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
