Though Palakkad district continues to be the traditional rice bowl of Kerala, having the largest acreage under paddy cultivation, there has been an alarming trend of rice growers gradually moving to cultivation of other crops that promise instant returns.
As per statistics with the Agriculture Department, the acreage under paddy has fallen to 87,000 hectares in the district.
Paddy production
Though paddy production has remained comparatively steady in the last five years at 4.5 lakh tonnes a year, large-scale diversion of paddy fields has raised concern.
As per available data, the district is losing about 200 acres of rice field every year to ginger and other short-term crops and also for construction purposes.
“If the trend continues, the district would not have rice fields in two decades. Lack of irrigation water, labour shortage, weakening government patronage, and low support prices are dissuading the younger generation from taking to the fields,” says Prabhal Mohandas of Daksh Farm at Chittur.
As per official records, the district had paddy cultivation in 1,82,621 hectares in 1970-71. It expanded to 1,83,634 hectares in 1980-81, largely due to the increased network of irrigation canals.
The decline
However, the acreage under paddy declined to 1,45,687 hectares in 1990-91. In 2000-01, the acreage shrunk to 1,18,701 hectares.
“We lost about 47 per cent of our rice fields over the last decade. About 30,000 hectares has been diverted for other purposes between 2000 and 2014 alone,” points out Indyanur Gopi, a social activist.
Farmers’ grouse On their part, farmers blame the real estate lobby which buys paddy fields from farmers at a cheap rate and converts them into house plots.
“The farmers are forced to sell the fields owing to loss in paddy cultivation. The government should take steps to make paddy cultivation profitable,” says farmers’ leader Muthalamthode Mani.
In areas such as Chittur, ginger cultivators from other districts are taking rice fields on lease at Rs.40,000 a hectare.
Labour shortage is another issue with farmers, who depend on workers from Bengal in the absence of local labour force.
