KOTTAYAM: In a major initiative to address the concerns of the paddy farmers and prevent the exploitation of rice mills during the paddy procurement process, the government has commenced procedures to set up Kerala Paddy Procurement, Processing and Marketing Cooperative Society (KAPCOS) in the cooperative sector.
The Kapcos will be formed taking a cue from the success of the Palakkad Paddy Procurement, Processing and Marketing Cooperative Society (Papcos), which was formed during the period of previous LDF government. The activities of the Kapcos include paddy procurement, storage, processing and branding of rice and rice related products. Headquartered in Kottayam, the Kapcos will coordinate paddy procurement in 13 districts except Palakkad.
“With a similar society already functioning in Palakkad, the predominant focus of Kapcos will be in Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad areas spread in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. Moreover, the government decided to set up a paddy procurement body in the cooperative sector taking into account the rampant complaints from the farmers over the exploitation of private rice mills during the procurement. Farmers will be benefitted when the govt directly procure paddy through Kapcos,” said V N Vasavan, Minister for Cooperation and Registration.
The project has been initiated under the 100 days action plan of the second Pinarayi Vijayan-led govt. The Society has been formed with as many as 26 primary agriculture service cooperative banks as its members, with a share capital of Rs. 310 crore. The office of Kapcos was opened at Kudamaloor near Kottayam in the previous week as well.
“The preliminary steps for the formation of Kapcos have been done. As part of it, a consortium of primary societies has been formed. The next step will be to prepare a detailed project report for the initiative. It is expected that NABARD will be entrusted with the task,” said K M Radhakrishan, president, Kapcos.
The dwindling figures
The paddy cultivation in Kerala has been on a downward trajectory for the past three-four decades. The area under paddy cultivation increased substantially during the first fifteen years after the State’s formation - from 7,60,000 hectares in 1955-56 to 8,80,000 hectares in 1970-71. In 1965-66, rice accounted for the highest share of gross cropped area in Kerala (32 per cent of the total). There was, however, a steady decline in the area under rice cultivation from the 1980s onwards - from 8,50,000 hectares in 1980-81 to 5,60,000 hectares in 1990-91, 3,20,000 hectares in 2001-02 and 2,30,000 hectares in 2007-08. As per the figure available from the govt, total area of paddy cultivation in Kerala in 2020-21 was 2,05,040 hectares. Currently, rice occupies only the third position among Kerala’s agricultural crops with respect to area under cultivation.