

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