Ensuring fair price and loan waivers are not enough, but enhancing productivity is integral while addressing the crisis in agriculture sector, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member S. Ramachandran Pillai has said.
He was inaugurating the delegates’ meet in connection with the 26th State conference of Kerala Karshaka Sangham at the Town Hall here on Saturday. Pointing out that crop productivity was below the national average in Kerala except for rubber, he said that agriculture was fast becoming a household hobby in the State.
“According to the economic survey, agriculture is the primary source of income for only 27% of the total population in Kerala, whereas it is above 60% in other States," he said.
Land as commodity
Mr. Pillai said the sector required more investments, manpower and latest technologies to make it profitable.
“From a means of livelihood, land has become a commodity in Kerala and the wide stretches of fallow land is proof of it. Apart from stray entrepreneurs, nobody is employing innovating farming methods and many farmers have no idea about the kind of latest equipment that can make their occupation hassle-free. We have been compensating for the shortage in manpower using guest labourers, but the possibilities of mechanisation are yet to be explored,” he said.
He said the way in which global warming is affecting the crops in ghat sectors and coastal belts should be studied. “In Kerala, the biggest issue lies in the volume of farmland. Here we have small patches of land, and size along with irrigation issues have been affecting the growth of the sector. During the last couple of years, we have seen back-to-back floods, cyclones, landslips and drought-like situation and we should learn to tackle all these adverse elements," he said.
Sangham State president Koliyakode Krishnan Nair presided over the function. Welcome committee chairman and former MP K.N. Balagopal, and sangham State secretary K.V. Ramakrishnan spoke on the occasion.
