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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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1990 - 19937
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Subject: Agricultural Economics × End date: 1993 × Start date: 1990 × Type: Thesis ×
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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Supply utilization and repayment performance of crop loans of commercial banks in Alappuzha district
    (Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1993) Lekshmi, S; KAU; Jesy, Thomas
    An investigation on the supply, utilization and repayment performance of crop loans of commercial banks in Alappuzha district with special reference to paddy was conducted on the basis of data pertaining to the year 1991-92. Data for the study were generated through a sample survey of borrowing households, conducted during 1992-93. The main objectives were to study the credit requirement, availability and its gap in paddy cultivation, to analyse the extent of utilization and repayment of loan, and to identify the factors discriminating the borrowers into non-defaulters and defaulters. Two stage random sampling technique was used for generating primary data with branches of lead bank is first stage sample and borrowing farmers as second stage. From the list of branches with more than 60 crop loan accounts for paddy for punja season, two branches viz., Edathua and Kainakary were selected at random from each branch. Linear discriminant function and tabular analysis were the tools used for analysis. An inverse relation existed between cost of cultivation and size of holding in the two areas viz., Edathua and Kainakary and also at the pooled level. Input-output ratio was highest for large farmers followed by marginal farmers and small farmers. The credit requirement was Rs.12.747/- for marginal farmers, Rs.12,706/- for small farmers and Rs.12.652/- for large farmers based on the entire paid out cost of cultivation and Rs.9,560/-, Rs.9,489/- and Rs.9,529/- for marginal, small and large farmers respectively based 75 per cent of paid out cost of cultivation. The scale of finance fixed for paddy in punja season for Alappuzha district during 1991-92 was Rs.5,000/- per hectare. Credit gap estimated per hectare of paddy was Rs.7,652/- for large farmers, Rs.7,706/- for small farmers and Rs.7,747/- for marginal farmers based on 100 per cent paid out cost of cultivation and Rs.4,560/-, Rs.4,529/- and Rs.4,489/- for marginal, small and large farmers respectively based on 75 per cent of paid out cost of cultivation. At the pooled level 52.50 per cent of the borrowers utilized the loan for the stipulated purpose while 47.50 per cent utilized it for purposes other than stipulated. Coinciding with the beginning of the crop season 92.31 per cent of large farmers, 62.69 per cent of small farmers and 33.33 per cent of marginal farmers could avail of the loans. Among the borrowers 54.17 per cent were non-defaulters and 45.83 per cent were defaulters. Out of the total loan disbursed in the study area, 49.28 per cent was repaid while 50.72 per cent was overdue. Various reasons attributed to non-repayment by the farmers in the study area were nonremunerative price for the produce, storage of the produce to fetch a high price, divertion and yield due to crop failure. The factors identified as significant discriminators between defaulters and non-defaulters were marketed surplus time of sowing and credit gap. The contribution of these variables to the total distance measured was 77.78, 16.27 and 5.95 per cent respectively. About 65 per cent of the respondents were correctly assigned to their group by the discriminant function.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Coconut based food and oil milling industries in Kozhikode and Kannur districts
    (Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1991) Bala Sudhahari, T; KAU; Mukundan, K
    A study was conducted to assess the performance of coconut processing sector in Kozhikode and Kannur districts of Kerala, during 1990-91. The specific objectives of the study are (i) to study the economic performance of coconut based food and oil milling industries and (ii)to identify the constraints that affect the proper functioning of these industries . All the four desiccated coconut units in the two districts were visited and studied. To study the performance of coconut oil mills, a sample of 70 units were selected by multistage random sampling in the two districts. Desiccated Coconut Units The annual installed capacity was equal in the four desiccated coconut units, while the capacity utilisation varied between 1440 thousand nuts to 2004 thousand nuts per annum.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Economics of production and marketing of vegetables in Ollukkara Block in Thrissur district
    (Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1992) Sandhya, V; KAU; Radhakrishnan, V
    The present investigation on the production and marketing of vegetables (bittergourd and ashgourd) in Ollukkara block in Thrissur district was undertaken during the year 1990-91. The study aimed at estimating the cost of cultivation, cost of production, input-output ratio, resource use efficiency' and marketing efficiency of the two vegetables. The study also aimed at identifying the important marketing channels. Multistage random sampling was adopted for the study. Cost A1 , cost. A2, cost B1, cost B2, cost C1 and cost C2 per hectare were Rs .13,584.55, Rs. 13,914.53, Rs.13,954.23, Rs.15,958.24, Rs.20,563.37 and Rs.22,556.38 respectively for bitter gourd and Rs.6,630.22, Rs.6,910.22, Rs.7,012.22, Rs.8,689.80, Rs.9,360.07 and Rs.11,037.67 respectively for ashgourd. The largest single item of input was human labour for both bittergourd and ashgourd. The output of bittergourd was 13830 kg per hectare and 16509 kg per hectare for ashgourd. The gross value of output at the prevailing price was Rs. 42,364.63 for bittergourd and Rs.24,763.50 for ashgourd. Cost of production per quintal of bittergourd based on cost A1, cost A2 , cost B 1, cost B2 , cost C1 and cost C2 were Rs.98.00, Rs. 100.60, Rs.100.90, Rs.115.00, Rs.148.00 and Rs. 163.00 respectively. For ashgourd they were Rs.40.00, Rs.42.00, Rs.42.00, Rs.53.09, Rs. 56.00 and Rs. 66.00 in the same order Input-output ratios based on cost A1, cost A2 cost B1, cost B2 , cost C2 and cost C2 were 3.11, 3.04, 3.03, 2.65, 2.06 and 1.88 for bittergourd and 3.73, 3.58, 3.53, 2.84, 2.64 and 2.24 for ashgourd respectively. Bulkline cost per quintal for bittergourd was Rs.220 and Rs.85 for ashgourd. Farm business income for bittergourd and ashgourd were Rs.28,779.40 and Rs.18,133.28 respectively for the aggregate sample. Own farm business income for bittergourd and ashgourd were Rs.28,450.10 and Rs.17,853.28. Family labour income was Rs.26,406.40 for bittergourd and Rs.16,073.70 for ashgourd. Net income for bittergourd and ashgourd were Rs. 19,808.25 and Rs.13,725.83 respectively. Farm investment income was Rs.22,181.26 and Rs. 15,785.40 respectively for bittergourd and ashgourd.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Supply behaviour of sesamum and groundnut in Kerala
    (Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1991) Chandrabhanu, P; KAU; Thomas, E K
    The present study focuses on the two principal seasonal oilseed crops of Kerala viz. sesamum and groundnut. Trends in area, production and productivity as well as the determinants of area and productivity of these two crops were analysed both at the district and state levels using time series data for the 1961-62 to 1987-88 period. Simple indices and three different functional forms viz. the linear, log-linear and the quadriatic were used to measure the trend for two sub periods viz. 1961-62 to 1974-75 and 1975-76 to 1987-88 as well as for the period as a whole. Decomposition analysis was carried out to partion out the relative contributions of area and productivity towards the changes in output. Variability was measured using the coefficient of variation.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Comparative study on the economic efficiency of different sources of irrigation in Chittur development block
    (Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1990) Kalyana Krishnan, S; KAU; Prabhakaran, T
    A study was conducted in Chittur Development Block to compare the economic efficiencies of different sources of irrigation in the area. Kunnamkattupathy Village in the Block was purposively selected for this. The objectives were to (a) compare the principal sources of Irrigation with respect to their adequacy and influence over cropping pattern# (b) to estimate the cost and technical co-efficients on farms (c) to develop optimal plans- for farms differing with respect to source of irrigation and (d) to suggest means for optimal use of irrigation water. Stratified random sampling was the technique used to select farms and pretested schedule was used to gather information from the farmers of the village. The study area had four different systems of irrigation, viz.,canal, canal + well, well and spout fed well. Relevent data were collected from twenty samples each of canal fed, well fed and rainfed farms and fifteen samples each of canal with well and spout fed well irrigated farms, by personal interview. Average area per farm was 6.04 acres with canal fed farms having the lowest area# of 3.59 acres and spout fed well irrgated farms having the highest average area of 8.18 acres. Farms of the sample area were evenly distributed between the black loam and red loam soils. Paddy was the dominant crop being cultivated in irrigated farms and groundnut was the dominant one in rainfed farms. Season wise cropped area indicated a general pattern of paddy 1st crop and groundnut Iand crop in the Irrigated farms. Rainfed farms concentrated on low water requiring crops, rather than paddy. Cropping intensity in irrigated farms was 177.20% while that of rainfed farms was only 158.31%. Most of the farmers deriving benefit of canal water either directly or indirectly felt that their water requirement was being met adequately while majority of farmers depending ground water alone felt that their requirement of water is being met only partially.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Production marketing and supply respons of sugarcane in Chittor area
    (Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1993) Rathish, R; KAU; Thomas, E K
    The present investigation on the production, marketing and supply response of sugarcane in Chittoor Area of Palakkad District was conducted during 1991-’92. The main objectives of the study were:- (1) To estimate the supply response of sugarcane (2) To find out the economics of production (3) To estimate the resource use efficiency (4) To examine the marketing practices and problems Secondary data were collected from secondary sources and primary data from One hundred and Twenty farmers and traders using two stage random sampling technique. The compound growth rates were 6.87 per cent, 0.24 per cent and 6.61 cent of area, productivity and production respectively. Increase in sugarcane production was mainly due to area increase. Area-price interaction effect was also found to be significant. Area lagged by one year and two years were significant but when time trend was included they became insignificant. For the sample as a whole, Cost A1, Cost A2, Cost B1, Cost B2, Cost C1 and Cost C2 per hectare were Rs.13,597.46, Rs.13,597.46, Rs.14,094.76, Rs.19,761.87, Rs.15,010.67 and Rs.20,677.78 respectively for sugarcane planted crop, Rs.11,201.41, Rs.11,201.41, Rs.11,682.09, Rs.16,344.55, Rs.12,497.17 and Rs.17,159.63 for ratoon crop and Rs.12,399.44, Rs.12,399.44, Rs.12,888.43, Rs.18,053.25, Rs.13,753.92 and Rs.18,918.70 for combined crop. For the sample as a whole, costs of production were Rs.148.75, Rs.148.75, Rs.154.19, Rs.216.19, Rs.164.21 and Rs.226.21 for planted crop, Rs.148.95, Rs.148.95, Rs.155.35, Rs.217.35, Rs.166.19 and Rs.228.19 for ratoon crop and Rs.148.85, Rs.148.85, Rs.154.77, Rs.216.77, Rs.165.20 and Rs.227.20 for combined crop based on Cost A1, Cost A2, Cost B1, Cost B2, Cost C1 and Cost C2 respectively. The output of planted, ratoon and combined crops were 91.41 MT, 75.20 MT and 83.30 MT for the sample as a whole, having corresponding values of Rs.28,335.64, Rs.23,312.12 and Rs.25,823.38 respectively. At Cost C2, benefit cost ratio was the highest in Class III showing values 1.37, 1.36 and 1.36 for planted, ratoon and combined crops respectively. Farm business income for planted, ratoon and combined crops were Rs.14,738.18, Rs.12,110.59 and Rs.13,424.38 for the sample as a whole. Farm investment income showed values Rs.13,822.27, Rs.11,295.51 and Rs.12,558.89, while family labour income was Rs.8,573.77 for planted, Rs.6,967.45 for ratoon and Rs.7,775.61 for the combined crop. The Cobb-Douglas production function fitted with returns (rupees) as dependent variable and expenditure on labour, seeds, manures and fertilizers, irrigation and plant protection chemicals as independent variables revealed the expenditure on manures, fertilizers and irrigation were inadequate for both the crops. At the same time expenditure on plant protection chemicals was found to be in excess. The major marketing channel identified was producer- factory in which 69.17 per cent of the farmers were involved. Of the total, 15.83 per cent of farmers produced gur by themselves and were involved in the producer wholesaler (as gur) – retailer-consumer channel. The marketing cost incurred accounted for 28.11 per cent while marketing margins accounted for 15.28 per cent. The analysis revealed that producers could obtain more profit when they produced gur by themselves than by selling sugarcane to gur producers or to the factory.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Economics of cardamom cultivation in Idukki district Kerala state
    (Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1993) Koshy John; KAU; Radhakrishnan, V
    A study on the Economics of Cardamom Cultivation in Idukki district, Kerala state was done in the year 1983-84. Various analyses were done in respect of the three cultivating zones and two size groups to evaluate the cost and returns, capital productivity measures and efficiency in resource uses. The problems facing the cardamom industry in the district were also studied. The cost of cultivation of cardamom in the district during the establishment period of two years was Rs.16,601/- while the cost of maintenance during 3rd to 12th year ranged from Rs.12,056/- to Rs.14,674/- and read as at Rs.11,287/- during 13th to 15th year of cultivation. Cost of production of one kilogram of cardamom varied from Rs.172/- per kg during the third year (the first economic yielding year) to Rs. 125/- during the period fourth to 8th year. Labour intensity in the cardamom production was very higher. More than 30 percent of the yearly total expenditure of the cultivation was on labour. Capital productivity analyses indicated towards payback period being 4 years, BC ratio 1.46, IRR 49.50 percent and NPW Rs.41,294/- when discounted at 11 percent interest rate signifying the shorter payback period among the plantation crops and the attractive profitability in venturing in the cardamom industry. The standardized income at 11 percent discount rate was the highest during the 12th year suggesting the ideal time of replantation of cardamom to be after 12 years of economic returns. The serious problem facing cardamom industry was the necessity for eco-preservation with giving emphasis on organic farming for producing environment friendly cardamom preferred in the international markets. Along with this, cultivation of cultivars suited to micro-agro-climate with providing irrigation support needed encouragement in getting the potential cost-effective returns in the long run. The study on the economics of cardamom cultivation in Idukki district, Kerala state revealed that cardamom being one of the important plantation as well as spice crops is a profitable enterprise in the district irrespective of the size of the holdings provided agro-climatically suitable cultivars are made use of for cultivation.