KERALA AGRICULTURE

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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
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Fragmented Holdings
Size of holding Area (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
• RD 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
• RD 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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Credit Status
(Amount in crores) (Amount in crores) (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
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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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