THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Claims by changing governments of a revival in paddy cultivation are half-truths and misleading, if one goes by official data. The area of cultivation and total yield registered a drastic decline in Kerala between 2005 and 2020. The decline in area of cultivation and total production were 84,692 hectares (30.71%) and 43,089 tonnes (6.84%), respectively, according to ‘Agriculture Statistics 2005-2020’ published by the Department of Economics and Statistics.
The area of cultivation that was 2,75,742 hectares in 2005 dropped to 1,91,051 hectares in 2020 while the total production dropped from 6,29,987 tonnes to 5,87,078 tonnes during this period.
“The area under paddy cultivation from 2005-06 to 2019-20, shows a normally decreasing trend, though there is a minor fluctuation during 2008-09 and 2014-15. Lack of labourers and increase in cost of cultivation and wages of labourers stand against the progress of paddy cultivation,” it says.
The government’s claims of an increase in farming is by taking 2016-17 as the base year. In fact, that fiscal had witnessed a big dip in area and production -- 1.71 lakh hectares and 4.36 lakh tonnes, respectively -- when compared to previous years.
The area of cultivation and production in 2015-16 were 1.96 lakh hectares and 5.49 lakh tonnes. Since then, these figures were crossed only in 2018-19 when the area and production were 1.98 hectares and 5.78 lakh tonnes, a moderate increase.
The catastrophic flood of 2018 had a silverlining, according to the report. The summer crop in 2018-19 saw the highest productivity in 15 years -- 6130kg per hectare, a big jump from the average 4,000kg. The mud deposited in paddy fields during the flood contributed to the high productivity, the report says.
Paddy cultivation is still a ‘livelihood activity’ in Kerala whereas it is regarded as an enterprise in states which top in production, says M P Abraham, head of the economics department of Government College, Attingal, who has done extensive research on paddy farming and authored a trend analysis study.
“Innovation in production and marketing are features of agriculture as an enterprise. Paddy farming is not cost effective at present because of the huge labour cost that constitutes about 60% of the total cost. Other challenges are adverse climatic conditions and lack of an adequate procurement system,” he says.
Mechanisation in paddy farming is still confined to harvesting in Kerala, he said. Also, the present machines cannot be used in several marshy fields of Kuttanad. Innovation is required in mechanisation as well as mitigation of floods like building bunds around paddy fields. Sufficient channels should be ensured to drain out the storm water without entering paddy fields.
“The 1970s saw the peak of paddy farming when about eight lakh hectares were sown. This has shrunk to below two lakh hectares now. Reclamation of paddy fields for real estate and cultivation of rival crops like coconut and rubber are major threats which negate improvement in productivity,” he says.
INNOVATION REQUIRED IN MECHANISATION
Innovation is required in mechanisation as well as mitigation of floods like building bunds around paddy fields. Sufficient channels should be ensured to drain out the storm water without entering paddy fields