POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY TN

of Cauvery water was delayed (Planning Commission, 2005). Supply of fine rice in PDS
has encouraged people to change their consumption habit from other cereals to rice,
contributing to significant reduction in area under millets (from 13.4 lakh hectares in
1980-81 to 6.99 lakh hectares in 2006-07). Areas under pulses and groundnut have
remained more or less the same except in 1990-91 when their areas increased
substantially due to decline in rice area.
Sugarcane area increased from 1.8 lakh hectares to 3.9 lakh hectares during the
period 1980-81 to 2006-07, due to the establishment of several sugar mills in the state.
There has been a continuous decline in the area under cotton crop. One important trend
observed in the last decade is that horticulture development has gradually moved out of
its rural confines to urban areas and from “traditional” to “hi-tech”. Thus, horticulture
assumes great importance as it provides a remunerative means for diversification of land
use, improving productivity of land and increasing farm income. Currently about 16
percent of GCA are utilized for horticulture.
It is noted that the GCA has shrunk from 64. 7 lakh hectares in 1980-81 to 58.43
lakh hectares in 2006-07, a fall of 6.27 percentage points. This needs attention because
the number of workers dependent on agriculture increased from 12.6 million in 1981 to
13.8 million in 2001. It has significantly increased the man/land ratio. By improving the
productivity of the crop, we can protect the per capita income of farmers.
b. Productivity of Crop
During 1980-81 to 2006-07, the productivity of all crops (listed in Table 5.19) increased.
Rice productivity increased significantly from 1865 kilograms (kg.) to 3423 kg., groundnut
productivity from 860 kg to 1981 kg, and cotton yield increased from 200 kg to 374 kg.
The productivity of sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, pulses also increased marginally over
time (Table 5.19). Thus improvements in crop yields compensated the loss in area
cultivated. It may be noted that as compared to the 2000-01 level, the productivity of
rice declined substantially in 2003.04. Thereafter, it started increasing, but still it is lower
than 2000-01 level.
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