0 KERALA AGRICULTURE ACHIEVEMENTS AND STRATEGIES.

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KERALA AGRICULTURE

ACHIEVEMENTS AND STRATEGIES

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Contents

• General Agriculture Profile

• Current focus

• Strategy

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Overview of Agriculture Sector

• Constitutes 14.5% of the GSDP

• Dominated by plantation and horticulture crops

• Fragmented holdings

• Rain fed agriculture

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Contribution to the states economy

• Contribution of the sector steadily declining

Growth rate of GSDP between 2003-04 and 2007-08: 7.22%

Growth rate of agriculture in the corresponding period: 2.25%

• Share of agriculture and allied sectors in GSDP

Year Share in %

2004-05 17.88

2005-06 16.80

2006-07 15.65

2007-08 14.40

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Share of Crops

35%

23%

10%

3%

29%Coconut

Rubber

Rice

Banana

Other plantation

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Fragmented Holdings

Size of holdingArea

(lakh ha)No. of holdings

(lakh)Average size

( ha )%

Below 1 ha 9.12 59.18 0.15 94%

1.00 to 1.99 3.50 2.62 1.34 4.16%

2.00 to 3.99 2.44 0.96 2.54 1.52%

4.00 to 9.99 1.04 0.20 5.20 0.32%

10 and above 1.02 0.03 34.74 0.05%

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Impact of fragmented land holdings

• Economies of Scale lost

• Below subsistence levels

• Technology adoption and mechanization hampered

• Adverse impact on credit flow

• Limited marketable surplus

Shift from agriculture as a primary occupation

Overall stagnation in production and productivity

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Limited Assured Irrigation

• Only 16.5% of gross crop area irrigated (2007-08)

Approximately 30% of paddy crop area irrigated

21% of coconut crop area irrigated

80% of banana crop area irrigated

• Poor state of lift irrigation and minor irrigation projects

•Major Irrigation Projects have not been able to achieve the ayacuts envisaged

• Poor conveyance efficiency (approx 40%-50%)

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Current Focus

Focus on area expansion, productivity enhancement and Farmers’ welfare

•Farming systems approach

•Multi species cropping system + supplementary enterprises

• Strengthening Extension

• Strengthening quality input supply

• Strengthening marketing, processing, value addition

• Addressing Irrigation needs

• Popularising Mechanisation

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Crop Development Strategy (Paddy)

•State Food Security Programme

Total allocation of Rs.36 crores for 2009-10

Targeting production of 9.75 lakh MT by the end of 11th plan

Paddy Mission launched

Specific Pockets identified for enhanced and focused interventions and investments by forming local paddy development agencies

Assistance for fallow land cultivation

Participatory Technology Development

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Crop Development Strategy (Paddy)

• Renovation of Lift Irrigation Projects

Allocation: Rs.20 crores

No. of projects: 177

• Focus on Minor Irrigation

Malabar Irrigation Package

Rehabilitation/renovation of check dams, regulators, VCBs

Allocation: Rs.11 crores

• Participatory Irrigation Management

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Crop Development Strategy (Paddy)

• Convergence with LSGIs

Additional 10 acres of fallow in each Panchayat targeted

Converging subsidies

Agro-service and custom hiring centres in association with LSGIs

Proactive engagement in extension

• Ensuring availability of quality seeds

Targeted SRR – 50%

Strengthening RSGP and Seed Village Program

• Soil Health and Micronutrient mapping

• Subsidising Credit

• Comprehensive Insurance Coverage for Paddy

• Comprehensive Procurement Targeted

MSP – Rs.11 per kg

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Crop Development Strategy (Coconut)

• Objective

Increasing returns from limited holdings and enhancing productivity

• Intercropping

• Subsidiary enterprises

• Strengthening cluster farming

• Removal of diseased and senile palms

• Rejuvenation of plantations – better management

• Converging assistance across schemes (SHM for intercropping)

• Improving Irrigation in association with LSGIs

• Strengthening product diversification and value addition

• MSP for copra

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Horticulture Development

• Focus crops identified

Pineapple, pepper, banana, cashew

Area expansion and productivity enhancement

• Strengthening seeds and planting material production and supply

Mobilising public and private sectors

Instituting a mechanism for quality control

• Ensuring convergence across efforts and schemes implemented by SHM and DoA

• Post Harvest Management, Processing and Marketing

Proactively seek private sector participation

Revamp public sector infrastructure

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Crop Development Strategy (Pepper)

• Area expansion through intercropping

• Replanting old and unproductive vines

• Improved pest and disease management

• R&D for addressing pest management of support trees

• Organic production for export market

• Improved post harvest management, processing, value addition (targeting export market)

•Special Package for pepper rejuvenation implemented through Spices Board in Idukki

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Crop Development Strategy (Cashew)

• Focus on improving stock

Replanting senile plants with new varieties of cashew grafts

Ensuring supply of quality planting material

• Organic Cashew Farming

Targeting export market

Quality certification and standardisation

•Special Cashew Package under SHM for Rs. 57.5 crores underway

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Crop Development (Vegetables)

• Targeting production of 7.5 lakh MT

• VFPCK Model

Farmers groups for seed production

Seeds centrally processed (cleaned, dried, graded, packed)

Truthfully labelled seeds made available to farmers

Registered Vegetable and Fruit Growers

Effective Credit Management (low borrowing rates for growers)

Efficient Marketing Interventions (marketing by the farmers groups through VFPCK marketing infrastructure)

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Crop Development (Vegetables) 

• Thousand Vegetable Villages Programme Cluster approach Popularising homestead cultivation Subsidiary income generation for paddy farmers Marketing

• Linkage with VFPCK and Horticorp• Facilitating localised marketing• Nedumangad Model: Centralised procurement, grading and auction through farmers groups• Streamlining Seeds Production and Supply

Targeting production of 75 MT Registered Seeds Growers Foundation seeds in State Seed Farms Proposals for processing and storage infrastructure

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Crop Development (Vegetables)

• Promotion of Organic Cultivation

Certification

High Value products

Controlled cultivation

• Cultivation of vegetables for the export market

Ethnic vegetables

Establishing forward linkages (processing and marketing)

Targeting the CIAL hinterland

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Crop Development (Banana)

• Target

Area expansion – 13000 ha Production – 1.2 lakh tonnes

• Convergence of efforts across VFPCK and SHM

Area and production enhancement R&D for value addition

• Improving Irrigation Facilities

In association with LSGIs Rehabilitating ponds/wells

• Promotion of Organic Banana cultivation

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Extension

• ATMA framework as the backbone• Proactive engagement of stakeholders• Institutionalising Research-Extension interface• Strengthening training and capacity building• Strengthening of communication channels

Monthly ATMA newsletter Community Radio Stations (proposed) Information bill boards (proposed)

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Agriculture Mechanization

• Establishing and Strengthening Custom hiring and Agro-service Centres In association with LSGIs Training and Capacity Building of SHGs Partial assistance for infrastructure development

• Proper Inventory Management

• Research and Development Homestead cultivation oriented Paddy oriented (localised needs)

• Streamlining role of Agro Industries Corporation

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Credit Status

Co-operatives

Total no. of co-operatives - 13197

Primary Agricultural Credit Societies - 1594

Total loan disbursed through PACs (2007-08) - 20755.9 crores

Commercial banks

Rural banks - 321

Semi urban - 2576

Urban - 931

Total - 3836

Total Credit - 71226 crores

Kissan Credit Card

No. of Kissan Credit cards issued

as on 31-03-2008 - 9.21lakhs

Loan outstanding - 1645.79 crores

Annual Credit flow to Agriculture - 15960 crores

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(Amount in crores)

Agency 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

Commercial bank 4988 6618 9924

RRBs 1290 1690 1931

Co-operatives including KSCARDB 2873 3598 4105

Kerala Financial Corporation 1.13

Grand Total 9152 11906 15960

% increase to previous year 35% 30.09% 25.40%

Credit Status

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Risk Management & Farmers’ Welfare 

• Comprehensive Insurance programmes

NAIS Weather based crop Insurance State Crop Insurance Comprehensive coverage for paddy

•Kissan Abhiman (pension)

•Kisan Shree (accident insurance)

• Commodity Safety Net Scheme envisaged

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