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Kerala – Paddy Shortage

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March 03, 2017

Why in news?

The Chief Minister was in the national capital in January seeking a greater allocation of rice to the State.

What is the reason for poor paddy cultivation in Kerala?

  • It is a reflection of the failure of public policy.
  • Labor cost - Initially men from agriculture sector migrated to gulf region in search of better opportunities.
  • As the higher incomes transformed the households socially, the women too withdrew from agriculture.
  • This hit paddy cultivation most because mostly women were traditionally in the planting and harvesting of paddy in the state.
  • The sector began to face severe labour shortage.
  • As a result the wage rose.
  • This made the cultivation of paddy no longer viable, as cheaper rice came in from the rest of India.
  • Land Ownership - In abolishing tenancy the land reforms had extinguished the traditional landlords.
  • But it did not inevitably transfer land to those who actually laboured on the field.
  • Many agricultural labourers would have not migrated if they also owned the land.
  • Leasing - Kerala is rare among the world’s economies where agricultural production actually declined after land reforms.
  • In theory this can be rectified, if those with the ownership of land but not wishing to cultivate leased it out.
  • But leasing was made unlawful by the land reform Act.
  • At the time of its legislation, tenants were vulnerable of eviction at will.
  • Therefore this archaic law currently holds more of a symbolic value.
  • The law discourages tenancy as unlawful but is positive about the alienation of agricultural land to other purposes.
  • Environment - The present natural environment in Kerala is less hospitable to agriculture of any kind, let alone paddy cultivation.
  • This is due to the depletion of groundwater and sand mining of the riverbeds. There has also been the alienation of agricultural land.

What should be done?

  • Kerala needs a land use policy that conserves every bit of its natural capital.
  • The State could consider acquiring all unused paddy land and making it available to the Adivasis on long-term lease.
  • It also should make amendment in its laws to enable leasing and consolidation of lands.
  • Public policy is likely to adapt only if political parties are pressurised by a citizenry.
  • Therefore citizen should also work towards improving the paddy cultivation by saving diversion of agricultural land to other purpose and the regeneration of degraded lands.

 

Source: The Hindu

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