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Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

The history of agricultural education in Kerala can be traced back to the year 1896 when a scheme was evolved in the erstwhile Travancore State to train a few young men in scientific agriculture at the Demonstration Farm, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, presently, the Cropping Systems Research Centre under Kerala Agricultural University. Agriculture was introduced as an optional subject in the middle school classes in the State in 1922 when an Agricultural Middle School was started at Aluva, Ernakulam District. The popularity and usefulness of this school led to the starting of similar institutions at Kottarakkara and Konni in 1928 and 1931 respectively. Agriculture was later introduced as an optional subject for Intermediate Course in 1953. In 1955, the erstwhile Government of Travancore-Cochin started the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Mannuthy, Thrissur for imparting higher education in agricultural and veterinary sciences, respectively. These institutions were brought under the direct administrative control of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Husbandry, respectively. With the formation of Kerala State in 1956, these two colleges were affiliated to the University of Kerala. The post-graduate programmes leading to M.Sc. (Ag), M.V.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees were started in 1961, 1962 and 1965 respectively. On the recommendation of the Second National Education Commission (1964-66) headed by Dr. D.S. Kothari, the then Chairman of the University Grants Commission, one Agricultural University in each State was established. The State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) were established in India as an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System to give the much needed impetus to Agriculture Education and Research in the Country. As a result the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) was established on 24th February 1971 by virtue of the Act 33 of 1971 and started functioning on 1st February 1972. The Kerala Agricultural University is the 15th in the series of the SAUs. In accordance with the provisions of KAU Act of 1971, the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, were brought under the Kerala Agricultural University. In addition, twenty one agricultural and animal husbandry research stations were also transferred to the KAU for taking up research and extension programmes on various crops, animals, birds, etc. During 2011, Kerala Agricultural University was trifurcated into Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). Now the University has seven colleges (four Agriculture, one Agricultural Engineering, one Forestry, one Co-operation Banking & Management), six RARSs, seven KVKs, 15 Research Stations and 16 Research and Extension Units under the faculties of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Forestry. In addition, one Academy on Climate Change Adaptation and one Institute of Agricultural Technology offering M.Sc. (Integrated) Climate Change Adaptation and Diploma in Agricultural Sciences respectively are also functioning in Kerala Agricultural University.

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Subject: Agricultural Business Management × Author: KAU × Author: Nataraja Subramanian, S × Start date: 1982 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Indebtedness of farmers in mullankolly panchayath of Wayanad district
    (Department of Rural Banking and Finance managementCollege of Co-operation,Banking &Management, Vellanikkara, 2010) Nataraja Subramanian, S; KAU; Padmini, E.V.K
    The study entitled “Indebtedness of Farmers in Mullankolly Panchayat of Wayanad District” was conducted with the following objectives: (1).To assess the extent and magnitude of indebtedness of farmers in Mullankolly Panchayat of Wayanad district. (2).To identify the reasons for the indebtedness of the farmers. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Primary data was collected from 90 farmers of Mullankolly Panchayat through conducting a survey by administering a pre-structured schedule. Farmers were classified into small, medium and large. The list of farmers was collected from three banks (i.e. Canara Bank, Co-operative Bank and North Malabara Gramin Bank) of the Panchayat. The sample size included 90 respondents i.e., 30 borrowers from each bank at random, of which 20 were defaulters and five were non-defaulters or prompt payers. Twenty officials (including secretaries and BoDs) from each bank were also interviewed to collect information on the effectiveness of the loan recovery system of the banks. Secondary data on selected performance indicators of the banks which were collected from books and accounts and annual reports of the above three banks were also used for the study. Statistical tools like Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR), simple averages, percentages, simple growth rate, chi-square test, efficiency index, priority index and bi-variate tables were used for the analysis. The analysis of the overdue amount of the selected banks revealed that during the reference period, Co-operative Bank of Mullankolly Panchayat (Co.BMP) had the highest amount of overdues. Profits of all banks eroded due to provisioning for accumulated overdues. Ca.BMP has shown the best performance in terms of lower overdues and higher profits when compared to the other banks. There has been an increase in the demand for agricultural loans as well as non-agricultural loans in all the banks, especially the scheme loans and non-farm loans respectively. Along with the increase in demand, the contribution of the overdues of non-agricultural loans to the overdues was also increasing tremendously in the case of Co.BMP and NMGBMP, whereas the contribution of the overdues of agricultural loans to the overdues was in creasing tremendously in the case of Ca.BMP. The overdues above four years were growing tremendously over the years for Co.BMP and NMGBMP whereas Ca.BMP has the highest amount of overdues in the age group of indebtedness of 1 to 2 years. The study found that in non defaulters’ case majority of the borrowers belong to monthly income group of more than Rs.10000 category (56.7%). In low, medium and high defaulters case, majority of the farmers belong to income group of below Rs.5000 i.e. 50 percent, 57.1 percent and 60 percent respectively. This may be due to the reason that majority of the farmer defaulters belong to farming community. Their major source of income is agriculture and agriculture has become a loss making proposition in the area year by year because of the price fluctuations in the market for their produce. The reasons for growing volume of indebtedness were multifarious in nature. The defaulters were of the view that inadequate income, fixation of unrealistic dues, lack of access to consumption loans, diversion of income, misutilisation of loans, ill health of borrowers and family members, faith in loan waiver policy and defective loan policies resulted in non-repayment of the loan amount. Since the loan repayment mechanism of these banks were not linked to the salary deduction scheme, it led to greater chances of willful default. Those borrowers who received adequate income had a tendency for conspicuous consumption which added to the magnitude of willful default. Misutilisation of loan amount was least in Ca.BMP, which indicates the presence of effective supervision and monitoring mechanism in the bank. From the inter-bank comparison on the effectiveness of the present loan recovery management system, it was found that Ca.BMP showed an outstanding performance in this regard, whereas NMGBMP revealed to be the least efficient bank. According to the officials and employees of three banks, the reasons for poor recovery included poor member relations, lack of modern management techniques and absence of Management Information System, lack of staff training programme, lack of infrastructural facilities, inadequate quality of work environment and ineffective legal machinery for recovering dues from the borrowers. As a remedial measure to minimise overdues, legal machinery has to be made effective and legal action should be imposed on defaulters promptly. The suggestion shows that the analysing credit worthiness of the borrowers is the important thing from bankers’ point of view. They were of the opinion that coercive action against willful defaulters would be an essential element for a better recovery system. Formation of special recovery cell has also been emphasised. Identification of the beneficiaries by the bank field level functionaries, incentives for prompt repayment, formation of special recovery cell using the existing staff and Board of Directors are the other suggestions suggested by the three bank officials. The banks must therefore perceive that prolonged existence of this disease is not beneficial to the organisation and a strong mechanism to check this menace has to be created.