“Key Informant Survey” of Production, Value, Losses and ... - DfID

it was apparent at the first meeting that one individual was trying to stir up
disagreement and non-cooperation. As JT discussed matters with a group of farmer with
this individual as a (self-appointed) ringleader, CVV explained to JMS that she was
worried by these developments, which were a completely new departure from the
friendly and cooperative tone taken at the previous meetings here. The individual
leading the revolt against cooperation is arguing that the experiment is to benefit
the researchers, not the farmers and is basically exploitative. Subsequently this
group of farmer decide not to cooperate with the experiment. JT reports these event
to JS by e-mail. The farmers here group into small cooperatives, “self-help groups”
of about 20 farmers, and these in turn into larger groups of about 200. The size of
the self-help group is set as the distance a man’s call will carry so that the
members can hail each other. Farms here are so small that a group of about 150-200
farmers will occupy only about 20Ha, so we need five of them to take up 1sqkm. Five
such groups, taking up a contiguous area, were scheduled to take part in this
experiment, and it is one of these, comprising about a fifth of the area, which has
now left. JT has persuaded another group, at the opposite end of the block, to join
in, to bring the area back up to 1sqkm. The whole is being pushed by an energetic and
ambitious farmer, who is currently the mayor of the little locality, and has greater
political ambitions and clearly sees the success of the wide-area pest management as
a political advantage which will cement his position and reputation. He is most
useful and probably critical to the success. When the experiment is over, it is
viewed as having been a great success. The group of farmers who had decided not to
participate have come back, admitting rather ruefully that they were mistaken, and
are now taking part. Questioned as to their motives for dropping out, they reply that
they had been approached some years ago by a group of men purporting to be
researchers, creating an impression quite a bit like JT’s team, but they turned out
to be strictly commercial, and were only interested in taking the farmers’ money off
them, and are remembered rather unhappily. JS is of the view that the distrust of
these individuals is also aligned alongside the long-running tradition in Kerala of
“left-wing” social activism and a distrust of the forces of unbridled capitalism. The
groups are now optimistic about the sustainable introduction of wide-area fruit fly
management, and believe that it will fit into existing cooperative structures. They
point out that the fact the area is homogeneously gourd, with no patches of forest I
particular, is important, as the cooperatives would not be able to spray with bait
any uncultivated areas with no gourds, as to try to persuade farmers to do this would
be going too far.
@~M - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
#M001 DATE:08/03/03 TEAM:JR/AN Village: Vallumkode, Kalliyoor. He is one among the
progressive farmers (as noted by Kalliyoor Krishi Bhavan authorities) and owns a big
farm. He had his education up to tenth standard. Total area under his cultivation is
about 6.5 acres. He owns about 3 acres and the rest is leased @Rs: 4000/-annum. He
engages about 5 labourers in a day for various operations and the number may vary
depending on the type of activity in the field. He attends the training programmes
and extension activities conducted by Agrl. College, Krishi Bhavan and Panchayats.
His family includes wife, 2 sons and 1 daughter. Eldest daughter has completed her
plus 2, elder son passed tenth and trying to join military, youngest son studying in
seventh standard.
CROPS Mainly his cultivation is centered around vegetables like cowpea (2.5 acre)
amaranthus (1 acre),cucumber (1 acre) snake gourd (1 acre),bitter gourd (50 cent),
little gourd (50 cent) and okra (10 cent ). The whole area under his cultivation is
lowland. Soil type is clayey loam. Previously rice was the main crop but due to
labour unavailability and high labour charges he shifted his cultivation to
vegetables. Water source for his cultivation is from canal and the water is collected
mainly using kakotas. Because of the growing responsibilities towards his family, he
found that paddy cultivation is not as profitable as he expected so he has shifted
his pattern to vegetables. Owing to the short period of cultivation and high returns
IMFFI Semi-Structured Interview Survey - 30 of 66