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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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20171
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Subject: Rural Banking and Finance Management × Author: Vasavi, B × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Institutional preference for agricultural credit In Kasaragod district of Kerala
    (Rural Banking and Finance Management, College of Cooperation, Banking and Management, Vellanikkara, 2017) Vasavi, B; KAU; Molly Joseph
    Credit is one of the important interventions for improving agricultural production and productivity and helps to mitigate farmers’ distress. Often, institutional sources contribute only meagre percentage of agricultural credit to the cost of cultivation. Non institutional sources are often tapped by the farmers to meet the gaps in demand for agricultural finance, inspite of inherent weaknesses of higher interest rate and rigid loan collection strategies. The study entitled ‘Institutional preference for agricultural credit in Kasaragod district of Kerala’ was conducted with the following objectives of (a) identifying the sources and extent of credit availed by the farmers, (b) identifying the institutional preference for agricultural credit with a view to analyse the factors affecting the institutional credit and (c) identifying the constraints in availing agricultural credit. The sample size of the study was 90 respondents, consisting of 30 each from two grama panchayats of Kasaragode district viz., Parappa and Manjeshwaram from two blocks Kasaragode and Hosadurg respectively selected by multi stage sampling method. Data were collected through pre tested structured interview schedule. The major statistical tools used for the study were Percentages, One way ANOVA, Log Regression model, Independent samples Kruskal- Wallis test, Factor analysis, Mann- Whitney U test were employed to analyse the data. Household location, sources of agricultural credit and market location of the selected respondents in the sample panchayats were plotted. The results obtained after the analysis of sources and extent of credit availed by the farmers revealed that 50 per cent of marginal farmers and 23 per cent each of small & medium and large farmers were found to be devoid of institutional credit. Some farmers have opted for leaving their farms uncultivated as there was no one to look after the farm and tendency to avail the credit is less. About 40 per cent of the large farmers have availed more than Rs. 1.5 lakh for cash crop cultivation and the farmers who availed credit above 1 lakh remains slightly high. Marginal farmers availed an average loan amount of Rs. 91,833, while that of a small farmer is as high high as Rs. 2,18,500. The multiple comparison test proved that there is significant difference in the total agricultural credit availed by large and marginal farmers. Cooperatives are having an upper hand in disbursal of agricultural credit for all the farmer categories followed by RRBs and public sector banks by concentrating on smaller ticket loans. The farmers were found to have availed lesser borrowing from microfinance institutions and private sources like moneylenders. The Log linear regression analysis results showed that, area is the main predictor that influenced the credit availed by farmers while other factors such as distance, number of visits to bank, expenses, interest rate, age failed to have any influence. Overall crop loan scheme utilization of 50 per cent is observed (i.e. 45 out of 90 respondent farmers are availing crop loan from either of the institutional sources). For KCC, Overall almost 50 per cent utilization is observed (i.e. 42 out of 90 respondent farmers are availing KCC from all the institutional sources). Almost 40 per cent of the farmers are unaware about the AGL scheme. Results showed that an average of 45 per cent of the farmers is not aware of the GCC scheme and gap in awareness as well as utilization of this scheme is very less. . Overall 64.4 per cent of the farmers unaware about the live stock schemes. The second objective of the study was to identify the institutional preference and factors affecting the institutional preference of farmers. The overall institutional preference was estimated by combining the scores obtained for factors like proximity, procedural hassles, banker’s behavior, approachability, flexibility, cost, adequacy and timeliness. Reviewing the overall scores, marginal, small and large farmers indicated co-operative banks to be their most preferred choice, followed by RRBs as the next best alternative. The results of factor analysis showed that institutional factors explain 36 per cent of the choice of institutional source and credit related factors are responsible for 29 per cent choice of source of finance. Further Independent samples Kruskal-Wallis test revealed that factors including proximity, cost of credit, adequacy and timeliness do not have any influence on the institutional preference by farmers. However, factors like procedural hassles, approachability, banker’s behavior and flexibility are found to affect the choice of source of finance. Regarding problems experienced by the farmers, marginal and small farmers are experiencing the problem in filling applications and understanding the schemes. Eighty per cent of small and marginal farmers are not satisfied with interaction pattern of commercial bank managers. Almost 93 per cent of marginal and small farmers are facing problems in pooling the documents for submitting the loan application. When the analysis was carried out separately for each type of farmer, institutional preference was found to be affected by commonly experienced problems while availing credit by marginal farmers. Thus it may be concluded that demand for agricultural credit by farmers are still not being satisfied in the expected pattern where marginal and small farmers remain underprivileged due to various institutional and credit related factors affecting credit delivery. Co-operatives are most preferred source of finance which needs revival keeping in view of the present issue of demonetization. Further it was suggested that, as micro credit could not make any significant contribution for financing agrarian activity in the study area, micro credit channels have to be improved for providing farmers with necessary finance. Financing institutions, especially commercial banks should simplify their applications for loans by removing the irrelevant details in the application forms. The scale of finance for short term crops or crop loans and medium and long term agricultural loans in case of organic farming may also be calculated and circulated to financing institutions by the District Level Technical Committee (DLTC) and NABARD respectively. The study has concentrated on preferences of institutions for different categories of farmers while availing credit in Kasaragod district. Their extent of utilization or misutilisation in the disbursed credit in the District was not an area of enquiry in this study, which can be taken up for further inquiry by researchers, which will be beneficial to the financing institutions also to expand their extent of credit and also to contain their Non Performing Assets (NPA) in agriculture.