Impact of the coconut rehabilation programme of SADU in Trivandrum district
| dc.contributor.advisor | Radhakrishnan, V | |
| dc.contributor.author | Lekshmi Narayanan Nair, N | |
| dc.contributor.author | KAU | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-12-08T05:36:23Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-12-08T05:36:23Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1984 | |
| dc.description | MSc | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | This study was conducted in 1983 to assess the impact of the Coconut Rehabilitation Programme implemented in Trivandrum District as part of the World Bank assisted, Kerala Agricultural Development project. The specific objectives were to examine the extent of utilization of loans, the improvements in cropping pattern and farming practices, changes in yield rates and output and the increase in farm income generated by this programme. The relative efficiency of irrigation and the various intercrops in augmenting the net farm incomes of the participating farmers was compared and the major constraints in improving coconut farming in the district were also identified as a part of this study. Data were collected from a sample of 96 participating farmers selected at random from the 14 Package Units functioning in the district under this project through personal interview using a well structured schedule. The main findings of the study are summarized below. Majority of the holdings (51.03 per cent) were in the category of less than 0.80 hectare but they accounted for only 27.36 per cent of the area covered. Holdings of 0.80 hectare and above predominated (59.26 per cent) in the category of irrigated holdings. About 49 per cent of the households depended on non-agricultural pursuits for their main source of income. Eighty per cent of the families were relatively small in size with a membership of less than 7. The overall average investment estimated, sanctioned and spent per hectare for the 96 holdings under study worked out to Rs. 17923.05, Rs.14393.67 and Rs.14959.57 respectively. Though the overall performance in respect of loan utilization was satisfactory, there was shortfall in utilization of loans under Cocoa (58 per cent), coconut gapfilling (41 per cent), purchase of Cows (23 per cent) and Fodder Development (17 per cent). The percentage of utilization of loans in the case of unirrigated category was low (50.18) compared to the irrigated category (122.43). Among the lending institutions through which the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development funds were channelised, Primary Co-operative Land Mortgage Bank was the most acceptable agency (61 per cent). The cropping intensity of the sample increased from 111.77 per cent to 189.87 per cent consequent on the implementation of the programme. The area under coconut, banana, cocoa and fodder increased while that under tapioca decreased. The density of coconut palms increased from 125 palms per hectare to 176 palms. This is against the project objective of attaining an optimum stand of 175 healthy and high-yielding coconut palms. By and large the target set for intercropping programme as per the individual farm production plans has been achieved. The target was exceeded in respect of banana (119.3 per cent) coconut (103.34 per cent) and cocoa (101.2 per cent). Tapioca continued to be the intercrop widely preferred by the coconut growers (192.75 per cent). Shortfall was mainly in the coverage of area under fodder (18 per cent) and livestock to be purchased (36 per cent). The project has been instrumental in stepping up substantially the level of use of various inputs including irrigation. Fifty four holdings had the benefit of irrigation covering 62 per cent of the net area covered by the sample, while in 13 cases though irrigated development was contemplated, it had not been successful due to operational constraints such as failure to obtain electric connection, failure of wells etc. The average cost of a pumpset with accessories worked out to Rs. 8717.68 while the average amount sanctioned under the lending programme was only Rs.7715 per pumpset. The intensity of senile and uneconomic palms as revealed by the study was only 3.6 palm per hectare against the projection of 20 palms per hectare assumed in the project report. Out of 388 palms identified for cutting and removal only 77 were actually removed. Though the target in respect of gap filling has been exceeded by planting 4790 seedlings against the target of 4762 seedlings, the maintenance of the seedlings was not upto the standard. The increase in use of organic manure for coconut from 17 to 48 kg per palm is commendable. But the use of organic manure for the intercrops is deplorably low especially for banana (6 kg per plant) cocoa (3 kg per plant) fodder (2200 kg per hectare) and tapioca (3698 kg per hectare). Fertilizer application for coconut has increased from 0.22 kg to 1.52 kg per palm. The average fertilizer dose of 0.08 kg per cocoa plant 0.25 kg per banana plant, 33 kg per hectare for fodder and 113 kg per hectare for tapioca as adopted by the participants were also inadequate. Only 6 out of 96 holdings covered under the survey have adopted plant protection measures. The intensity of cultural practices has increased many fold with the biggest increase for coconut (562 per cent). All the crops except tapioca have registered substantial increase in total production. Banana, coconut and milk production registered increases of 677 per cent, 62.45 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. Production of tapioca declined by 25.6 per cent. The increase in productivity of coconut was only 38 per cent over the productivity at the pre-project level. In absolute terms the productivity of coconut has increased from 25 nuts to 30 nuts per palm in the unirrigated holdings while the increase in irrigated holdings was from 30 nuts to 44 nuts per palm. The overall increase was from 29 to 40 nuts for the sample as a whole. The increase in yield was highest in the holdings which have completed 5 years (67 per cent) of development followed by holdings completing 4 years (31 per cent) and 3 years (29 per cent). The post project average yield of intercrops such as cocoa (Rs.59 per hectare) banana (6.95 kg per plant) fodder (4525 kg per hectare) and tapioca (5055 kg per hectare) was considerably low. The average gross income per holding increased from Rs.4478 to Rs.9224. In per hectare terms the increase was from Rs.4613 to Rs.9502 (105 per cent). The average net farm income rose from Rs.2860 to Rs.3821 per hectare (34 per cent). The increase in net farm income was maximum in the case of holdings which had completed 5 years of development (69 per cent) followed by holdings completing 4 years (32 per cent) and 3 years (20 per cent). An increase of 47 per cent in the average yield of coconut, 62 per cent in fodder, 0.47 per cent in banana, 134 per cent in cocoa and 17 per cent in milk was notices under the irrigated holdings over the unirrigated holdings. Comparative analysis of the different intercrops indicated that banana is the most profitable intercrop in coconut gardens in Trivandrum district with a potential net return of Rs.6015 per hectare. Mixed farming with dairying as one of the components, though successful in holdings of more than 0.8 hectare size, ranks only second in order of profitability, with a net income of Rs.2990 per hectare. Tapioca with an average return of Rs.621 per hectare ranks third in the order of profitability. Cocoa, the fourth intercrop compared showed negative returns at the yield and price levels prevailed. Economic uplift of the coconut growers by augmenting farm income through whole farm development approach had been the basic objective of the project. On the whole the project has made a good beginning in this direction in spite of several operational constraints. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.citation | 171006 | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810156444 | |
| dc.keywords | Agricultural Economics | en_US |
| dc.language.iso | English | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara | en_US |
| dc.sub | Agricultural Economics | en_US |
| dc.theme | Coconut rehabilation programme | en_US |
| dc.these.type | M.Sc | en_US |
| dc.title | Impact of the coconut rehabilation programme of SADU in Trivandrum district | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |