AGRICULTURALDEVELOPMENT

POLICY

2015

GOVERNMENT OF KERALA

Agricultural Development Policy2015

Prepared by:Sri. K. Krishnankutty, Chairman, Sub- Committee

Sri. R. Hali, Director of Agriculture (Rtd.) - MemberDr. P. Rajasekharan, Chief (Agri.), State Planning Board - MemberDr. P.V. Balachandran, Director of Extension, KAU - MemberDr. K.G. Suma, Director of Animal Husbandry - MemberSri. R. Ajithkumar, Director of Agriculture - ConvenorSri. A.K. Madhavachandran, Joint Director (Agri. Farms) - Joint Convenor

Officers on duty:Sri. G. Ajithkumar, Agricultural OfficerSri. Manoj S., Agricultural OfficerDr. E.G. Prem Jain, Assistant Director (AH)Sri. Arun T.T., Agricultural Officer

Design & typeset:Manoj S., Agricultural Officer

Media SupportGreentouch Farm Media, Agri - Clinic & Agri - Business CentreThiruvananthapuram

CONTENTS

Preface - Towards a dynamic agriculture...

01. Introduction

02. General background of the State

03. A new wave policy for agriculture

04. Definitions

05. Introduction to policy reforms

06. Policies related to land

6.2 Policy 1: The farm lands are to be protected and should not be put for any otheruse than farming activities.

6.3 Policy 2: The agriculturally potential land is to be identified and demarcatedwith the help of modern technologies such as remote sensing, satelliteimagery, etc., and a database is to be made.

6.4 Policy 3: The transactions on farmlands are to be made more transparent forprotecting the interests of farmers

6.5 Policy 4: Cultivable wastes should be brought under plough with immediateeffect for augmenting the food production.

6.6 Policy 5: Land owned by Kerala Agricultural University, Department ofAgriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry, Department of Dairy,Veterinary University etc., should not be put for any other use than thepurposes for which it was intended for.

6.7 Policy 6: Appropriate legislative mechanism may be evolved for the promotionof 'Rent a Land for Farming' programmes.

6.8 Policy 7: Necessary administrative mechanism may be evolved for bringing thedifferent agencies connected with land related activities under one co-ordination agency.

6.9 Policy8: The Government should have the aim of employing InformationTechnologyto transform the existing system of land records maintenance and therebyensuring efficient, accurate and transparent delivery mechanism and conflictresolution in ownership of land.

07. Water related policies

7.6 Policy 9: Preservation and sustainable use of water should be the motto of all cropproduction programmes of the state.

7.7 Policy 10: Water budgeting should be adopted in a watershed basis.7.8 Policy 11: Rain water harvesting and aquifer recharge would be given priority

for ensuring the stability and supply of water.7.9 Policy 12: The micro-irrigation technology is to be popularised in the state with

adequate share of state budget.

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7.10 Policy 13: Farm ponds and Thalakkualams needs to be promoted and protected.7.11 Policy 14: Sub surface dykes are to be constructed at possible places for the

ground water recharge7.12 Policy 15: The irrigation canals of Kerala are to be structurally reset for the

prevention of seepage loss of water.7.13 Policy 16: The activities of the Committee on the release of irrigation water

should be in deeds than in words.7.14 Policy 17: Pumping subsidy provided to the Kuttanad and Kole land farmers

are to be routed through the Department of Agriculture.7.15 Policy 18: All interstate water sharing g agreements have to be timely reviewed

to promote thrust areas of irrigation development.7.16 Policy 19: Irrigated agriculture being the largest water demanding sector,

special attention has to be given for creating and sustaining irrigationinfrastructure.

08. Soil related policies

8.3 Policy 20: Bio-Manure production is to be enhanced for reviving the soil healthand should be one of the primary activities of the Department ofAgriculture.

8.4 Policy 21: The production potential of the soil is to be improved.8.5 Policy 22: The first week of June of every year shall be observed as 'Green

Manure Week' by the State Government for the promotion of greenmanuring methods and green manure crops.

8.6 Policy 23: A cadastral Level soil information system is to be launched8.7 Policy 24: Make every effort to reduce soil erosion on a watershed basis.8.8 Policy 25: Steps should be take to develop regional nutrient plans on a watershed

basis preferably.

09. Climate & environment related policies

9.4 Policy 26: Research & Development initiatives are to be strengthened in climatechange adaptation for sustenance of agricultural production in the Stateof Kerala.

9.5 Policy 27: Network of meteorological observatories should be increased.9.6 Policy 28: There is a need to train skilled personnel in the field of climate

change adaptation and mitigation.9.7 Policy 29: Optimize the ecological load on the natural systems as well as building

up the State's economy while minimizing environmental degradation.9.8 Policy 30: The Government should make a focussed approach to facilitate the

possibility of strategic planning for systematic Disaster Management,as well as for contingency planning at District, Block and GramaPanchayat levels against all emergencies, pro-actively (for preparedness,prevention and mitigation) and responsively (for response, relief,repatriation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, the whole way to recoveryin the full Disaster Cycle).

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10. Policies related to watershed development approach

10.2 Policy 31: Agriculture planning and development programmes of the stateshall be based on watershed.

10.3 Policy 32: It is the responsibility of the state for water management / waterpoverty.

10.4 Policy 33: The watershed development plans are made to improve rurallivelihoods and reduce poverty by developing and strengtheningcommunity based approaches.

11. Policies to address farmers in distress

11.6 Policy 34: The Government should take earnest steps to instill confidence inthe debt-ridden farmers for the prevention of farmer suicides for everby the introduction of 'relief funds' or 'relief loans' so that the immediatefinancial requirement can be met by them.

11.7 Policy 35: The approach of the financial institutions needs to be changedwhile attempting for recovery from the debt ridden farmers and anintegrated resource base analysis and separate fringe credit supportfor them should be extended so that they would be brought above therepayment threshold level.

11.8 Policy 36: The loans taken by the real and full time farmers for their needs likehousing, medical treatments, marriages, children's education and otherunavoidable consumption needs are also to be treated as agriculturalloans as the repayment is to be made from farming.

11.9 Policy 37: There is a need to strengthen the Mental Health Programmes atprimary health care level, involvement of extension officials andinstitutions so as to offer support and counselling to vulnerable farmers.

12. Farmer & farm labourer welafare related policies

12.3 Policy 38: The Pension Scheme for farmers will continue12.4 Policy 39: As agricultural development and farmer welfare are inseparably

linked, a farmer welfare fund board is to be established.12.5 Policy 40: There is a need to promote comprehensive health insurance schemes

for farmers.12.6 Policy 41: Agriculture labour banks will be started at Panchayat level to

address the issue of shortage of agricultural labourers.12.7 Policy 42: A production incentive should be awarded to the farm laboures

who works in the agriculture sector for not below than 100 days.12.8 Policy 43: Sufficient number of seats in professional courses should be reserved

for the children of farmers so as to improve their social status.

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13. Policies related to human resource development in farm sector

13.4 Policy 44: Improved agricultural productivity depends on agricultural educationand competency-based trainings and are essential for building the humanresource capacity.

13.5 Policy 45: Develop the extension personnel of the state to meet the knowledge& skill requirements of farmers as self-reliant agri-prenures.

13.6 Policy 46: Empowering the small farmers in order to have say in policy mattersof government in agriculture sector would pave a way for betterdevelopment.

13.7 Policy 47: It will be required to make necessary changes in the systems toprovide scientific and technical knowledge and skills in agriculturaloperations to the input dealers, so that they may advise farmers in rightdirection & provide valuable extension services to farmers specially tosmall & marginal farmers

13.8 Policy 48: Extension personnel of the state will have to acquire latest knowledgeas well skills in use of various electronic devices such as computers,multimedia, internet etc.

13.9 Policy 49: The Human Resource Development of the extension functionaries isto be done scientifically and time bound.

14. Policies related to ICT application

14.5 Policy 50: Immediate steps are to be taken to materialise the concept of'Paperless Offices' in the case of Krishi Bhavans to assure serviceswith 100% fastness and accuracy.

14.6 Policy 51: The planning process should be based on the real-time datagenerated with the help of modern ICT tools and State AgrilturalPlan is to be developed every year

14.7 Policy 52: When ICT enabled technologies are made popular, Concentrateon the demand, not on the technology.

14.8 Policy 53: The Call Centers are to be made efficient.14.9 Policy 54: Farmer databases are to be made perfect.14.10 Policy 55: Provide need-based ICT training at all levels, but especially to

youth, women and marginal farmer groups.14.11Policy 56: Necessary mechanism should be evolved for providing the

market information to the farmers on a realtime basis with the helpof ICTs

14.12 Policy 57: The modern ICT tools are to be modelled in such a way that itshould provide information about rural development programmesand subsidies to farmers.

14.13Policy 58: ICT enabled weather forecasting services, input prices andavailability, early warning of diseases and pests and soil testing &soil sampling information are to be provided by SMS services.

14.14 Policy 59: There should be initiatives for the application of technologiessuch as 'Tele Presence' and 'Google Glass' for the conferences ,technology refinement and transfer.

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15. Policies related to technology dissemination and management

15.2 Policy 60: Extension Services are to be made more efficient15.3 Policy 61: Demand led extension is the need of the hour.15.4 Policy 62: Group approach should be the motto in all the extension activities of the

state.15.5 Policy 63: The development of close co-operation between extension agencies

and formal research institutes is essential if farmers are to be provided withthe services they require.

15.6 Policy 64: The existing system of extension activities are to be put under one singlebody so that the services to farmers can be done efficiently.

15.7 Policy 65: The new face extension should provide integrated environmental support15.8 Policy 66: Improved productivity of livestock and improved quality of the livestock

keepers are possible only if policies focus directly on people and policyinstruments are directed towards building their capacities for vibrant,competitive, informed and responsible participation in very aspect of thelivestock sector.

16. Policies related to markets and marketing

16.4 Policy 67: Efficient marketing infrastructure such as wholesale, retail and assemblymarkets and storage facilities is essential for cost-effective marketing, tominimise post-harvest losses and to reduce health risks.

16.5 Policy 68: Reforms needs to be made in such a way that common marketinginfrastructure is created in all major production centres under the directcontrol of producer organizations

16.6 Policy 69: The twin goals of ensuring justice to farmers in terms of a remunerativeprice for their produce and to consumers in terms of a fair and affordableprice for food would be achieved through the establishment of 'AMUL'model outlets for the procurement and distribution of agricultural produces.

16.7 Policy 70: A separate Agricultural Marketing wing may be set up under theDepartment of Agriculture for the better infrastructural developments.

16.8 Policy 71: A perfect market intelligence system should be developed with the helpof modern ICT tools and techniques.

17. Policies on international trade related issues

17.4 Policy 72: The WTO cell of the Department of Agriculture needs a reorganisationand made funcionally and professionally independent.

17.5 Policy 73: Equipping the farmers to produce the products with international standardsand value added products to get an uniformity in production will sort outproblems faced by farmers FTAs to a greater extent.

17.6 Policy 74: Terminal markets are to be watched carefully for the entry of restrictedagro-produces in the disguised forms and strict ban on such items shouldbe executed to protect the interests of the farmers.

17.7 Policy 75: Create Programmes supportive of small farmers and sustainableagriculture to save the livelihood of farmers.

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18. Policies related to FPOs

18.3 Policy 76: FPO must be a body registered and administered by farmers andthe organisation must be focused on activities in the agriculture andallied sectors.

18.4 Policy 77: State Government should take up formation of FPOs on a largescale through Centrally-sponsored and State-financed programmes andschemes.

18.5 Policy 78: FPOs must be based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility,democracy, equality, equity and solidarity.

18.6 Policy 79: The Government should make 'Hand Holding Support' to FPOs bytaking policy decisions and providing expert management man power.

18.7 Policy 80: The FPOs are to be designed in such a way as to provide 'end toend' services to its members.

18.8 Policy 81: The State Government may appoint SFAC as the Resource Institution(RI) for the promotion of FPOs.

18.9 Policy 82: The formation of FPOs are to be done in a scientifically organisedbasis so that sustainability of the same should be ensured.

19. Policies related farm mechanization

19.4 Policy 83: Encourage custom hiring operation of tractors, power tillers and farmmachinery through training, financial incentives, subsidized loans andadequate financing to allow procurement of high capacity equipment by thecustom operator to ensure sufficient turn over and income.

19.5 Policy 84: Financial incentive should be provided for replacement of inefficientequipments by improved tools and implements

19.6 Policy 85: The State should develop strategies and approaches for optimuminvolvement of extensionists, researchers, development agents, and theeventual users of the technology as a unified body for the fast and effectivefarm mechanisation.

19.7 Policy 86: Developing human resources and generation of self-employment by wayof providing skill-oriented training in the farm mechanisation sector isimportant.

19.8 Policy 87: Agricultural mechanization strategy ought to clearly define the roles of theprivate sector and that of the state.

19.9 Policy 88: Availability of machinery, equipment, spare parts and other supplies isessential for successful and sustainable mechanization.

19.10 Policy 89: To reduce drudgery and improve human labour productivity, there is aneed to improve the design of existing tools and machineries.

19.11 Policy 90: Pollution free mechanization practices that conserve natural resourcessuch as land, water and soil nutrients need to be promoted.

19.12 Policy 91: Farm mechanisation is a part of agricultural extension.19.13 Policy 92: The agricultural machineries and implements shall be exempted from

import duty and value added tax (VAT) in order to reduce the cost.19.14 Policy 93: The installation of solar, wind and hybrid technology based high volume

output pumps along the bunds of these Padasekaharams so that the powerconsumption and cost of cultivation could be minimised.

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20. Policies related to income assurance and crop insurance

20.5 Policy 94: An Actio Apportum is to be introduced for the first time for assuring thefarmers a legal demand of right for sharing revenue or profit generated out ofthe farm produce when it is traded.

20.6 Policy 95: A price fixation authority should be formed for fixing the price of theagricultural commodity in the state, so that protection from price fallingwould be enabled.

20.7 Policy 96: Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy, vegetables, banana andspices may be announced during the commencement of the season bythe state Government with the help of the Price Fixation Authority.

20.8 Policy 97: An Agricultural Risk Fund may be formed with the objective ofproviding immediate assistance to farmers at the time of emergency.

20.9 Policy 98: The Agricultural Prices Board will be strengthened with broaderguidelines.

20.10Policy 99: Government should adopt 'Income Guarantee' programmes for thefarmers as the main agricultural support instrument and an Act in thisline should be passed.

20.11. Policy 100: The views of the farmers should also be taken in to account while theregulations on the management of threspassing animals in the farm landscausing crop loss.

21. Agricultural credit policies

21.4 Policy 101: Increase flow of credit to farmers including small and marginal,triggering agricultural growth led economic progress, which can lead toopportunities for a healthy and productive life to rural families.

21.5 Policy 102: The SHG Bank Linkage programme is the most appropriate financialmechanism to extend credit to marginal farmers.

21.6 Policy 103: All the District co-operative banks functioning in the state shouldapportion a sizeable portion for agricultural loans.

21.7 Policy 104: Interest free loans will continue.21.8 Policy 105: Livelihood finance, which is a comprehensive approach to promoting

sustainable livelihoods for the poor, is the need of the hour.21.9 Policy 106: The loans taken for poultry, dairying and animal husbandry are also

to be treated as agricultural loans.21.10 Policy 107: An 'Agricultural Credit Relief Fund' is to be formed for addressing

the waiver of loans in the event of natural calamities.21.11Policy 108: Take an integrated credit requirement approach combining farm

and consumption needs and has to be adopted by the financial institutions.21.12 Policy 109: Necessary mechanism should be evolved from the part of the

state Government in the light of restrictions imposed on PrimaryAgricultural Co-operatives (PACs) in dealing with agricultural credit veryrecently by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

21.13 Policy 110: The agricultural credit must be monitored from the time of disbursal tothe repayment.

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22. Policies for crop husbandry

22.8 Policy 111: Kerala cannot afford any more conversion of paddy lands, ecologicallyor economically.

22.9 Policy 112: Among the strategies for increasing rice production in the State,area expansion needs immediate attention.

22.10 Policy 113:The current productivity of 2.30 t / ha of rice has to be increased to4.0 t / ha so as to achieve the production target of 12.0 lakh tonnes ofrice from 3.0 lakh ha. within a span of five years

22.11 Policy 114: Rice farming has to be made more remunerative to attract morefarmers for which measures to augment income from rice based farminghas to be formulated

22.12 Policy 115: Considering the food security point of view and the environmentalbenefits of paddy cultivation, the land area ceiling of 2 ha. has to beraised to 5 ha. for availing the input and financial assistance of theGovernment Schemes

22.13 Policy 116: Paddy farmers are to be provided with incentives comparable tothat of fruit plants and industrial crops.

22.15 Policy 117: Since the import of edible oils affects the price of the coconut adversely,the State Government has to pressurize the Central Government for settingup a frame work, so that the farmers would get remunerative price for coconutoil, even if the import of edible oil is happening.

22.16 Policy 118: Introducing dwarf varieties in at least 25% of the new trees orthrough under-planting in the existing coconut gardens for meeting theever growing requirement of the State's Official Drink - the tender coconutwater.

22.17 Policy 119: The long cherished dream of producing 'Neera' by the coconutfarmers of the State is to be materialised for improving their income.

22.18 Policy 120: A new platform that would bring farmers, processors and retailerstogether have to be launched to link agricultural production to the market,to maximise value addition, minimise wastage and boost farmers' income.

22.20 Policy 121: 'Safe to eat' branding programme for vegetables is to be introducedfor assisting the domestic production and attracting more consumers sothat the farmers get more demand for their produce

22.21 Policy 122: Homestead farming of vegetables and popularisation of vegetablegardens in schools proved the impact on the increased vegetableproduction in the state and the programmes should continue.

22.23 Policy 123: Since more than 70 per cent of banana cultivation is done onleased lands by resource-poor farmers, obtaining maximum income froma unit area under cultivation assumes utmost importance.

22.24 Policy 124: By-product utilisation and product development should be givenpreference for assuring steady income from banana cultivation.

22.26 Policy 125: The government should develop a 'Mango Export Zone' inMuthalamad due to the early bearing nature, it could be exported at highprices.

22.27 Policy 126: Kerala is well known for some traditional mango varieties and thegermplasm of them are to be protected and a research station under KAUshould be set up for mango at Muthalamada.

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22.28 Policy 127: Since climate plays an important role in the production of qualitymangoes, an advisory system should be developed to protect the qualityand production.

22.29 Policy 128: A separate insurance and supporting scheme for mango in the eventof crop loss has to be built up.

22.31 Policy 129: Promoting tubers as an alternative to cereals will augmentfood security.

22.32 Policy 130: Tuber 'minikit' programmes are to be introduced for promotionof roots and tubers in the homesteads.

22.33 Policy 131: Tubers could be used to produce quality cattle-feed, thusbringing more profit to the farmers.

22.34 Policy 132: Exploit the new technologies, new variety of crops and bio-pesticides developed by institutions such as the CTCRI based on tubercrops so that the State can be self-sufficient in food and can reduceits dependence on other States

22.35 Policy 133: Demonstration of improved production technologies such yamminisett technique, yam staking methods, root/tuber based cropsmixtures are to be adopted in departmental farms and farmers' fields.

22.36 Policy 134: Nucleus planting material production of improved varieties oftubers are to be carried out at Departmental farms.

22.37 Policy 135: Processing and value addition of tuber crops is to be treated asa priority area.

22.40 Policy 136: Area under pepper crop in the state is to be extended on a warfooting to cater the domestic and international demand

22.41 Policy 137: Availability of sufficient quality planting material is to be assuredfor guaranteed production and productivity.

22.42 Policy 138: A serious attention as until new and diversified export marketsare not exploited, the farmers would face crash in farm gate pricedue to the surplus stock.

22.43 Policy 139: A support price mechanism for the pepper crop is to beintroduced for meeting the vagaries of price volatility.

22.45 Policy 140: The area expansion programme of nutmeg is to be done withcaution, since the price of the produce began to show a decliningtrend.

22.47 Policy 141: If measures are not initiated soon, Cochin ginger and Alleppeyturmeric will soon be crops of the past.

22.48 Policy 142: Measures for encouraging ginger cultivation should be oriented inthe context of regional disparities and location specific strategies are tobe made.

22.49 Policy 143: Institutional arrangements should be made to provide quality seedsand other package of inputs to the farmers to boost the output of ginger.

22.50 Policy 144: Since there is only limited scope for increasing area under ginger inKerala as a monocrop, the existing potentialities of cultivating ginger asan intercrop in coconut, arecanut and young rubber plantations may alsobe exploited to the maximum possible extent.

22.51 Policy 145: To protect cultivators from incurring loss the Government shouldannounce a support price for ginger.

22.52 Policy 146: Technological upgradation of processing is very much essential to improvethe quality of dry ginger.

22.55 Policy 147: The policy initiatives towards promotion of cashew growers' FPOs (forprocurement of raw nuts, supply of inputs, credit and infrastructure, smallscale processing, value addition and marketing), and cashew apple processingwill definitely widen the perspective of cashew growers.

22.56 Policy 148: The Cashew Corporation should enter the market to prevent owners ofprivate cashew processing units from controlling the procurement price.

22.57 Policy 149: There is a need to increase domestic production to substitute importedraw nuts in order to derive the maximum benefits from a strong processingand marketing capability developed over the years by the cashew industry.

22.58 Policy 150: Value addition and product diversification should receive adequateattention of the Government for having competitive edge and higherreturns in the years to come.

22.59 Policy 151: Production and productivity of cashew in the state can be enhancedthrough a phased replanting programme.

22.60 Policy 152: All the Cashew development agencies are to be effectively co-ordinatedunder the Department of Agriculture.

22.62 Policy 153: Standardization of technology to bring down cost of production offresh pineapple and its adoption by growers, and technology to producepineapple throughout the year may go a long way in promoting pineapplecultivation in Kerala.

22.63 Policy 154: Steps should be taken to popularise pineapple cultivation as an intercropin the coconut gardens and rubber plantations to increase the production andincome of the farmers.

22.64 Policy 155: The marketing of pineapple needs immediate attention as to improvethe export potential of the crop for assuring better returns to farmers.

22.66 Policy 156: Establishment of model nurseries should be done in the state eitherin the public and or in the private sector to address the issue of shortagein the availability of new and good quality planting materials which is themost important limiting factor in the development of floriculture in Kerala.

22.67 Policy 157: Traditional Flower FPOs are to be established like cut flowergrowers' association for traditional flower growers.

22.68 Policy 158: Specific attention is to be given to the development of traditionalflowers by assisting traditional farmers in terms of bank loans, propermarketing facilities, and dissemination of information through trainingand media support on improved varieties.

22.69 Policy 159: An insurance mechanism for the floriculturists against naturalcalamities of the state is to be formulated.

22.70 Policy 160: It is emphasized that the subsidies on poly/green-house, plantingmaterials and specialized equipments should continue.

22.71 Policy 161: Efforts should be made to encourage small stakeholders to patronizeflower cultivation for enhancing their income and employment avenues.

22.73 Policy 162: New avenues like contract farming and forest farming are to be exploredas sustainable way to ensure the steady and constant supply of quality rawmaterials for drugs.

22.74 Policy 163: In order to initiate systematic cultivation of medicinal and aromaticplants high yielding varieties have to be selected.

22.75 Policy 164: Efforts to develop, use and promote the green technology for asustainable production system of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants are to bemade.

22.76 Policy 165: Small and marginal farmers will be organised into Self Help Groupsand cooperative societies of medicinal plants growers or as producercompanies to enable them to take up medicinal plants cultivation

22.78 Policy 166: Increasing fodder production and availability within the state throughthe intervention of co-operatives, SHGs and FPO's should be explored.

22.79 Policy 167: The State Government, in collaboration with agricultural universitiesand research institutes, will be responsible for developing, promoting andextending nutritious and high yielding varieties of fodder species for cultivationon agricultural lands.

22.81 Policy 168: There must be programmes to reintroduce minor millets to regionswhere they were once more popular.

22.83 Policy 169: There must be programmes for promoting pulses in the traditional aswell as no traditional tracts utilising the paddy fallows.

22.85 Policy 170: There should be programmes to increase the number of bee hivesfrom the present 6 lakh numbers to 30 lakh numbers in five years.

22.86 Policy 171: Bee keeping should be promoted as a vocation for women, youth,marginal farmers and self help groups and the number of bee keepersare to be doubled to two lakhs from the present one lakh and the conceptof 'Honey Villages' has to be put in to reality.

22.88 Policy 172: On no account area under plantations should be used for growing anycrop which is not notified before.

22.89 Policy 173: The rate of lease on Government land given for plantation purposeshould be scientifically revised in every five years.

23. Policies for livestock development

23.2 Policy 174:The farmers of the state would be helped for the improvement oftheir present resources by assessing the present potential of the livestockstatus and employing an 'Animal Performance and Control' mechanismto monitor, evaluate and upgrade the livestock population of the State.

23.3 Policy 175:All the livestock farmers of the state should be provided with 24hour Veterinary Emergency Assistance Service.

23.4 Policy 176: The farmers of the State would be assured with a livestockpopulation free of all the contagious diseases by universal vaccinationand necessary steps would be taken to declare as Animal Disease FreeZone.

23.5 Policy 177: The farmers of Kerala are to be provided with yield and sexassured animals as a result of the cross breeding Programme.

23.6 Policy 178: The low yielding animals of the State must be used as FosterMothers' for the production of improved breed by the embryo transfertechnology.

23.7 Policy 179: The farmers of the State may be allowed to rear indigenous andaccepted breeds of cattle for conservation purpose with guidelines fromthe Department of Animal Husbandry.

23.8 Policy 180: The farmers of the state are to be assured with one calf per year peranimal.

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24. Policies related to animal nutrition

24.2 Policy 181: Every calf born in the state out of cross breeding programme should beguaranteed a well balanced feed to utilise the genetic potential of the calf forconverting in to economic value.

24.3 Policy 182: Male calf fattening programmes are to be taken up by the Government forassuring nutrition to the male calves and for assuring wholesome meat to theconsumers and thereby assuring better returns to the farmers.

24.4 Policy 183: The farmers of the state must be assured of getting quality cattle feeds andfeed for other classes of livestock.

24.5 Policy 184: Fodder cultivation should be promoted on a mission mode on a commercialscale to ensure its availability to the farmers at affordable cost.

24.6 Policy 185: Area specific mineral mixture for dairy cattle should be formulated andmade available to the farmers in order to correct mineral deficiency and effectproduction enhancement.

25. Policies related to mechanization in animal husbandry and dairy

25.3 Policy 186: Portable milking machines should be provided to milkers and farmers forthe production of better quality milk in a shorter period and preventing thespread of contagious and managemental diseases.

25.4 Policy 187: Chaff cutters are to be provided to farmers for the better utilisation of cropresidues and minimising the cost of production.

25.5 Policy 188: Automatic drinkers are to be established in each and every farm for ensuringproduction and improving animal health.

25.6 Policy 189: There must be steps at least to prevent the hoof ailments and accidentshappening to cattle in their sheds thereby reducing the veterinary costs and lossof production.

26. Policies for quality improvements in animal food production

26.4 Policy 190: The potential for milk purchasers to misrepresent the quality of the milk andcheat farmers out of a fair price would be eliminated by the introduction of theAutomatic Milk Collection System.

26.5 Policy 191: The meat sold in Kerala should originate from an approved slaughter house.Cleanliness at slaughter minimises the potential risk to human health, contributesto the production of safe meat, improves the shelf life of the meat, and consumerconfidence.

27. Policies for increasing profitability in animal husbandry

27.4 Policy 192: The dairy cooperatives and Departments of the Government related todairy development have to plan programmes to attract youth and sustain thepresent farmers towards dairy farming and dairy based enterprises.

27.5 Policy 193: A good incentive plan recognizes that individuals can make a real differencein the operation and its profitability

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27.6 Policy 194: Since the farm sector aims at food security of the state, there must be animmediate end to the "division" of people on the lines of below poverty line (BPL)and above poverty line (APL) for receiving the financial assistances in the AnimalHusbandry sector.

27.7 Policy 195: Input allocation plans of the Animal Husbandry sector must be in linewith the holding capacity of the locality so as to develop a sustainable strategyfor 'zonation of inputs'.

27.8 Policy 196: The present method of calculation of loss in the event of a natural calamitylike flood, landslip, lightning, drought, disease outbreak, manmade disastershould be modified in such a way that the farmer gets the real value / marketvalue as compensation rather than a token amount.

27.9 Policy 197: Financial assistance for feeding is necessary to bring down the cost ofproduction and improving the profit of the farmers.

27.10 Policy 198: An advisory and technical Committee at Local Self Government levelshould be constituted for increasing the profitability of different enterprisesconnected with animal husbandry and assuring better returns to farmers.

27.11 Policy 199: Pricing of milk is to be done in a more scientific manner that the farmersshould receive a remuneration well above the cost of production as theirprofit.

28. Polices related with dairying

28.6 Policy 200: Provision for loans to dairy farmers for purchase of animals consideringit as a farming activity.

28.7 Policy 201: Electricity on reduced rate than the industrial tariff should be provided tomilk co-operative societies for chilling of milk.

28.8 Policy 202: Providing Insurance coverage to all dairy farmers and their milch animals28.9 Policy 203: Utilisation of unutilised land under Local Self Government for fodder

cultivation28.10 Policy 204: Providing production incentives to dairy farmers on every litres of milk

produced28.11 Policy 205: An appeal committee with experts from Dairy Development Animal

Husbandry and pollution control board shall be constituted to dispose ofdisputes regarding License and Pollution Certificate for Dairy Farming

28.12 Policy 206: Enhancement of cattle feed subsidy rate to 25% of cattle feed cost28.13 Policy 207: Provision for financial assistance to dairy co-operatives for running

milk chilling plant/Bulk Milk Coolers.28.14 Policy 208: Strengthening of Dairy Advisory Services and Restructuring of Dairy

Department28.15 Policy 209: Farmers having up to five animals and farmers who market the milk

through dairy co-operatives which is registered under co-operative law shallbe exempted from the registration under Food Safety and Standards Acts

28.16 Policy 210: Every Primary school children upt o 5th standard shall be providedwith a glass of (200 ml) of milk daily on schooldays.

28.17 Policy 211: Where ever possible new cooperative can be registered thereby morefarmers can be promoted to take up dairying.

28.18 Policy 212: Crossbred calves born out of AI Programme shall be purchased andbrought up by selected farmers or a milk co-operative societies in the areaunder the heifer parks in every Block.

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29. Policies for poultry development

29.5 Policy 213: Kerala needs an action plan combining homestead and commercialproduction to achieve self-sufficiency in eggs.

29.6 Policy 214: Considering the fact that demand for chicken meat registers 40 to45% growth across the state annually, broiler farming can be a main sourceof family income or can provide subsidiary income and gainful employmentto farmers throughout the year.

29.7 Policy 215: Promote and propagate farming of diversified poultry speciesthrough technological development for their sustainable and profitableproduction.

29.8 Policy 216: Entry tax should be levied on imports and domestic production beexempted for broiler chicken.

29.9 Policy 217: Turnover tax per broiler chicken farmer of the state may befixed at Rs. 10 lakhs per annum.

29.10 Policy 218: Considering broiler farming as an agricultural activity, theelectricity rate shall be fixed at agricultural tariff.

30. Policies related to seeds and planting materials

30.5 Policy 219: The Government has to ensure that Quality Declared Planting Materials(QDPMs) are produced and sold to farmers and treated as a right offarmers.

30.6 Policy 220: The planting materials including seeds produced and distributed bythe Department of Agriculture, PSUs and other Government agenciesshall bear bar-coded tags for assuring the quality and traceability.

30.7 Policy 221: High-tech nurseries for the production of quality planting material areneeded in large numbers and standards for different planting materialsneeds to be put in place.

30.8 Policy 222: It is important to produce quality planting material of pepper, bananaand ornamental crops through clonal multiplication and in vitro micro-propagation. Sensitive diagnostic assays such as ELISA and PCR forindexing and certification of clonally propagated and tissueculture plantshave to be used.

30.9 Policy 223: The production of quality seed of major vegetable crops and seedspices should be given priority in collaboration with ICAR Institution,SAU's and PSUs of vegetable seed industry.

30.10 Policy 224: The certification of quality seed based on quality parameter shouldalso be needed to advocate to progressive vegetable growers and farmersengaged in production of vegetable crops and seed spices. There is needto promote such farmers/vegetable growers for quality seed production.

30.11 Policy 225: Crop to crop seed quality control systems should be designed andestablished and Seed coating and pelleting are essentially required toprotect the seeds from various diseases and pests as well as to enhancegermination.

30.12 Policy 226: Varieties/hybrids should be developed for protected cultivationand protected production of seeds and planting materials should bestandardized.

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30.13 Policy 227: Nurseries growing and producing notified varieties should be exemptedfrom taxes.

30.14 Policy 228: Large scale integration of conventional and innovative techniques ofmicro-propagation, aeroponics, etc is the need of hour to step up productionof disease free planting material.

30.15 Policy 229: For better disease diagnostics in vegetatively propagated crops,cheaper alternative technologies in place of expensive chemicals shouldbe developed. Production of cheaper diagnostic kits for use at farmers'level is the requirement of the day

30.16 Policy 230: Tissue culture should not become a tool for spreading of diseases,and due care and regulations need to be in place. Cost effectiveness oftissue culture plants needs focus of attention.

30.17 Policy 231: There is need to develop reproducible and efficient protocols forrecalcitrant plant species such as mango, cashew, and coconut.

30.18 Policy 232: Production of seedlings of specific varieties of coconut needs tobe strengthened for establishing gardens for promotion of productdiversification.

30.19 Policy 233: Establishment of mother gardens and scion block with high densityplanting is highlighted in cashew, black pepper and tree spices and has tobe practiced for increasing the production of planting material.

31. Policies related to fertilizers and plant nutrients

31.3 Policy 234: For sustained agricultural growth and to promote balanced nutrientapplication, it is imperative that fertilizers are made available to farmersat affordable prices.

31.4 Policy 235: An appropriate policy that encourages balanced use of fertilizers(organic and inorganic) including micro- and secondary nutrients is amust.

31.5 Policy 236: The most critical issue concerns the quality of the fertilizers providedto the farmers, and therefore, the quality control system that ensuresdelivery of good quality fertilizers must be effective and efficient.

31.6 Policy 237: The use of single-nutrient fertilizers provides flexibility, lower costper unit of nutrient and the advantage of applying only those nutrientsthat are needed and will generate an economic benefit.

31.7 Policy 238: In tune with the new subsidy regime of fertilizers, site specificnutrient management needs to be promoted based on soil testing resultsand Krishibhavan needs to be made as the centre to promote the conceptand soil testing labs needs to be equipped to take up the challenge.

31.8 Policy 239: The use of micro nutrients should be encouraged in food crop toaddress the issues of micro nutrient deficiencies in soil, cattle as well as humanbeing.

31.9 Policy 240: As High Tech Farming and precision farming are gaining momentum inthe state, the specific fertilizers for the ventures should find a place in theGovernment fertilizer subsidy programmes.

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32. Policies related to pesticides

32.4 Policy 241: A regular watch on computerized Online Pesticide Registration Systemand take action against companies and products which are marketed in thestate without proper licensing under central Insecticides Board and strongregulatory frame work needs to be created and monitored within state forthe same.

32.5 Policy 242: There is the need for an approach in the State which would minimise theuse of hazardous pesticides.

32.6 Policy 243: Health costs can be mitigated considerably by reducing the dose ofpesticides used and the approach of the extension workers should be orientedin that way.

32.7 Policy 244: Cheap, quick and non-destructive methods of detecting pesticide residuesin raw fruits and vegetables should be made more popular

32.8 Policy 245: Kerala is having a well defined policy on 'Organic Farming' and on thislight, organic pesticides are to be made freely available and the recenttechnology developed by CTCRI needs an intensified production.

32.9 Policy 246: Pesticide dealers should be made aware of the properties of the productsthey sell and workers engaged in spraying of pesticides should be trainedand put through periodic and free medical examinations to determine theirhealth status.

32.10 Policy 247: The sale of pesticides and weedicides should made based on theprescription issued by a competent officer of the Department of Agriculture.

32.11 Policy 248: A strong provision should be created to Monitoring of Pesticide Residuesin food and Department representatives should be a party of the food safetyteam which is formed in the State to enact Food Safety Bill 2012.

32.12 Policy 249: Crop Health Management Centres should be taken up which canalso look into pest and disease surveillance.

33. Policies for revamping the Departmental farms

33.4 Policy 250: The infrastructure facilities of the farms are to be improved for meeting theobjective of mass production of quality planting materials and seeds for thetimely distribution to farmers.

33.5 Policy 251: Mechanising the Government owned farms to the fullest extent (100%mechanisation) will be the only tool to tap the efficiency of the labourers in full.

33.6 Policy 252: A definite planting material production plan has to be developed taking in toconsideration the scheme of the Government and the local requirement throughan online system every year.

33.7 Policy 253: Demonstration of improved technologies are to be done in every farm.33.8 Policy 254: Shortage of labourers in farms is to be addressed immediately by the

Government33.9 Policy 255: Since there is the need for many emergency activities including the disposal

of perishable farm produces and immediate repair works, delegating more powersto the sub officers would aid in the more speedy actions in Departmental farms.

33.10 Policy 256: The Orange and Vegetable Farm, Nelliyampathy and HorticultureDevelopment Farm, Malampuzha are to be elevated to the position of Centresof Excellence.

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34. Policies related to value addition and processing

34.4 Policy 257: Enhancing income of farmers through value addition, productdiversification, and entrepreneurship development must be the thrustareas of the development Departments.

34.5 Policy 258: Creation of a food chain starting from the farm gate to retailoutlets is inevitable for farmers to earn a greater share of the productsale revenue after adding value to their own produce.

34.6 Policy 259: To meet the emerging challenges, agriculture must diversify infavour of high-value enterprises and the pricing policy must be basedon the quality of the produce rather than quantity for motivating thefarmer to orient his production qualitatively.

34.7 Policy 260: Since marketing of processed products is more remunerative thanraw commodities, farmer processor linkages are needed to add valueas per demands of the consumers.

34.8 Policy 261: Storage and handling technologies and infrastructure should bedesigned in a manner that losses are minimised and the produce retainsits original quality.

34.9 Policy 262: The New Generation Cooperatives (NGC) model and FPOs areideal since it binds both farmers and processors to honour commitmentsand agreements.

34.10 Policy 263: There is a large potential for setting up of modern slaughterfacilities and development of cold chains in meat and poultry processingsector.

34.11 Policy 264: It is high time we give the jackfruit its due recognition. Theversatile fruit of Kerala 'Jack', once Kerala's life-saver in months ofscarcity, has immense scope for value addition.

34.12 Policy 265: The provisions of the National Mission on Food Processing(NMFP) has to be utilised for the evelopment of food processing sector,which in turn would help in Increase in farm productivity therebyincrease in farmers' income.

34.13 Policy 266: Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC) should bestrengthened to support the initiatives on value addition in the State.

35. Energy-smart agriculture related policies

35.5 Policy 267: The food sector both requires energy and can produce energy — anenergy-smart approach to agriculture offers a way to take better advantageof this dual relationship between energy and food.

35.6 Policy 268: Using local renewable energy resources along the entire food chaincan help improve energy access, diversify farm and food processingrevenues, avoid disposal of waste products, reduce dependence on fossilfuels and greenhouse gas emissions, and help achieve sustainabledevelopment goals

35.7 Policy 269: The government should promote ̀ conservation agriculture' whichreplaces mechanical soil tillage by ̀ biological tillage' for reducing the energyrequirement and making farming sustainable.

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35.8 Policy 270: Huge volumes of agricultural wastes in the form of livestock manure,kitchen wastes, rice husks, etc., can be converted into potential sources ofenergy and the resultant biogas can be plowed back into agriculturalproduction and processing activities.

35.9 Policy 271: The use of wind power for agricultural production activities is practicallyadaptable for residents located along coastlines Kerala.

35.10 Policy 272: Establishment of solar and wind hybrid power generating equipmentswherever possible will reduce the power requirement for agriculture to agreat extent.

35.11 Policy 273: An incentive is to be provided for the farmers who runs an EnergySmart Farm for the promotion of energy smart agriculture.

36. Policies related to High Tech farming

36.3 Policy 274: Promotion of high-tech agriculture is important as climatic extremes areaffecting normal cultivation.

36.4 Policy 275: Starting with a market study to determine the crops that will fetch agood price in a particular season and go for Hi Tech Farming of the samewould assure huge profits to farmers.

36.5 Policy 276: The produces got from poly houses could be branded as safe to eatsince they are produced in insect free conditions which eliminates the chanceof using pesticides.

37. Policies for farm information and communication

37.5 Policy 277: The prestigious publication 'Kerala Karshakan' has to ensure greateraccuracy and coverage regarding the newer technologies and could be usedby the farmers for further reference.

37.6 Policy 278: Establishment of 'Virtual Class Rooms' to link Educational Institutionslike Agricultural Universities both within and abroad for dissemination of bestpractices in agriculture.

37.7 Policy 279: Most of the extension services to farmers could be automated to reduceweakness of human factors in communicating information with minimumlanguage, technical and socio-economic barriers.

37.8 Policy 280: Support to KISSAN KERALA.NET is to be extended to keep up itsprofessional standards.

38. Agricultural planning and budgeting related policies

38.2 Policy 281: Agriculture will continue to be the first priority for the Government.38.3 Policy 282: A separate agricultural budget should be presented for greater thrust and

allocation of funds and schemes on agriculture.38.4 Policy 283: While formulating the Departmental programmes, a regional plan at the

watershed basis should form the basis for planning every year.38.5 Policy 284: Sufficient allocation for agriculture should be made in the LSG budgets

at least 40%, and that should be made mandatory for assuring the farmers,the assistance they need.

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39. New policy guidelines, principles and strategies for the best service delivery bythe Department of Agriculture

39.3 Policy 285: The Department of Agriculture will be modernised and renamed as‘Agriculture Development and Farmers’ Welfare Department’.

39.4 Policy 286: The Department of Agriculture must continue to rely upon the mostversatile form of decentralized Grama Panchayat level Krishibhavan officesand staff support has to be re-organised based on work load and numberof farm families.

39.5 Policy 287: Make the Department a better place for employees to carry out theirjobs of serving farmers will result in a more productive and satisfied workforce.

39.6 Policy 288: The methods used for technology dissemination and personal approachesare to be restructured in lieu of the changing face of the ICT based tools,instruments and techniques.

39.7Policy 289:The state level monitoring of Decentralised planning programmes haveto be monitored by the Department of Agriculture by creating a separatewing which work hand in hand with LSGD Department and KILA.

39.8 Policy 290: A 'Knowledge Centre' at the district level has to be constructed foreffective farm advisory services and empowering the small farmers withtechnology.

39.9 Policy 291: The Department aims at establishing effective formal liaison andcooperation with all institutions involved in agricultural development in theState.

39.10 Policy 292: The staff pattern of the Assistant Directors' Office is to be strengthenedby providing additional man power support depending up on the work loadof the Office.

39.11 Policy 293: Modernization at all levels of the Department including administration,communication, reporting, technology transfer, scheme administration,implementation, feedback, monitoring and midterm correction should bethe motto of the Government.

39.12 Policy 294: The auditing system followed in the Department needs a thoroughreorientation for improving the Departmental Quality Management System.

39.13 Policy 295: A Department of Agriculture Manual is to be published by theGovernment immediately to provide guidance and serve as a reference toemployees which will result in the efficiency improvement.

39.14 Policy 296: The District Soil Test Laboratories under the Department of Agricultureplay an important role in the soil test based nutrient application and theyhave to be strengthened as Soil Plant Health Clinics for including thediagnostic services along with analytical service.

39.15 Policy 297: Fertiliser Quality Control Laboratories are to be strengthened orupgraded to give accurate results in minimum time so that the farmers areassured of good quality fertilisers.

39.16 Policy 298: The bio control agents and parasites used in the biological control ofpests and diseases are to be made freely available to the farmers of theState by strengthening the State Bio- Control Laboratory and developingthe Parasite Breeding Stations as its sub-centres for the mass multiplication.

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39.17 Policy 299: The The Bio-technology and Model Floriculture Centre (BMFC),Kazhakuttam functioning under the Department of Agriculture is to be upgradedas a Centre of Excellence with semi - autonomous powers.

39.18 Policy 300: Strengthening the Department's Agricultural Engineering Division by providingit the necessary technical and engineering support to carry out the smooth andexpeditious implementation of mechanisation, popularisation of improvedmachinery and agricultural infrastructure projects.

39.19 Policy 301: An adaptive research mandate should be attributed to the Department ofAgriculture to carry out research on location specific technologies in the farmersfields.

40. Revamping Animal Husbandry Department for better service delivery

40.5 Policy 302: It is proven beyond doubt that to maintain the quality of performance andefficiency of key activities, staff attitude and behavior has a major contributionand this principle is to be put in practice at the earliest.

40.6 Policy 303: The Animal Husbandry Department staff can be classified into general staffand those having a specialized knowledge and skill, to maintain the quality ofperformance and efficiency of key activities.

40.7 Policy 304: Establishment of Department level service providers at the Taluk level forbetter monitoring and effective plan formulation and implementation

40.8 Policy305: Quality should be ensured in all Government purchases of drugs rather thanlow cost to assure the farmers good drugs.

41. State agricultural research policy

41.5 Policy 306: The Kerala Agricultural University has to redefine its mission, taking intoconsideration the present stage of agriculture scenario in the State.

41.6 Policy 307: The debt burden of the University has to be addressed by the Government byproviding a one time grant.

41.7 Policy 308: The present practice of proliferation of agricultural universities through creationof new universities, campuses, colleges and through bifurcation of existinguniversities is indeed counterproductive and not in the interest of quality education.

41.8 Policy 309: The state government must ensure proper financial support to the agriculturaluniversity by allocating at least 15 per cent of the total budget of the departmentsof agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery, social forestry and any other related toagriculture additionally.

41.9 Policy 310: The disciplines and emerging areas must find a place in the teaching programmesof the agricultural universities.

42.10 Policy 311: A favourable environment is to be created in the University for improving thequality in research.

41.11 Policy 312: The research needs to be redefined based on the technological advancementsand farmers' requirements.

41.12 Policy 313: The University should focus on the new areas of research.41.13 Policy 314: The Agricultural University is to be made a goal oriented organization and the

autonomous nature of the institution is to be assured by making improvements inthe general administration focussing only on research accomplishments. ICARModel Act should be enacted soon.

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42. Policies for research prioritization in livestock sector

42.3 Policy 315: If past changes in demand for livestock products have been met by acombination of conventional techniques, such as breed substitution, cross-breeding and within-breed selection, future changes are likely to be metincreasingly from new techniques

42.4 Policy 316: A considerable body of work exists associated with the dynamics ofdigestion, and feed intake and animal performance and has to be undertakenby the KVASU.

42.5 Policy 317: The infectious disease threat will remain diverse and dynamic, andcombating the emergence of completely unexpected diseases will requiredetection systems that are flexible and adaptable in the face of change.

42.6 Policy 318: Compared with the biophysical environment, the social and culturalcontexts of livestock and livestock production are probably not that wellunderstood and an integrated research approach is needed on this line.

43. Policies for motivating farmers

43.3 Policy 319: The state agricultural awards must be distributed in the same weekalong with the 'Farmers Day' celebration in every two years

43.4 Policy 320: The selection criteria should be modified and codified based on themodern principles and assessment should be done impartially and flaw free.

44. Bio Technology and GM crops related policies

45. Policies for empowering weaker sections

45.4 Policy 321: The Government should soon take urgent steps for reviving traditionalagricultural sector of tribals by a massive programme combining the traditionalknowledge and modern technologies.

45.5 Policy 322: Appropriate farm tools, improved crops, integrated pest managementtechniques, conservation agriculture, biological nitrogen fixation and othercontext-specific technologies should be targeted for development and forenhanced access by women.

46. Policies for streamlining PSUs in agriculture sector

46.2 Policy 323: Radical change is necessary to make PSU's functioning more farmerand consumer friendly and no more PSUs are to be made in the light ofFPOs.

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Preface

1

India today is hailed world over as a grain power capable to export and donate food grainswith magnanimity both in times of peace and disaster to any nation. No country will dare toterm India as a begging bowl as was done in fifties, sixties and early seventies. When Indiangrain harvest crossed 254 million tonnes, the food hungry importing countries were bubblingwith joy to welcome the breakthrough as it will help them also to attain a better food securitycover. Perhaps no achievement of Indian nation since independence is equivalent to thisshining accomplishment. The source providing perennial strength to the nation to bring aFood Security Bill for making available the right of food to 80 crores people at a whopping costof 1.34 lakh crores annually is again the above bumper grain production. Once implementedit will be more or less matchless model legislation to the world undertaken by a country with apopulation of over 120 crores and 100 crores domestic animals.

Behind the scene....

The real heroes of the above fabulous achievement are our own untiring farmers, especiallythe small and marginal farmers. Seventy percent of our population was engaged in farming atthe time of independence and now it has come down to 50 percent. But the real story has adifferent saga to narrate. The population was only 35 crores at the dawn of independence andnow it is crossing 120 crores. So the number of people who earn their livelihood security fromthe farming has really increased from 20 crores to 60 crores. The farmers of India during theperiod has made India a very prosperous country by enhancing the production of not onlyfood grains but also commodities like milk, spices, egg, meat, fish, beverage crops, industrialraw materials like cotton, export oriented crops like tea, coffee, cardamom etc., etc... Indiahas also succeeded in the area of storage trade and export of these produce. The successaccomplished in the sphere of developing value added products and manufacturing it forinternal and external trade has made the country an industrial force, producing quality productsand supplying around the world. But the sad fact is that farmers are getting only a meagre farmgate price which provide a pathetic profit incapable to meet their growing needs. The realprofit makers of the above transformation of farm produce into value added high price materialsare the trade and industrial forces whose style of living and asset generation has helped thecountry to ‘produce’ more billionaires in the list of economic giants of the world.

Towards a dynamic agriculture...

Towards a dynamic agriculture.....

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The Challenges...

Today as mentioned earlier India occupies a prominent position in the world for its agriculture.The achievements made during the last six decades after independence has not onlysucceeded and making big rise in the agriculture production which in its totality has alsohelped to create a global image of self sufficiency in different spheres of agricultural production.“But India still is the home of more that 27 % of world's undernourished population and 79.2%of their children under the age of three, 56.2 % of women and 24.3% of men are malnourishedand anaemic. It is shameful that India has the largest number of hungry people than any othercountry, 2.1 million of their children die every year before reaching 5 years of age, that over60% of the children (under 5 years) are wasted, stunned underweight or a combination of theseand that about 30% of the babies are born under weighed. Despite poverty removal being animportant stake policy for a long time, the progress so far made towards having the number ofhungry by 2015 under the UN Millennnium Development Programme is of the track”. (M.S.Swaminathan).

Mammoth challenges sighted above call for more vigilance and a visionary approach in framingand implementing future agricultural programmes. Already official agencies have gone on recordthat 40% of the farming population of the country are eagerly waiting for other opportunities toleave the profession. Several studies also indicate that farmers as well as agriculture labour arevery particular not to lead or encourage the younger generation to take up farming as an enterpriseto earn a livelihood security. Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) may be the startingprogramme for such a novel change. Our future approach should be to empower the small andmarginal farmer to take up farming, handling of the produce including processing product valueaddition and marketing and generate maximum profit by getting them organized with the assistanceof the research development and funding agencies. The approach should not be to force thefarmer and farm labour to leave the farming by transferring the land to rich tenant or corporateand work in the same as the paid labour or employees of the “new wave of cash rich tenant inwhich ever sweet- name they appear”. The strength of Indian farmer must be assessed in adifferent context certainly not as a raw material producer and leave the produce after primaryprocessing for a paltry profit and make the trade, technology and fund rich industrial force prosper.

Why a farmer oriented policy....?

National policies should become more small farmer friendly as farmers unrests are erupting inthe form of suicides, leaving villages en masse, large areas are left barren by calling “givingholiday to cropping”, shortage of labour, escalation of wages, making production unprofitableetc. must be seen as undesirable developments which will make the agricultural production in

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different sectors unsustainable. Quiet often market forces functioning at different levels arefree from the calamities like various price falls and damages whereas these two challengesare making the farmer's capability to continuing the task impossible. But at the same time allforces working in the farm front are free from the effects of disasters. This creates a conditionthat when an agricultural calamity comes farmers are becoming the only group which is forcedto bear the entire loss.

Indian farmers have truly brought in enormous economic prosperity to the country during thelast six decades after independence. They could achieve the same due to the great progressmade in research, extension, development sectors and administrative changes done in differentareas of activities. But much more has to be done for the welfare of farmers to continue theexisting efforts and produce more results for providing all round prosperity. To accomplishthis ideal situation all the sectors assisting the farmers as listed above should be developedso that the existing infrastructure and situation will enable the farming community to fulfil theaspiration and trust expected from them by the nation. In short the effectiveness of theaccomplishment of the above various sections will be evaluated by the influence it provides inenhancing the farmers income and profit and also their total prosperity. Farmers' prosperitygeneration will be the most important theme and goal of all future farm development projectssince their welfare will keep the nation secure not only in the food front but also on all sectorswhich require farm oriented products for the betterment of the life of Indian people.

Kerala’s Agricultural Development Policy....

Kerala produced its first policy on agriculture in the year 1992. It was a welcome documentproviding a vision on the lines through which Kerala agriculture should be guided. As the first ofits kind the policy has given guidance to frame different programmes of great use to the state. Itake this opportunity to congratulate, Sri.K.Karunakaran, the then Chief Minister, Sri.P.P.George,the then Minister for Agriculture and Sri.M.S.Joseph, the then Agricultural ProductionCommissioner for producing and presenting such a valuable document. Since then 20 yearshave gone introducing significant changes in our farming sector.

Kerala government took a very bold step when it decided to make a farmer as the chairman ofthe committee to give shape to our future agricultural policy. I view it as a very welcome positiveindication of the great faith and confidence the administration has got in the farming communitiescapability. I thank the Hon'ble Chief Minister Sri.Oommen Chandy, Hon'ble Minister for Agricultureand Animal Husbandry Sri.K.P.Mohanan and all members of the cabinet for the great gestureand it has enhanced the responsibility of the committee to produce a document of immensevalue to the state.

Towards a dynamic agriculture.....

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The genesis...

We have interacted as stated in the introduction and several other pages in the report, withfarmers, farmer leaders, farmers associations, leaders of three tier LSGs, developmentdepartments, corporations, scientists, academicians, media representatives, farm journalists,extension specialists, economists, labour organizations, service organizations, award winners,plantation representatives and several other agencies interested in agriculture to collect theirsuggestions at length.

I am personally indebted to them for the whole hearted co-operation extended to the committeefor the suggestions, criticisms and visions presented before us. This has helped us in providingan in-depth study on the real farming situation of the state and to make farming a very charmingenterprise of our state popularly described as 'Gods own Country'.

The background....

Kerala agriculture with all its critical tensions described at different quarters still continue to bethe number one among the Indian states in generating maximum monitory return from a hectareof farm land. Kerala is producing over Rs. 53,000/- per ha of farm land now. No other statecould reach this level so far. It is also a fact that, the farmers of Kerala irrespective of thehappenings of large scale conversion of wet land and garden land for unavoidable social andcommunity needs ranging from housing to transport, tourism and entertainment continue toproduce quality agro produce which still fetch very high price at the terminal and export markets.For eg. when Palakkad Matta is sold in the upcountry metro markets for Rs.65/- to Rs.70/- per kgthe producer in Kerala is selling at Rs.22.6/-. The difference goes as profit to one or two middlelevel trade agencies. Reason for the farmers' poor return from his very hard earned crop is thepathetic fact that he continue to be a simple raw material producer and supplier. This holds goodin almost all the farm produce like pepper, rubber, cashew, coconut, vegetables, fruits, ginger,milk, meat and egg. This is a very serious weakness of the farming sector of Kerala.

In short though the farmers are producing quality goods and consumers are paying premiumprice to acquire them farmers are denied of the same and the market forces with very strongtrade network, technology support and cash rich fund pools are amassing wealth using thefarmers produce. No proper estimation on this trade secret is not even attempted. So the primeneed should be to give shape to farmers own producer companies which will handle storing,processing, value addition, domestic marketing and export themselves or through their federation.This will facilitate the farmer to get a substantial income hike which will empower him to develophis enterprise and pass on the same to future generation and make them capable to have adecent living with social acceptance and respect. Future policy of all agricultural programmes

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should have emphasis on these vital aspects i.e. the capacity of the project to provide moreeconomic gain and profit to the farmer. The success of each programme should be evaluatedbased on its capacity to achieve the above objective.

Opportunities ahead...

Kerala agriculture offers a very wide range of opportunities. At present farming has a verynarrow interpretation as a profession. Large scale holdings has almost disappeared apart fromthe plantations in the state. Statistics reveals that out of the 66.5 lakh holdings, 95.17% of thesame fall under the group of less than a hectare. Even in this group vast majority are with 5 to25 cents. The topography of the land and the climatic condition of Kerala are conducive forseveral avocations which need little or even no land, like beekeeping, mushroom culture,floriculture, flower processing, stall fed goat rearing, cage layer poultry rearing system, twocow dairy units and ornamental fish rearing. This will generate a new vision among the massesespecially those who with less or no land to become participants in production of quality foodand interior decoration materials of biological origin which enable them to have a link withnature and earn an income with self respect. The idea is everybody who possess land or noland should get involved in one farming practice or other. The present unhealthy trend amongthe new generation is to go and buy everything from the market totally ignoring the healthhazards, should change. So also all those who desire to have quality food should be aparticipant in producing any of the farm produce ranging from fruits and vegetables to egg andmeat. In future this will gain more momentum since quality deterioration in food items is gettingrampant and dreadful.

The approaches....

In a land hungry state like Kerala bringing more land under plough is very difficult to evenimagine. This calls for a very special approach regarding the plantation sector. Plantations arereally centres where large scale mono cropping is practised and the produce are processed,packed and sent for domestic marketing and export. It was a creation of colonial rule and sohad a special stature since it is owned by foreign companies especially British. This kept italoof from the local farming population. Truly plantations come under the farming sector i.e.crop culture division.

A new development approach is urgently required regarding the preservation of plantations.Ecologically and climatologically all the conducive areas for growing plantation crops like tea,coffee, cardamom and now rubber has been brought in the state. Considering the strategicnature of the crops in its management and processing while passing the Land Reforms Act,

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Kerala has given a special status to the plantations. In short they are exempted from the landceiling. In the present context through a policy it must be insisted that in all the cultivable landbelonging to the plantations the notified plantation crops should be planted since fresh plantingareas are unavailable. On no account it should be used for growing any crop which is notnotified before. Since land suited for cultivating the specific crops are unavailable it should notbe used even for large scale cattle rearing or tourism or entertainment related centres. This isa must and plantations must be encouraged with soft loans, tax concessions and technologyupgradation for the purposes like replanting, water conservation and value added products.Such an approach is necessary since the plant population in most of the estates has evencrossed its biological life span. In several estates one could see 100 year old tea bushes stillmaintained.

Plantations provide great wealth to Kerala not as an agro produce alone, but also it providesemployment to several thousand common people and also as a money spinner since differenttaxes the state and central government are getting over several crores of rupees annually. Henceplantation must be treated as a part of agriculture in its real sense and it must be preserved andhelped to develop to meet the fast growing needs of the society, trade and exports, all bringingwealth to the state and nation.

Need for administrative co ordination...

A review through the organization of support for helping the farmer to produce more generatingbetter cropping reveal that we have enough number of organizations engaged in the research,development, extension, processing, marketing and even export. With all the infrastructureproviding agencies and availability of tolerably good financial support the physical production ofthe crops, livestocks and other associated areas like bee keeping, floriculture, ornamental fishfarming and mushroom culture. But what is totalling lacking in the functioning of the variousagencies is co-ordination. Though much has been said it is a sad sight to observe that this islacking from the top most level of the centre of power to the micro level. For example, there areabout 30 agencies functioning in the state for the development of coconut culture and to help thefarmer to earn more. Central sector agencies, state sector agencies co-operative sector agencies,financial agencies are the most important among the same, leave alone the voluntary agenciesand farmers organization. The present stage of coconut in the state of Kerala is one whichrequired no introduction for its sad and pathetic decline with all the agencies claiming to beactive participants in its development efforts. At no point a working co-ordination is attempted.Huge sums of tax payers money though spent is not reflecting in the physical production hike ofcoconut or improving the interest of the farmer in taking care of the palm. Perhaps the most andneglected crop in Kerala after 6 decades of planned developed is coconut while technologiesare utilised for successful growth in several other countries in the world bringing more benefit to

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its producers. Hence producing co-ordinated efforts with committed reflection on productionand welfare fund should form the motto and disputed guideline of all programmes done in thecoconut sector. This may be treated as a warning coming from the intensive relationship thecommittee has developed after assessing and hearing the farmers reaction in all part of thestate. This must be treated as a top priority hungry area.

Modern technology and growth...

Progress in the farm front accomplished in all part of the world have derived from technologicalmodernization and upgradation. These are mainly done not only to enhance the productivitybut also to take away the drudgery associated with the various farm activities and also to hastenthe speed of various associated jobs. Another area of modernization is the production of variousvalue added products suited to the fast changing lifestyle and its sound, safe and quick marketingtechnologies to reach the needy client at his door step. Modernization is required at all levelsviz. Research, transfer of technology, information and communication, product development,value addition, marketing, fund flow, co-ordination and administration at all levels. This alsomust be treated as a top priority area in the policy making as the competition between thecountries and within the country becomes tight, swift and tactical. More is said than done in thisvital area and we have sour experiences of defeat of this front which should not be toleratedand if allowed to continue may lead to more shocking experiences.

Prosperity due to livestock and dairy...

Livestock development sector of Kerala has made significant contributions to the state's economyduring the last 3 decades by equipping the farmers to accept and adopt modern technologicalmethods combining with their traditional skills. But it has reached a real take off stage and thathas to be exploited in a truly farmer welfare manner. The benefits of the livestock developmentmust provide a sustainable income to the producer facilitating a steep hike in his returns.Productivity hike should be combined with product diversification, value addition and by-productutilization. Livestock development programmes should not be seen as a simple attempt aimedfor poverty elevation. It should also be built up as a development vehicle by modernization,product development and marketing including exports. The policy should be moulded with thisin view. At the same time the time tested, indigenous methods of livestock development must bepreserved, encouraged and empowered with technology and funding upgradation so that ourindigenous livestock wealth and different models of rearing them using the by-products of thefarm adding a supplementary income to the rural force and helping the elevation of the nutritionalstatus of their diet. This too must be given a place of importance in our future policy programmessince we hold 66.56 lakhs tiny land holdings which also form the home of our livestock population.

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The basic necessity required for implementing any modern day livestock development is theavailability of the livestock data and performance control mechanism. Many in Kerala is unawareof the fact Kerala is ripe for introducing such a sophisticated animal husbandry technique intoour social system. Though it is sophisticated the information communication system developedin our state is a boon for the collection and transformation of the data generated. Quality upgradation of animals is a must for improving the productivity as well as profit from the minimumquantity of feed that we provide. One such a system induction of hi-techs like quality up gradationof animals, breeding performance, evaluation of returns and disease control measures could bemade available at the door step of the farmer. Livestock sector like all sectors are experiencingvery keen competition not from the organized producers alone. World over marketing of livestockproduce are becoming more and more sensitive and dear. India is seen by several countries asa potential exporter meat, egg and even milk products. So there is every possibility of thepresent suppliers of animal products of the state may prefer export rather than internal trade.Kerala has to take very special care of this situation and so any investment done on this sectorwill be doubly beneficial to us. It will help us to provide a safe internal market and in the sametime entire excess could be exported. The expenses required for the launching of such aprogramme covering the entire state should be viewed not as a state development programmeby doing this we are creating a model for not only India but all developing countries. Hencethis programme should be considered as an area deserving high policy priority.

Hatching the eggs of income...

Kerala egg had a place of pride not only in India by the adjoining country like Sri Lanka. Thepresent modern egg and meat production though has made the material available more its qualityquiet often is in question. At the same time quality eggs produced in the traditional methods stillpossess an edge over than the one done in the modern way. In this context the State AnimalHusbandry Department has come forward with a new programme for popularising Micro CageLayer as an associate to the traditional backyard poultry. This programme has got a specialsignificance as it will add to the income of the small and marginal farmer and even those who isnot have much land for agriculture purpose. A small family could earn a minimum of 1500rupees by practicing this programme with lakhs of small holdings Kerala stands to gain verymuch economically from this exercise.

The Actio Apportum...

The draft policy document contains 331 policy approaches which are elucidated from thediscussions, interactions, seminars, field visits and brain storming sessions with producer farmers,people's representatives, farmer leaders, professionals, individuals, organizations working

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for the progress of the farm sector. One undisputed point which had total acceptance was theurgent need to keep the farmer who carries unique asset of work experience generated throughseveral centuries needs more care and share of the enormous economic prosperity that hedelivers to the country fighting all odds ranging from unpredictable climatic changes touncontrollable price fluctuation. The economic prosperity generated and enjoyed by the societyin different form should also be made available to the producer farmer by introducing an ActioApportum* a new methodology under which farmer get a legal right of share of profit generatedout of his farm produce. This is a must to keep the farming and farmer active alive and productiveatleast during the next 5 decades. The committee finds this must be accepted as an un-compromising policy to bring the smile of real prosperity in the farm front.

It is estimated that over 40 lakh tonnes of rice is being sold in Kerala. State could propose a cessof mere one rupee per kg of rice sold and can generate an amount of Rs.350 to Rs.400 croresevery year. This could be used as Actio Apportum (Avakasa Labham) a legal right for sharingthe profit generated out of the farm produce when it is traded at the terminal market. Everyfarmer who has given their produce to the state will be eligible to have Rs.5 per kg of paddy asAvakasa Labham. This may facilitate a farmer giving 3 tonnes of rice to earn a cheque for Rs15,000 rupees as avakasa labham from the Department of Agriculture for every crop season.Similar exercises could be worked out for rubber, milk and other crops after detailed study. Thiswill facilitate the farmer to invest more money to produce more paddy so that it offers a decentreturn as a right without fail. The unspent amount will remain as a 'Nidhi' for future utilization.

The contribution of agriculture labour in the developing strong and sustainable farming sectormust be recognised. A farm labour working in the paddy culture for 50 days during a seasonmust be eligible for a Avakasa Labham of Rs.2500/-. This will be sent him by cheque throughAgriculture Department.

Farmlands as precious diamonds...

The committee made a sincere attempt to go through the novel efforts made by other states inpreserving farm lands for agriculture purpose since land is the most important input and anunavoidable asset for sustainable agriculture. We find that our adjoining state Karnataka hasgiven a model act for land conservation and we very strongly recommend that a similar actshould be given shape in the state also. A land hungry state like ours blessed with conduciveclimate for rising different types of crops of very great economic importance must take veryspecial care in preserving the farm land against unplanned and haphazard use. We propose aclear cut policy on this aspect and its strict implementation. This is required even for thesustenance of crop and animal husbandry in the state.

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Income is guaranteed...

Fluctuations in the price of farm produce often cause havoc to the small farmer communityeroding away their entire profit. This was the universal compliant raised in all the meetingswherever producer farmers participated. Farm economists and agronomist also suggested thatunless a solution is found the farmer will not invest his hard earn resources for agriculture andlivestock development. The committee after prolonged deliberations suggest that, a prioritypolicy should be given shape to form a Price Fixing Authority and for the same an IncomeGuarantee Act may be passed.

Addressing the distressed...

One of the most unfortunate and highly undesirable development crept into the agriculturedevelopment scenario of the country was the eruption of the new phenomina during the laterpart of 1990's i.e. farmers suicide. During the colonial rule India was branded as a country ofstarvation deaths and famine whereas this new phenomina has happened when the country hadenough food grains in stock and was also doing exports. Several reasons are attributed for theshameful happenings but it remains a fact that farmer suicides are a reality and it has happenedin Kerala also and continues to happen even now, but showing a decreasing trend. Indiatoday has the strength to put an end to this shock with its granaries full and various povertyalleviation programmes implemented through out the country. We have made very sharp andpractical suggestions to face the challenge and certain methodologies and programmes forpreventing the occurrence of the same. Instead of rushing to the scene after the damage hashappened. This must be given a workable shape as early as possible since even officialrecords at the national level prove that the number of farmer suicides are increasing evenwhile the country holds over 60 million tonnes of grain as food reserve. If such a mechanismcould be added to the existing food security bill it may be more useful.

A separate agricultural budget...

The importance of farming sector in India is attaining new dimensions from a profession meantfor simple sustenance and subsistence it has undergone a lot of changes. In all fields from theland ownership to ultimate sale of the produce at the export market this change is visible. Takingthis into consideration a lot of transformation has taken place in providing a stature to the agriculturewhich was for beyond our imagination at the time of independence. Several States like Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, etc., are presenting an exclusive agriculture budget in the legislatureevery year and all the agriculture and allied activities are brought under very strict and highlyutilitarian scrutiny and support. Kerala with 80% of its agro produce finding market in other parts

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of the country and in other nations should emulate this approach of having a separate AgricultureBudget and it will be a very bold and welcome step which will help us to hasten the efforts forcreating real agriculture prosperity.

Sustaining the agricultural research...

Agricultural education and farm research are two areas which deserve paramount importanceboth at times of crisis and prosperity. It could give more help, assistance, guidance and breakthrough for the various problems erupted in the wide agricultural scenario of the state. In thiscontext Kerala Agriculture University with a history of over six decades deserve a very vital rolein finding solutions to the problems posed at present and the problems which may arrive infuture. The economic recession experienced both in the developing and developed countriesand its strangling effect in the farming sector needs a very purposeful strengthening of this vitalarea of activity. The present difficulties experienced by the Agriculture University mainly due tothe acquired debt of above Rs. 265 crores should not be treated as an obstacle which could notbe erased out making the university self reliant result producing and as an institution which couldface any challenge and provides solution to the problems faced by farmers as well as the State.We observe that its present financial burden though acquired due to undesirable and unfortunatereasons must not be allowed to wither one of the resource rich institutions we have built up at ahuge cost.

Kerala's farming sector according to certain estimate is contributing physical produce worthover Rupees one lakh crore. An institution like Kerala Agriculture University should be treatedas a part of this great effort and it should be made capable to help the farmers to make thereturns from farming sector cross two lakh crores in another two decades. The agriculturaluniversity may not be treated as a commercial organization and its contributions must beevaluated using different norms. It is an integral part of a development system that contributesenormous energy for achieving new vistas of progress which ultimately strengthen the economyboth by physical, emotional and holistic manner. Our agriculture university today holds totalstaff strength of 4600 personage from Vice Chancellor down to the farm labourer. Though theagriculture university has been trifurcated the staff strength of the university till remains 4230with 40% of it posts are still remaining vacant. At present the university is finding it extremelydifficult to push through the programmes which are capable to produce rich results andbreakthroughs due to the fund crisis. Delivery of vital contributions for the farming sector is stillcontinued by the institution and its stature as the best agriculture university maintaining highteaching standards remains a well recognised national honour.

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The state should take a positive view to wipe off the debt and provide enough fund to put itback to rails to make rich contributions enabling the farming sector to progress faster, helpingthe farmer, and State economy more prosperous. The agriculture university is an organizationwhich the farmers and all those who love farming, want to function and produce promisingresults for the progress at present and in the days to come. The committee is of opinion thatthe crisis faced by the university at present must be sorted out and it should be made courageous,bold and capable to function as a provider, guiding spirit and friend in need to the farmers ofthe state. This must be treated as a high priority area.

Improving the quality of research...

In this context Indian Council of Agriculture has given shape to Model Bill for agricultureUniversities of the country after assessing the various challenges and responsibilities facing inthe farming situation of the country. Our initial reaction is that the state may welcome the ModelBill and accept the same with appropriate modification which may suit the peculiar agriculturesituation, crop and animal husbandry systems followed in the state and the marketing andvalue addition prospects and above all farmer's welfare. This is an area were more intensivestudies are required and we hope government will take appropriate advises to give shape anew agriculture / veterinary / fisheries University Bill.

‘Neera’ can tap income...

Neera has ultimately recognised by the Government of Kerala as a non alcoholic beverage itmust be popularised. The Committee from its very commencement of working, initiated stepswith Government to materialise the same. Neera according to experts as well as experiencedfarmers is sure to give anew economic prosperity to coconut grower. In several other parts ofthe world Neera has proved to be a very valuable expert earner both of Neera and a syrup anda sugar. In Kerala it must be reiterated that the ultimate right on Neera production rest withfarmers this must be recognised without any doubt because farmer takes care of the palm fromthe very first day of is farming and every products coming out of the same belongs him sinceit is a products of his care and attention. The next should be a united effort by the Departmentof Agriculture, coconut board and KAU for producing Neera and allied products and successfullymarketing the same for providing good income to the farmer good wages to the labour andsubstantial income as taxes to the government. This area is also facing a lot of challenges likeproduction of planting materials, care of gardens, producing varieties and treatment to producemore Neera and also its marketing and value added material production and even exports.This calls for vigilance support to the FPO and its federation. The Neera business is openingup a billion dollar business in the state if handle properly which appropriate policy support itwill bring an era a prosperity and welfare to the coconut growers and all those who are associatedwith this production. Appropriate policy support perhaps the most vital input.

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K. Krishnankutty (Chairman)Ezhuthani HousePerumattyPalakkad.

Heartfelt gratitude....

I am very much indebted to the esteemed members of the committee senior officers of theAgriculture University, Veterinary University, Fisheries University, Department of Agriculture,and Animal Husbandry, Dairy, Soil Conservation and Soil Survey, Chairmen and ManagingDirectors of all the corporations and boards in the farming sector of the state for the very kindco-operation extended to the committee. Officers of Government of India, different commodityboards, input agencies, farmers, farm leaders, farmer's organization representatives, farmjournalists, economists, both print and electronic media in the public and private domain forthe very active help given to us. Committee is extremely thankful to all the District PanchayatPresidents, Block Panchayat Presidents, Grama Panchayat Presidents and the members andofficials who provided as a great forum in each district for open free and frank discussion withthe farmers and peoples representatives. The committee is very much indebted to all theofficers who provided wonderful and purposeful assistance to make this job a very fruitful one.I have a word of very special thanks to the Department of Agriculture and State AgriculturalManagement Extension and Training Institute (SAMETI) for providing the secretarial assistanceof high standards for completing the great work keeping a tight time schedule.

I wish to place heartfelt thanks to Sri. K.Divakaran, M.L.A., and Former Minister for AnimalHusbandry and Dairy for supporting the Committee with valuable suggestions.

The committee wish to submit its profound gratitude to the farming community and all thosewho love farming for the patience, co-operation, help and suggestions extended to us. Thefarmers and people representatives very realistic, though at times were “explosive” in narratingthe difficulties experienced compelling a few of them to woo even extreme steps of suicideswere kind enough to provide very sober suggestions of great practical value and credited theutility value of this report is really due to their large hearted contribution.

I dedicate this humble document for the welfare and prosperity of the hardworking farmingcommunity and their labour associates who keep Kerala evergreen, prosperous, progressiveand a biodiversity paradise.

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Agriculture and allied sectors are themost crucial sectors of the Kerala economyas they provide livelihood to approximatelytwo-third of the population and contribute afourth of the SDP. Agriculture in Kerala haspassed through many changing phases. Themajor change started from the later part of1970s, when decline in rice production inKerala happened owing to the increasedavailability of rice grains at a comparativelycheaper price Consequently, investment in riceproduction decreased and a major portion ofthe land was shifted for the cultivation ofperennial tree crops and seasonal crops.Profitability of crops is reducing due to thehigh wages for farm labourers, the high priceof land and the uneconomic size of operationalholding areas.

1.2 The population pressure on land isvery high in Kerala and the land has becomeshifted from the position of a resource forproduction to the level of an asset. This madethe situations more complex and the farmersare started shifting from cultivation and thepractice of putting the most valuable land toother purposes than farming began. Manyfarmers were forced to stop agriculture dueto these reasons and farming became a non-lucrative vocation.

1.3 Kerala is known as a consumer state.This dependence is creating very seriousproblems as the neighbouring states arerestricting the free flow of food materialsoutside. The state is primarily depending onthe states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, AndhraPradesh etc., for the staple food, rice. But thefact is that these states are announcing 'rice

holidays' for their farmers and the land is keptfallow. For the unavoidable other foodmaterials like egg, milk and meat, thedependency on other states is at its maximum.If the present trend is allowed to continue,the state of Kerala would become the mostfood insecure part in the country.

1.4 This poses serious threat for not onlyin the food security of the State, but also inthe environmental aspects which is the basisfor sustenance of life. Under thesecircumstances, the Government of Kerala,headed by the Hon'ble Chief Minister, Sri.Oommen Chandy and Hon'ble Minister forAgriculture, Animal Husbnadry, Printing andStationary Sri. K.P. Mohanan decided toformulate an Agriculture Development Policywith a view to bring safety and status to thecultivators and assuring income from farming.

1.5 In May, 2012 The Government ofKerala constituted an advisory committeeunder the chairmanship of Hon'ble Ministerfor Agriculture, Sri. K.P. Mohanan. Theadvisory committee entrusted the task ofpreparation of a draft policy document to aSub-Committee chaired by a renownedfarmer Sri. K. Krishnankutty. The othermembers are Sri. M.S. Joseph, Retd.Agricultural Production Commissioner, Sri.R. Hali, Retd. Director of Agriculture, Dr.Vadivelu, former Director of Extension, TamilNadu Agricultural University, Dr. P.Rajasekharan, Chief (Agri.), State PlanningBoard, Dr.P.V. Balachandran, Director ofExtension, Kerala Agricultural University, Dr.K.G. Suma, Director, Animal HusbandryDepartment, Sri. R. Ajithkumar, Director of

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Agriculture as Convener and Sri. A.K.Madhavachandran, Deputy Director ofAgriculture as Joint Convener. The Hon'bleChief Minister was kind enough to attend thefirst meeting of the Sub-Committee along withthe District Panchayat Presidents and PoliticalFarmer Organisations (PFOs). He suggestedthat considering the very important role, theSub-committee had to visit and gather informations from the farmers of the 14 districtsand all the stake holders while formulating thePolicy. As per his suggestion the Sub-Committee conducted a series of sittings witha participatory approach with all thestakeholders of agriculture throughout thestate. It took a mission mode approach forthe generation of draft policy document.

1.6 Formulation of the draft policy

1.6.1 A series of consultation meetings wereconducted to understand the needs of differentsections of the society as well as the designand content. Meetings with farmers, farmlabourers, Local Self Governments, variousstake holders in the sector such as farmerorganisations, agricultural labourorganisations, Organisations of professionalsand extension workers engaged in the sector,Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs),representatives from public sector enterprises,representatives from commodity boards andnational research institutions, meetings withManaging Directors and Chairmen of PublicSector Undertakings (PSUs) and state levelbodies which are promoting agriculture andallied activities, the farm journalists, etc., wereconducted across the state. All the decisionsin the meetings, suggestions and opinions ofthe participants were considered for the policydocument preparation.

1.6.2 In order to elicit responses from differentsections such as the important peoples'representatives like MLAs, progressive farmers,eminent personalities in the field of agriculture,the Chairman wrote detailed letters to them andtheir suggestions were sought. For theparticipation of the public wide publicity for thecommittee along with the contact numbers ande-mail address were given in the leading newspapers of Kerala. As expected, it got a very goodquantum of responses.

1.6.3 A total of 48 sittings, 384 hours longdiscussions and 128 days long documentwriting were conducted for the policydocument generation. A total of 96 numberof organisations and 2650 number of peopleattended for the policy document generation.

1.6.4. The Government of Kerala (GOK)headed by Sri. K.Karunakaran as ChiefMinister and Sri.P.P.George as Minister forAgriculture, announced the first AgriculturalPolicy for the state During March, 1992, andas more than two decades passed by; thereneeds a thorough reorientation of the policyon the light of the present agricultural scenarioof the state. Further, the Government of Indiaapproved a 'National Policy for Farmers'submitted by the National Commission onFarmers (NCF) under the chairmanship ofProf. M.S. Swaminathan during September,2007. The primary focus of this policy wason the 'farmer' defined holistically and notmerely on agriculture. In that sense the policywas regarded as more comprehensive thanmerely an agricultural policy. The guidelines ofthis policy are also taken for the manuscriptpreparation of the State Agricultural Policy byincorporating the primary production sectors

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such as Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries.Lately, during 2010, the GOK also formulateda thorough strategy for the adoption of organicfarming by amending the then exisitng organicfarming policy of the state. Since an organicfarming farming poicy has already been framed,this document does not cover any policy relatedto organic farming. However, the backgroundactivities needed for setting up of organic farmsthroughout the state is dealt in detail in therespective heads.

1.6.5 With this background works, thepolicy is designed with the primary view ofensuring a respectable living to farmers andthose who are associated with farming ofKerala by improving the net income earnedby them by the judicious utilization of availableresources of land, water, rural manpower andtechnology with focus on increasing theproductivity and profit in a planned manner.

1.7. Vision of the Policy document

1.7.1 The policy document encompasses avision of “ensuring a sizable incomefrom farming along with food, water,livelihood security and modern livingamenities to every citizen of the Stateby maintaining sustainability of theagriculture production system anddevelop agriculture as a worthwhileoccupation capable of assuring amodern living with dignity and socialstatus to farmers so that the futuregenerat ion i s at tracted towardsfarming which must be a charming andchallenging enterprise to them throughthe primary sectors l ike AnimalHusbandry, Dairy, Inland Fisheriesalong with Crop Husbandry includingharvesting and handling”.

1.7.2 As mentioned earlier the documentcovers the primary production sectors suchas Crop Husbandry, Animal Husbandry,Plantation sector, Dairy and environment.

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2. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE STATE

2.1 Kerala is characterised by the resourcerichness such as rainfall, fertile soil, goodsunshine and humidity. It also possessesdifferent climatic conditions like tropic, subtropic and semi-temperate. The state is alreadydivided in to 26 different agro ecologicalzones. It is well known for the plant and animaldiversity of the Western Ghats, which is heardas a 'Biodiversity Paradise'.

2.2 Currently, agriculture in Kerala suffersfrom characteristics such as decliningcultivable area, low productivity per unit oflabour, predominance of tiny and fragmentedholdings, aversion of agriculture sector byyoung generation of farmers and agriculturallabourers due to the insecurity in income anduncertainty in the agriculture production andpoor marketing channels. Emergence ofexport-oriented cash crops over food crops hasresulted in the decline of food crop to non-foodcrop area ratio from 64:36 (1960-61) to 16:67(2009-10). The fact remains that 80% of theagricultural products like rubber, tea, coffee,spices etc., produced from Kerala are stillmarketed outside the state. The impact of climaticvariations started affecting agricultural productionto a greater extent. The drought situations of2003 and 2013 are very good examples for it.

2.3 Out of the total geographical area of38.86 lakh hectares, net area sown is 20.71lakh hectares which comprises of 53.3% ofthe total area. The net area has decreased by0.35% when compared with the 2009-10statistics. Out of the gross cropped area of26.47 lakh hectares; food crops, comprisingrice, pulses minor millets and tapioca occupyonly 12.05 % (Agricultural Statistics 2010-11).

Kerala is facing serious challenges in retainingeven this meagre area. Even though Kerala hasthe least waste land available when comparedto the rest of India, (2.01 lakh hectares) area,which can be put in agricultural purposes is stillto be exploited.

2.4 The general appearance of the greenlush of the state signifies the feed availabilityfor the livestock and thus it forms an integralpart of the production system.

2.5 The integrated farming combining livestock, backyard poultry and inland fishery isknown as the 'homestead farming' which isunique to Kerala.

2.6 The share of Agriculture in StateDomestic Product (SDP) during 1970-1971 was 49.44% which declined to 14%in 2009-10 like in India. However, theshare of service sector during the sameperiod showed an increase to 61.3% from34.23%.

2.7 Kerala was the pioneering state inIndia in implementing the land reforms. But atthe present condition, those who own the landleave it fallow because of many reasons suchas non availability and high cost of labour,inputs, high production cost, very poor profitmargin and several other critical constraints.Thus the situation is such that cultivable fallowis available, but resources required forcultivation is costly or not available to theneedy. Land owners also fear that their landwill be lost if given for others on rent for alonger time.

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2.8 According to Government figures,Kerala's total food grain requirement in 1997was 48 lakh tonnes a year and internal productionaccounted for only 10 lakh tonnes. Twenty fourlakh tonnes used to be provided under the PDS,the rest of the requirement being met from theopen market. The present crop situation of thestate is as follows. The total area under paddy is2.13 lakh hectares, vegetables 0.42 lakhhectares, fresh fruit plants 2.83 lakh hectares,tapioca and other tubers 0.93 lakh hectares,pulses 0.004 lakh hectares, coconut is 7.7 lakhhectares, sugarcane 0.0064 lakh hectares, spices& condiments 3.54 lakh hectares, and plantationcrops 6.7 lakh hectares according to 2010-11statistics.

2.9 Kerala agriculture is mainly dominatedby small, marginal and homestead farmers.The average land holding size is smallest inKerala. Marginal farmers with an area lessthan one hectare and dominated by home steadfarming of 10-20 cents is a specialcharacteristics of Kerala. The above categoryconstitutes 90.4% of the total small farmerswith 1-2 ha (4.3%) semi medium farmers with2-4 ha (1.3%) large farmers with 4-10 ha(0.3%) (Economics and Statistics, 2009).

2.10 Majority of livestock population in thestate is concentrated in villages. The biggestcontribution of livestock sector is theprovision of quality food materials like milk,egg and meat. Mostly casual and agriculturallabourers are engaged in cattle rearing andallied activities and hence any developmentin the animal husbandry sector strengthensrural livelihoods. Livestock sector in the stateis a major contributor to Gross State DomesticProduct (GSDP); it could be as high as 40percent of the agricultural GSDP in Kerala.

Out of the total live stock keepers in Kerala,about 14 % keep bovine, 23 % keep poultryand 10% keep goats. According to thelivestock census data 2007, of animalhusbandry dept., cattle population in Keralais 17.31 lakhs, buffalo population is 58145,goat population is 17.29 lakhs, pig populationis 59017 and poultry population is 118.2 lakhs.Average milk yield of crossbred cows inKerala is 9.02 litres, buffalo is 6.5 litres andegg per layer per year is 221. The total crossbred population of cattle is 93% with exoticblood limited to 50%.

2.11 The potential of inland waterresources for fish production have not beenutilized optimally till date because Kerala isstill depending on the marine fish. But themarine fish population is also depleting at afaster rate and there lies the possibility ofutilising the inland water resources for fishproduction. The inland water bodies, including44 rivers (85000 ha.), 53 reservoirs (44289ha.), 53 back waters and brackish water bodies(65213 ha.), the polders of Kuttanad havinga water spread area of 35000 ha., 17,000 ha.of Kole lands of Thrissur and Malappuram,12,000 ha. of Pokkali lands in Ernakulam andThrissur, 2500 ha. of Kaipad lands in Kannurcan be suitably utilized for production of freshwater fish. Alarmingly, due to fasturbanisation; invasion to these places aretaking place at a very faster rate and the areahas diminished to the extent that the Pokkalilands decreased to 3000-3500 ha.

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3. A NEW WAVE POLICY FOR AGRICULTURE

3.1 The world is after food grains. Thetraditional granaries of India are beingdepleted at a faster rate. Many of thetraditional rice growing states have alreadyannounced 'Rice Holidays'. Kerala is knownas a food hungry state. When the cereals arenot available or costly, people are dependingon the other unavoidable foods like pulses,meat, egg and milk. Food has become costlierin Kerala over the past few years. This isactually inflicting in the wound. Priceescalation with non availability of food is aserious concern of the state as this may leadto the control of 'free flow of food grains'.This gives ample scope for agriculturalproduction within the state, but the farmersare still withdrawing from cultivation and thepressure on land is very high in the state. Thecultivated area is shrinking day by day. Lessprofit out turn of field crops compared toindustrial crops and labour availability are themain issues faced by the agriculturalproducers.

3.2 FAO admits that 1.02 billion peopleare under nourished worldwide in 2009 whichrepresents more hungry people and worseningof unsatisfactory trends. The increase in foodinsecurity is not a result of poor harvest buthigh domestic food prices, increasingunemployment and lower incomes whichreduced the food for the poor. Financial crisisof 2009 deepened the food insecurity. Withthe shortfall in production, prices shot up. Itis worrisome that Kerala has the highest deficitin food production (one per cent of total area,but three percent of total population) and alsoleast waste land available.

3.3 The decline in agricultural growthcoupled with declining profitability in theagriculture sector, in the face of rapid growthof non-farm sector, is one of the majorconcerns. The declining profitability ispartially due to fluctuating world prices ofagricultural commodities and the efforts tokeep the domestic prices low to protectconsumers' interest, which resulted in declinein the terms of trade for the farm sector. This,coupled with the stagnating and declining yieldlevels, resulted in low income to the farmers.In the present condition many are withdrawingfrom cultivation and the land is put in to othernon-agricultural practices.

3.4 These situations and complexities areto be addressed carefully so that a viable andsustainable agricultural production systemwould prevail and that require careful planningand a new policy initiation from the part ofthe Government. The research and extensionsystem of the state would be equipped onthese lines and definite bench marks are laiddown in the policy document.

3.5 This definitive approach needsthorough understanding of the termsfrequently used to describe the content. Theyare defined and attached with the policydocument for further clarifications andstrategy / project / scheme formulations andimplementations.

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4. DEFINITIONS

4.1 Definition of Farmer: It is suggestedthat the definition given by the NationalCommission for Farmers (NCF) may beadopted for the state policy as the definitionis inclusive of all practitioners of farming. Forthe purpose of this Policy, the term“FARMER” will refer to a person activelyengaged in the economic and/or livelihoodactivity of growing crops and producing otherprimary agricultural commodities and willinclude all agricultural operational holders,cultivators, agricultural labourers,sharecroppers, tenants, poultry and livestockrearers, milkers, fishers, beekeepers,gardeners, pastoralists, non-corporateplanters and planting labourers, as well aspersons engaged in various farming relatedoccupations such as sericulture, vermiculture,and agro-forestry. The term will also includetribal families / persons engaged in shiftingcultivation and in the collection, use and saleof minor and non-timber forest produce.(National Policy for Farmers 2007)

4.2 Kerala State Agriculture debt Reliefact 2006 defined Farmer as a person whoholds whether as owner, licensee ormortgagee in possession oral lease,Government land lease “Kuthakapattam” orpartly in one capacity and partly in anotherwith possession of an extent of land notexceeding four hectares and whose principalmeans of livelihood is agriculture and whoseannual income does not exceed rupees twolakhs and includes an agricultural labourer,Kudumbasree and self help group units doingcultivation by taking over agricultural land on

lease agreement condition. For satisfying theobjective of certain aspects related to creditand other issues this definition holds good.The Self Help Groups (SHGs), Joint LiabilityGroups (JLGs) and the like groups who areinvolved in agriculture are also categorisedunder ‘farmers’. The definition of farmer asdescribed under 4.1 and 4.2 is adopted forthe implementation of the AgriculturalDevelopment Policy.

4.3 Agriculture: is the cultivation ofplants, animals, fungi, and other life formsfor food, fibre, bio-fuel and other productsused to sustain human life.

4.4 It can also be defined that agricultureis the science, art, or practice of cultivatingthe soil, producing crops, and raising livestockand poultry and in varying degrees thepreparation and marketing of the resultingproducts.

4.5 Farming is an activity of primaryproduction and processing type where by thefarmer derives income, mental satisfaction and/ or environmental protection initiatives likesoil and water conservation measures in singleor in combination.

4.6 The term 'farm land' refers to the landor space where cultivation of crops is beingdone or capable of cultivation by any crop,livestock maintenance and intentionalaquaculture is being practised and could bemade possible.

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5. INTRODUCTION TO POLICY REFORMS

5.1 The proposed agricultural growth andprosperity could be made in to reality byimproving the livelihood capital and meansof production.

5.2 Accordingly, the livelihood capitaloutlay is classified as natural capital, physicalcapital, financial capital, human capital andsocial capital. The concept here is to formulatean agricultural policy that would assure thefundamental requirements such as food, water,livelihood, and minimum amenities of life toall the citizens of the state.

5.3 In developing countries, where amajority of families derive their livelihoodsfrom agriculture, sustainable agriculturecannot be discussed in isolation of sustainablerural livelihoods. Sustainable rural livelihoodis a multifaceted concept and refers tomaintenance or enhancement of access of ruralfamilies to food and income-generatingactivities on a long-term basis. It encompassessecured ownership of, or access to, resources,assets and income-earning activities to offsetrisks, ease shocks and meet contingencies. Inthe Kerala context, where average farm-sizeis very small, and poverty and food-securitycontinue to be preponderant among smalllandholders, the notion of sustainableagriculture ought to be viewed in the contextof need for enhancement of productivity,production and profitability of agriculture andabove all, for improvement in the economicconditions of farmers. All these need a carefuland intentional policy interventions by theGovernment.

5.4 Necessary legal provisions would be createdfor the implementation of the AgriculturalDevelopment Policy wherever the situationdemands creation, ammendment and / oradditions.

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6. POLICIES RELATED TO LAND

6.1 The best and most versatile farmingland is a valuable resource that should, ingeneral, be protected from irreversibledevelopment. As described earlier, thepressure on land in Kerala is very high. Thereis a growing tendency that the land is beingput for purposes other than agriculture sincethe status of the land has changed from theconcept as an input to an asset. Thus the valueof the land is on the rising and people expectan out turn from that investment to more profitlike real estate. This made a steady decline inour most blessed natural resource namelyland. Unless land is utilized for cultivation, itbecomes a commodity in the hands of landtraders, a situation already critical in Kerala.This is also important in the context of climatechange and the price rise, globally and locally.Reducing the 'food miles' is gaining popularityeven in the developed world and Kerala canshow a model in this regard.

6.2 Policy 1: The farm lands areto be protected and should not be put forany other use than farming activities.

6.2.1 The primary requisite for agriculturalproduction is the farmland (as per section 4.6of the policy document). For assuring theproduction, the availability of the farm land isto be assured first. The following policieswould help in the preservation of idealfarmland.

6.2.2 The states like Punjab, Haryana, UPetc., where agriculture occupies a primeposition with respect to the state's income arenow facing serious threats due to the decliningground water table and land conversions.

Many of the Indian states like ours aredepending on these states for the food.

6.2.3 The farm land as per the definitionunder as per section 4.6 of the policydocument must be conserved for agriculturalpurposes alone. A farmer can develop his ownresidence and care must be taken to see thata residential colony should not be grown upunder any circumstances utilising thisprovision. Farm lands at any cost should notbe converted other than for Governmentpurpose at unavoidable circumstances. Whenfarm lands are needed by the Government fornon agricultural purposes under these veryunavoidable circumstances, the agencieswhich are receiving the land must developequivalent degraded / wastelands elsewhereand make it potent for a profitable farming.An act in this line is a must.

6.3 Policy 2: The agriculturallypotential land is to be identified anddemarcated with the help of moderntechnologies such as remote sensing,satellite imagery, etc., and a database is tobe made.

6.3.1 Assistance of National Remotesensing agency will be taken in this regardand this area is to be notified as 'agriculturallyimportant'. The maintenance of this databaseis the joint responsibility of AgricultureDepartment and Revenue Department andlegal provisions for not putting the land forother purposes are also to be made.

6.3.2 The land records needs to be madeperfect, digitalised and made it available for

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open references and official law enforcement.The ownership of the land should be madetraceable with the help of the database made.The Revenue Department and AgricultureDepartment should see that the database isupdated correctly.

6.3.3 The existing system of landclassification by the revenue officials is onlywet land and garden land. This does not callsfor a detailed classification. The land is to beclassified in to different zones namely, ‘GreenZone, Pink Zone and Brown Zone’ dependingupon the uses for which it has to be put. TheGreen Zone will be marked exclusively foragricultural purpose, the Pink Zone forresidential purpose and Brown Zone forindustrial purpose.Under no circumstances,Green Zone would be converted for any otherpurposes. Necessary legal provisions for thishas to be made by the Government urgentlyto protect the farm land. An individualapproach should be mandatory and at nocircumstances, the least land owners beaffected in constructing house for his ownfamily requirement.

6.4 Policy 3: The transactions onfarmlands are to be made moretransparent for protecting the ineterests offarmers

6.4.1 In order to protect the farmlands,Karnataka Government has suitably amended theTHE KARNATAKA LAND REVENUE ACT,1964 in 1995 enabling only the farmers forpurchase of notified farm land. But in the Keralacondition it would be impracticable if thetransactions are restricted. In this context, it wouldbe desirable if a law could be made for the farmland transactions making it more transparent.

6.4.2 Since it was observed that hugeamount of farm lands were being purchasedby different Trusts and Organisations and theremust be a ceiling for all these type of activities.Necessary legal provisions are also to beincorporated so that the excess land taken bythem can be realised by the Government andput for farming activities. In this context,developing the satellite cities utilising the mostvaluable farm land would prove to be suicidaland that should be discouraged with theenactment of a law.

6.5 Policy 4: Cultivable wastes shouldbe brought under plough with immediateeffect for augmenting the food production.

6.5.1 Less intensive crops like tubers, pulsesand coarse millet are to be grown in thesepotential areas of food production. Schemesfor this type of interventions should beformulated so that every possible extent ofarable land is put under crops.

6.6 Policy 5: Land owned by KeralaAgricultural University, Department ofAgriculture, Department of AnimalHusbandry, Department of Dairy,Veterinary University etc., should not beput for any other use than the purposesfor which it was intended for.

6.6.1 ‘Keep off’ from the land owned byUniversities and Departments as it wouldcause serious problems with regard to thetraining and testing of different technologiesdeveloped for the farmers. Considering thefood security point of view, the coming erawould of the type on intensive training andtesting of the technologies. In the researchand development front also there would be a

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boom and many developed nations areinvesting on the lands of Africa based on thisprediction. So, the land owned by Universitiesand Departments in connection withagriculture should be protected.

6.6.2 The land owned by Universities andDepartments are being put for non agriculturalpurposes. As per the quick estimate made, itwas revealed that 22 ha of land was lost bythe KAU, 62 ha by the Department ofAgriculture and 31 ha by the AnimalHusbandry Department from the originalpossession. This practice will be discouraged.

6.7 Policy 6: Appropriate legislativemechanism may be evolved for thepromotion of ‘Rent a Land for Farming’programmes.

6.7.1 Keeping the land fallow is a bad trendobserved in Kerala by the Sub-Committee. Thismight be due to the fear of possession by thepeople who take land for rent for doingcultivation. This should be addressed withimmediate effect protecting the ownership ofthe land and programmes for renting the landfor farming is to be launched by theGovernment.

6.7.2 The fallow lands should be made availableto the SHG and JLG groups like ‘KudumbaSree’ for increasing the production as well asimproving the livelihood support. The rent onthese lands should be regulated so that the ownerand tenant will be getting remunerative out put.

6.7.3 The operationalisation of theseprogrammes should be in line with the FarmerProducer Organisations as described under theChapter 18.

6.8 Policy 7: Necessary administrativemechanism may be evolved for bringing thedifferent agencies connected with landrelated activities under one co-ordinationagency.

6.8.1 Land Development should berecognised as the most important measure forthe effective up-gradation of productionpossibilities of natural resource base. Within thenatural unit of a watershed, soil and waterconservation, agriculture development andallied activities like animal husbandry,pisciculture, etc, will be carried out in anintegrated manner with a full involvement andparticipation of the farmers. The watershedbased activities will be brought under singleumbrella under the control of single co-ordination agency and implemented with thesupport of various stake holders.

6.9 Policy 8: The Government shouldhave the aim of employingInformationTechnology to transform theexisting system of land records maintenanceand thereby ensuring efficient, accurate andtransparent delivery mechanism and conflictresolution in ownership of land.

6.9.1 The land records digitisation is a muchneeded step in streamlining the entire systempertaining to land transactions in the state. Theabsence of an updated database is the majorreason behind land disputes. A central databasehaving a comprehensive link to all land-relatedorganisations under a single network is neededfor monitoring the land related transactions,better service delivery etc. With such a set-upthe government officials sitting at their officescan see any transformation of land or changeof ownership.

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7. WATER RELATED POLICIES

7.1 Water has become one of the mostabused resources in Kerala. The State isblessed with 3000 mm of annual precipitation,41 rivers running across the full breadth, 3rivers in partial coverage and numerouswetlands. But if the rivers are put together,they may not carry water as Krishna Rivercarry.

7.2 As per the classical classification landis the primary requisite for production andwhen agriculture is concerned water alsoforms an important component. Allhouseholds require water for consumption.Farming households also require water forproducing crops and raising livestock.

7.3 The ground reason for the non-availability of water during the critical stagesof requirement as a part of its sustainable useshould be looked in to. The probable reasonscould be the increasing level of contamination,the destruction of wetland ecosystems, andover-exploitation of the remaining water fordomestic and industrial uses.

7.4 During March 1992, a state waterpolicy was announced by the then Hon’bleMinister for Irrigation and Cultural Affairs Sri.T.M. Jacob. The cropping pattern, land use,hydrological status and environmental needof the Kerala State are distinctly different fromthose of the other states. That was thebackground for formulating a state waterpolicy.

7.5 Substantial increase in area undercrops grown more than once in Punjab hadbeen primarily due to the availability ofassured ground water for irrigation.

Therefore, assuring ground water for all cropproduction programmes is the need of thehour. Therefore, the policies related towater considering agriculture should havethe following dimensions. Apart from thepolicy initiatives started as per the StateWater Policy ,1992 these would also be invogue.

7.6 Policy 9: Preservation andsustainable use of water should be themotto of all crop production programmesof the state.

7.6.1 Majority of farmers in the statedepend on groundwater for irrigation. Thisresource, in which farmers may haveinvested their hard-earned savings, is beingdepleted and the water table is receding fast.Therefore, rainwater harvesting and aquiferrecharge would be accorded priority forensuring the stability and sustainability ofwater.

7.6.2 When the crop production schemesof the Departments are formulated, it shouldcontain the different aspects of sustainableuse of water. Water-use efficiency can beenhanced by generating synergy with seedvarieties, nutrients (macro and micro) andfarm implements. So a crop productionscheme is to be formulated with all theseaspects in mind and there should be asustainable water use component in everysuch programmes.

7.7 Policy 10: Water budgeting shouldbe adopted in a watershed basis.

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7.7.1 Water budgeting could be defined as 'anestimate of harvest of water resources and itsutilization for a set period of time'. Therequirement of water in a watershed is assessedscientifically and a plan is to be made. The wateravailable from rains, irrigation requirement, waterholding capacity of the soil, irrigation frequency,method of irrigation, crop duration etc., shouldbe taken in to account and a water budget is tobe formulated with the help of irrigationengineers, NGOs, farmers and AgriculturalOfficers. This would not only help to regulatethe water use but also in improving the per unitproductivity of the available water. The wateruse can effectively be extended to other areaswhich would therefore be helpful in assuring thecrops. This should be given priority in waterscarce areas of the state.

7.8 Policy 11: Rain water harvestingand aquifer recharge would be givenpriority for ensuring the stability andsupply of water.

7.8.1 Rain water harvesting is essentialbecause the surface water is inadequate tomeet the demand and the state have to dependon ground water and due to rapidurbanization, infiltration of rain water into thesub-soil has decreased drastically andrecharging of ground water has diminished.

7.8.2 Artificial recharge to ground water isa process by which the ground water reservoiris augmented at a rate exceeding that obtainingunder natural conditions or replenishment.Any man-made scheme or facility that addswater to an aquifer may be considered to bean artificial recharge system.

7.8.3 Kerala has over 6.60 million wellsaccording to a study conducted as early as2007. This makes it the highest density of wellsin the world. With a simple method of rooftoprainwater harvesting, keeping the roof clean,providing a simple filter and leading the rainwaterinto the dug-wells water security can be ensuredfor the whole year. Fluoride toxicity seen in partsof the State can also be address by this.

7.9 Policy 12: The micro-irrigationtechnology is to be popularised in the statewith adequate share of state budget.

7.9.1 The largest share of energy is utilizedfor pumping of irrigation water. Variousresearch studies have shown that water saving,electricity saving, irrigation efficiencies andyield of crops using drip irrigation aresubstantially higher than crops irrigated by theconventional flood irrigation method.

7.9.2 The modern irrigation systems, dripand sprinkler can act as a mitigation measure.Eventually with little water available, cropcan survive and can virtually come out theover dependency on monsoon. Because,whatever rain is available in arid regions canbe will be stored and water applied to rootzone with drip, will bring this region out ‘rainfeed’ clutches with increased productivity.Apart from that the costly inputs such aschemical fertilisers can be significantlyreduced which will in turn reduce the cost ofproduction and environmental damages

7.9.3 Micro Irrigation has followingadvantages- 1. In this type of irrigation systemwater is saved through different ways such as- by reducing loss of water in conveyance - byreducing loss of water through evaporation, run

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off, and by deep percolation. - A water supplysource with limited flow rates such as small waterwells or city/rural water can be used in this typeof irrigation system. 2. Energy savings up to 30-40%– This type of irrigation system requires asmaller power unit and consumes less energy. 3.This type of irrigation system is helpful in inhibitinggrowth of weeds as it keeps limited wet areas.Under this condition the incidence of disease isalso reduced up to major extent. 4. Fertilizersand chemicals can be applied with water throughmicro irrigation system. This systems can beautomated which reduces labor requirements. 5.Improved production on marginal land.

7.10 Policy 13: Farm ponds andThalakkualams needs to be promoted andprotected.

7.10.1 It is estimated by CWRDM that about910 farm ponds are there in the State with 0.5ha area. About 50% of these need rejuvenation.There are more than 20 artificial reservoirs and2-3 large fresh water lakes in the state havinggood quality water. There are numerous perennialsprings throughout the state with ample amountof water which could be utilised for drinking andirrigation.

7.10.2 The ‘Thalakkulams’ form the apexirrigation source in a Padasekharam or acultivation area. They were usually fed from thenatural springs and the excess water would bedrained out through an out going channel. Thesesystems should be restored with Governmentand people participation and that can reduce thedrought problem by 30%. The existingprogramme of ‘Sahasra Sarovar’ should beintensified. The LSGs should take a lead role inthis regard.

7.11 Policy 14: Sub surface dykes are tobe constructed at possible places for theground water recharge

7.11.1 Subsurface dike is a structure that isbuilt in an aquifer with the intention ofobstructing the natural flow of ground water,thereby raising the ground water level andincreasing the amount of water stored in theaquifer. The ideal location for the dike is awell defined, wide, greatly sloping valley witha narrow outlet having limited thickness ofloose soil or porous rock on the top withmassive or impervious rock below.

7.11.2 Subsurface dike has manyadvantages. It does not require additionalsurface reservoir. There is no loss ofagricultural land. There is minimumevaporation loss since the storage issubsurface. There is no siltation and loss ofreservoir capacity. The cost of constructionis low and maintenance is negligible. It isenvironment-friendly and it can beimplemented with locally availablematerials.

7.11.3 In areas of a well defined watershedwith a narrow outlet and undulatingtopography, which is typical of Kerala,subsurface dike is an efficient system toconserve and utilise the rainfall that is receivedin a watershed. The water conserved in thedike can be utilised for irrigation and otherpurposes. It also allows for recycling ofirrigation water and nutrients in the catchmentarea.

7.12 Policy 15: The irrigation canalsof Kerala are to be structurally reset forthe prevention of seepage loss of water.

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7.12.1 Huge water loss is happening throughthe old earthen irrigation canals throughoutthe state. The technology suggested forimproving the irrigation efficiency by IDRBis the spot delivery of irrigation water to thefields through a covered water waymechanism. This should be adopted in areaswhere the tail-end plots does not receiveirrigation water at all.

7.12.2 The main irrigation canal where thecovered system of water delivery is notpossible, the top portion of it should becovered with solar electric panels, so thatevaporation loss is minimised and at thesame time power is also generated. Thepower thus generated could be very wellused for agricultural purposes and thus thedependency on costly electric power couldbe minimised.

7.13 Policy 16: The activities of theCommittee on the release of irrigationwater should be in deeds than in words.

7.13.1 The district level committee on therelease of irrigation water is to be recastedat Panchayt level including the AgriculturalOfficer of the area. Periodic meetings shouldbe made mandatory and only according therecommendation by this committee theregulation of irrigation water should be done.At present, there are instances where the waterwas released during the harvesting season andno water was available during the criticalphases of crop growth.

7.14 Policy 17: Pumping subsidyprovided to the Kuttanad and Kole landfarmers are to be routed through theDepartment of Agriculture.

7.14.1 Kuttanad and Kole areas are part of the‘Ramzar’ sites and globally protected areas ofagricultural heritage. The outlook on theimportance of these sites made theGovernment to take the tax payers’ moneyand utilise it for the sustenance of this GlobalAgricultural Heritage. As a part of it forconserving the rice cultivation followed herea huge amount of money is being spent.Considering the need for a single unitedagency to look after the cultivation aspectswhich is liable for invasion by pests anddiseases and to protect the global heritage,all the interventions are to be routed througha single agency. Agriculture Department maybe made the sole responsible agency for thesetype of activities as per the mandate.

7.14.2 During the sittings at Alleppey andThrissur, the farmers vehemently made a pleabefore the sub-committee that the pumpingsubsidy should be routed through theDepartment of Agriculture, so that, they canapproach only one agency for all thecultivation aspects.

7.15 Policy 18: All interstate water sharingg agreements have to be timely reviewedto promote thrust areas of irrigationdevelopment.

7.15.1 Joint Water Regulation Boards ofinterstate river water agreements must haveagriculture experts also while negotiating thesharing pattern for a particular season.

7.16 Policy 19: Irrigated agriculture beingthe largest water demanding sector, specialattention has to be given for creating andsustaining irrigation infrastructure.

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7.16.1 The possibility of increasing the storagecapacity of major and minor irrigation schemesshall be explored and de-silting of dams andcanals has to be taken up as a priority area toimprove the water availability for crops in theayacut area.

7.16.2 Irrigation scheduling of all major andminor irrigation projects shall be formallycompleted and published before thecommencement of each irrigation season.Agriculture Department and Water ResourcesDepartment shall jointly coordinate the croppingpattern after assessing the water availability in ascientific manner.

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8. SOIL RELATED POLICIES

8.1 The soil is home to a large proportionof the world's biodiversity. In a balanced soil,plants grow in an active and steady environment.The mineral content of the soil and its heartifulstructure are important for their well-being, butit is the life in the earth that powers its cyclesand provides its fertility. Without the activitiesof soil organisms, organic materials wouldaccumulate and litter the soil surface, and therewould be no food for plants. Natural Soil is oftenreferred to as living because it contains billionsof organisms that plants need for their healthand longevity.

8.2 In general, the soils of Kerala are acidic,kaolintic and gravelly with low CEC(CationExchange Capacity), low water holding capacityand high phosphate fixing ability. Policyinitiatives are meant for improving the soil qualityaspects.

8.3 Policy 20: Bio-Manure and BioFertiliser production is to be enhanced forreviving the soil health and should be one ofthe primary activities of the Department ofAgriculture.

8.3.1 Use of organic manure in the soil wouldbe the effective step in maintaining the health ofthe soil. Composting, vermicomposting, use ofFarm Yard Manure, use of green manure crops,green leaf manuring etc., would be promoted aspart of it. The availability of these types of naturalorganic manures is to be assured by employingeffective mechanisms and logistic networks sothat the organic content of the soil is increasedto the level ideal for shifting towards 'OrganicFarming' without affecting the returns.

8.3.2 There will be initial decrease in theproduction where ‘Organic Conversion’ is beingparctised. Appropriate financial supportprogrammes are to be launched by theGovernment to bridge the loss sustained due tothe shift in to organic parctices.

8.3.3 The Bio Fertiliser production programmesare to be taken up by the PSUs, following modelas that of FACT, done during the 1960s and70s in input production.

8.4 Policy 21: The production potential ofthe soil is to be improved.

8.4.1 pH regulation in the problem soils wouldbe an effective step in increasing the productionpotential. Most of our paddy fields are in theacidic range and it needs regular supply andapplication of soil ameliorants like lime andgypsum. Acidity regulation involves acommunity based approach where the farmersand LSGs can play their roles effectively. As theavailability of lime and gypsum are limited nowa day, the application of environmentally safeindustrial wastes such as basic slag would bepromoted.

8.5 Policy 22: The first week of June ofevery year shall be observed as ‘GreenManure Week’ by the State Governmentfor the promotion of green manuringmethods and green manure crops.

8.5.1 June is the starting month with respectto agriculture in Kerala. This strategicallyimportant period is to be treated as GreenManure Week for the promotion of differentgreen manure crops of Kerala. Different

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planting materials such as Daincha seeds,glyricidia branches are to be distributed tofarmers in a campaign mode. Different types ofcomposts are to be popularised and differentmethods are to be employed in farmers fields.However, a massive public participationprogramme is a must in the case of promotionof organic manure production. The aim of theState is to produce the required quantity oforganic manure within the farm it self.

8.6 Policy 23: A cadastral Level soilinformation system is to be launched

8.6.1 A database of the soils of Kerala Stateis to be made indicating the differentcharacteristics of the soils and the crops suitedfor them with the corrective measures neededfor introducing alternate crops. Farmers shouldget these details at their fingertip through theweb and facilitated by Agricultural officer whois the grass root functionary of the system. Thedatabase on soils should be at Panchayath levelbase and treated as baseline for any developmentprogrammes.

8.7 Policy 24: Make every effort to reducesoil erosion on a watershed basis.

8.7.1 Soil conservation is an effort made byman to prevent soil erosion in order to retainthe fertility of soil.

8.7.2 Any erosion such as gullies alreadyformed should be tackled by construction ofdams or obstructions. Ploughing and tilling ofland should be done along contour levels so thatthe furrows run across the slope of land. Bundsshould be constructed according to contours.Trees reduce the force of straight winds andobstruct blowing away of dust particles. Plants,

grass and shrubs reduce the speed of flowing water.Therefore, such vegetable cover should not beremoved indiscriminately, where it dose not exist,steps should be taken to plant it.

8.7.3 Measures suggested for soil conservationfor the prevention of soil erosion are

(i) Planting cover crops such as grasses, onuncultivated land.Trees should be planted along hill slopes.

(ii) Adoption of correct farming techniques suchas contour ploughing and strip cropping.

(iii) Terracing, the practice of cutting steps inhillside, to create level land for cultivation.

(iv) Construction of check dams on steep slopeswhich prevent gully erosion and spreading ofgullies.

(v) Creation of wind breaks by planting lines oftrees, hedges or fences which obstruct the pathof wind thereby reducing its speed and hencereducing soil erosion.

8.8 Policy 25: Steps should be take to developregional nutrient plans on a watershed basispreferably.

8.8.1 Even though different soils have someproperties that cannot be changed, such astexture, soil quality can be improved byimplementing good management strategies. Agood management strategy includes the useof nutrient plans by which nutrients to the soilat the required level can be very effectivelybe added.

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9. CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT RELATED POLICIES

9.1 According to Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences “Climate Change is thegreatest ecological, economic and socialchallenge of our time”. Therefore, it is hightime to have climate change adaptationstrategies to mitigate ill effects of weatheraberrations and sustain crop production underprojected climate change scenario because,Kerala is the most vulnerable place as far asthe climate change is concerned.

9.2 Special attention is to be given in thisdirection to the thermo-sensitive crops likeblack pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, tea, coffeeand cocoa as temperature range is likely toincrease and rainfall is likely to decline alongwith deforestation as these crops growunder the influence of typical forest-agroecosystems.

9.3 The potential impacts of globalclimate change in coastal Kerala are salinityintrusion into aquifers and rise in salinity ofwetlands. It has also been observed thatover exploitation of ground water in certainstretches of Kerala coast has contributedto the entry of salinity into the coastalaquifers from the sea. Reports say that ifthe ground water table goes beyond 600 ft.,there would be increase in the concentrationof Na+ salts. With these backgroundsGovernment should consider the followingpolicies.

9.4 Policy 26: Research & Develop-ment initiatives are to be strengthened inclimate change adaptation for sustenanceof agricultural production in the State ofKerala.

9.4.1 As crops are more vulnerable to shortterms variabilities rather than long termclimate changes, the impact of climatevariability on crops has to be documented.Detailed investigations are the need of thehour to understand the short and long termeffects of climate change in the case ofplantation crops through crop-simulationmodels. To understand the impact of climatechange on crops, simulation models need tobe developed and revalidated.

9.4.2 Crop species- specific and location-specific crop weather relationships are to beworked out based on long period experimentaldata.

9.5 Policy 27:Network of meteorologicalobservatories should be increased.

9.5.1 Presently, the network of temperaturestations under IMD across the State is scarce,though it has a good number of rain gaugestations. Hence, there is urgent need to recordsurface air temperature across the State. Thiswill provide a better picture of temperaturevariability over the State under the projectedclimate change scenario. This still holds goodacross the high-ranges. A series of micro-weather stations at all the Departmental farmsare also to be established in collaboration withcompetent agencies like ISRO.

9.6 Policy 28: There is a need to trainskilled personnel in the field of climatechange adaptation and mitigation.

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9.6.1 The changes in rainfall and thermalregimes may result to shifting of climate fromwetter to drier zones within the humid type ofclimate. Therefore, there is a need to study in detailon rainfall and temperature trends across the Stateon zone-wise. The climate shifts over Kerala, if any,and occurrence of droughts and floods in the Statehave to be brought out in projected climate changescenario. The impact of climate change/variability oncrops grown in the State, including food security of theState has not been attempted under the projected climatechange scenario. Trained personnel in this regard shouldbe made available for mitigating the climate changeeffect on crops and environment.

9.7 Policy 29: Optimize the ecological loadon the natural systems as well as building upthe State’s economy while minimizingenvironmental degradation.

9.7.1 The Policy on Environment 2009 has beendesigned to suit the specific local conditions of theState of Kerala and to help re-orient its developmentin conformity with environmental perspectivesso as to make the development sustainable. Thepolicy accepted in the same document is alsoaccepted here.

9.8 Policy 30: The Government should makea focussed approach to facilitate thepossibility of strategic planning forsystematic Disaster Management, as well asfor contingency planning at District, Blockand Grama Panchayat levels against allemergencies, pro-actively (for preparedness,prevention and mitigation) and responsively(for response, relief, repatriation,rehabilitation, reconstruction, the whole wayto recovery in the full Disaster Cycle).

9.8.1 Disaster Risk Managementencompasses a full continuum from preparedness,relief and rehabilitation, mitigation and prevention.The Policy aims to increase and sustain resilienceof vulnerable communities (especially farmers) tohazards through diversification of their livelihoods andcoping mechanisms. This entails a shift from the shortterm relief responses to development. The mechanismsin preserving livelihoods and minimising suffering byproviding sufficient and timely early warning informationon potential hazards that may result to disasters, are tobe done in a co-ordinated manner. It is also aimed atalleviating suffering by providing timely and appropriateresponse mechanisms for disaster victims.

9.8.2 If needed, enactment of an enablingcomprehensive legislative framework which laysdown the legal foundation for collaborativepartnership in institutional (different Departmentsof the Government) participatory management ofdisasters, including mobilisation of the essentialwide range of resources (financial, material,technological, professional and technical, humanand infrastructural) necessary for managementof all disasters should be done.

9.8.3 There is a need to bridge the currentgap between science, policy and practice. Forexample, there has been a disconnect betweenresearch and end users. Relevant climateinformation is often inaccessible or not usableor understandable by end users and decision-makers. International organizations andresponsible national line departments should beencouraged to be proactive in facilitatingcollaboration among environment researchinstitutes working on climate change, serviceproviders such as extension services andmeteorological services, line departments andhumanitarian actors.

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10. POLICIES RELATED TO WATERSHEDDEVELOPMENT APPROACH

10.1 Effective use of land and water isfundamental to growth and sustainabledevelopment. The concept of watershedmanagement has evolved to ensure effective useof both natural and social capitals. Thus, thewatershed development programmes includeland, water and human resources as essentialcomponents.

10.2 Policy 31: Agriculture planning anddevelopment programmes of the state shall bebased on watershed.

10.2.1 Local self-government leveldecentralized water management plans to bedeveloped for long periods. Water resourcesmanagement plans with suitable watershedmeasures, afforestation, eco – restoration ofcatchments, rainwater recharging andharvesting, storm water drainage, waterauditing, recycling and reuse etc. should be builtinto it. These water management plans shouldintegrate into basin level management plans.

10.2.2 Within the natural unit of a watershed,soil and water conservation, agriculturedevelopment and allied activities like animalhusbandry, pisciculture, etc, will be carried outin an integrated manner with a full involvementand participation of the farmers.

10.2.3 While formulating the projects, thepooling of available funds should be made andthe officials responsible for the implementationof the different components should sit togetherunder a single co-ordination agency such as theGrama Panchayats guided by the Block levelATMA.

10.3 Policy 32: It is the responsibility of thestate for water management / water poverty.

10.3.1 While the world’s growing demand forwater is a serious problem, the story is more

complicated than just too many people puttingtheir straws in the glass. The growing conflictsover water use are about the broader questionsabout ownership of common resources, andequity of access to those resources.

10.3.2 Human race has taken water for grantedand massively misjudged the capacity of theearth’s water systems to sustain the demandsmade upon it. The supply of available fresh wateris finite and represents less than half of onepercent of the world’s total water stock. Thirty-one countries are facing water stress and scarcityand over a billion people lack adequate accessto clean drinking water. It is anticipated that bythe year 2025, as much as two-thirds of theworld’s population will be living with watershortages or absolute water scarcity.

10.4 Policy 33: The watershed developmentplans are made to improve rural livelihoods andreduce poverty by developing andstrengthening community based approaches.

10.4.1 The programmes should aim at improvingwater, soil, biomass and other natural resourceswhich would help the rural livelihoods andinstitutionalizing and scaling up participatoryapproaches and processes in natural resourcemanagement with a focus on livelihoods.

10.4.2 They also should facilitate diversification,decentralization and devolution of decisionmaking powers in the management of naturalresources. One of the important objectives is tofocus on the future mode of optimum andsustainable use of natural resources forlivelihoods.

10.4.3 The theme of any watershed developmentshould be the improvement of agricultural andlivestock production and the well-being of localinhabitants without degrading the fragileenvironment.

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11. POLICIES TO ADDRESS FARMERS IN DISTRESS

11.1 In a period nearing twenty years, thefarmer suicides crossed a quarter million markin India. During this period, Kerala has alsowitnessed a tragic scenario of many farmers.This fact is alarming since the total numberof farmers is declining significantly. In otherwords, farm suicides are rising through theperiod of India's agrarian crisis, even as thenumber of farmers is shrinking.

11.2 Crisis is now manifested in differentways: non-remunerative prices, volatileeconomy, absence of a protective market etc.Even agrarian crisis also manifested in theform of burning their farm fields, throwingthe agricultural produce on the roads etc. Itis true that forms of suicide is slowlychanging: earlier the suicide was confined toswallowing pesticide/hanging or evenjumping into the well however now the shifthas taken place wherein farmers’ are nowcommitting suicide by jumping into theburning field.

11.3 The suicides appear concentrated inregions of high commercialisation ofagriculture and very high peasant debt. Cashcrop farmers seemed far more vulnerable tosuicide than those growing food crops. Yetthe basic underlying causes of the crisisremained untouched. The predatorycommercialisation of the countryside; amassive decline in investment in agriculture;the withdrawal of bank credit at a time ofsoaring input prices; the crash in farm incomescombined with an explosion of living andcultivation costs; the shifting of millions fromfood crop to cash crop cultivation with all itsrisks; the corporate hijack of every major

sector of agriculture including, and especially,seed; growing water stress and moves towardsprivatisation of that resource.

11.4 Kerala’s agriculture is hugely cashcrop-based and fragile at the best of times.Cash crop prices are highly volatile, and oftenrigged by powerful corporations at the globallevel. This makes Kerala more vulnerable toprice shocks than any other State in India. Inthe early years of the last decade, for instance,vanilla fetched Kerala farmers prices of up toRs. 4,000 a kilogram. It then crashed to underRs. 80 a kg or less , wrecking farmers who hadinvested huge amounts of mostly the borrowed,money in its cultivation. Most plunged into debt,several committed suicide in despair.

11.5 Kerala set up a debt relief tribunal in2005, raised support to the farm sector and tookother steps to mitigate distress. Even its troubledfood crop sector received a boost. Between 2005and 2013, Kerala doubled the support price forpaddy from Rs. 700 to Rs.1,700. Yet, it seemsthat the State will take a worse hit than any otherdue to the multiple free trade agreements theUnion government has signed or will enter. Andreports of rising farm suicides again in the cash-crop citadel of Wayanad signal which wayKerala is now headed.

11.6 Policy 34: The Government shouldtake earnest steps to instill confidence inthe debt-ridden farmers for the preventionof farmer suicides for ever by theintroduction of ‘relief funds’ or ‘reliefloans’ so that the immediate financialrequirement can be met by them.

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11.6.1 It was observed in the farm families inWaynad district which were crushed by thesuicides of the farmers who were the only supportto them, observed that financial institutions,including cooperative banks and scheduledcommercial banks, are unsympathetic to theneeds of farmers and were very much reluctantin providing crop loans to them. As a result,farmers were forced to take loans from privatefinancial institutions at a higher rate of interest.In these types of cases Government interventionis necessary to assure the farmers credit at thetime of emergency. The Governmentalmechanisms should act concurrently to buildconfidence among the farmers that the situationcould be managed easily by them with the helpof the most powerful agency, the Government.

11.6.2 The landless farmers usually takes landon lease to grow crops like ginger andplantain. They borrows from banks,cooperatives and money lenders for theirfarming operations. But the price crash andcrop failure would shatter their dreams andthey will be forced to close the chapters oftheir lives. The price is to be assured for theproduce and thereby building the confidencehas to be taken up by the Government byemploying multi disciplinary approach andincome from farming is to be assured. Thedetails of the same are presented in theSections 20.5 and 20.10

11.6.3 To boost up the level of confidenceamong the farmers especially the debt riddenones who are at the edge of suicide the primaryfinancial requirement of them should be metby the Government to save their and theirfamilies’ lives. The immediate strategy of the

Government is to address this issue by providingthem ‘relief funds’ or ‘relief loans’ so that theimmediate requirement of money can be met andthe confidence level of the farmer can be raisedavoiding the suicidal attempts.

11.7 Policy 35: The approach of thefinancial institutions needs to be changedwhile attempting for recovery from thedebt ridden farmers and an integratedresource base analysis and separate fringecredit support for them should be extendedso that they would be brought above therepayment threshold level.

11.7.1 There were few attempts made in thisregard in various parts of the State. The casesof debt ridden farmers are to be taken andaddressed individually. The causes ofindebtedness is to be assessed as a farm familybasis. The farmers will possess differentincome earning avenues in their family levelitself. Those have to be assessed beforeattempting for the recovery of money. Manyfarm families have opportunities fordeveloping themselves from the resourcesthey have; like adoption of improvedmethodology in farming to get more income,family members can go for additionalemployment like providing tuition if they areeducationally qualified, can be engaged inanimal husbandry, dairying, poultry, inlandfisheries, food processing, marketing, parttime avocations like bee keeping, ornamentalaquaculture, pet animal rearing etc. Thesepossibilities are to be assessed and a‘livelihood plan’ should be worked out forthose who are indebted.

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11.7.2 The livelihood plan is inclusive of thecrop plan and has to be worked out by a bodyconsisting of Local Body Head, AgriculturalOfficer, Veterinarian, Dairy Development Officer,Village Extension Officer and Bank Official. The‘fringe financial assistance’ required for thislivelihood plan is to be arrived by the joint meetingof the proposed body. This type of interventionwas adopted in the Perumatti Service Co-operative Bank during 2004-05 in the case ofindebted farmers and succeeded in implementingit. The plan should be covering the aspects likeproduction plan and repayment plan. Theprimary objective of giving a ‘fringe finance’ isto make them capable of repaying the loan byassuring livelihood support and incomegeneration from the unidentified resources afarmer has.

11.7.3 Thus a detailed resource analysis hasto be carried out for making a livelihoodsupport plan for bringing the farmers abovethe repayment threshold level.

11.7.4 In order to track the proper utilisationof credit and to monitor the credit availedfarmers, the financial institutions shouldcommunicate the month wise report on themto the proposed body under Section 11.7.3.The convenor of the proposed body shouldbe the Village Extension Officer. A properadvice can be given to the farmers and aneffective monitoring mechanism can beevolved for the credit mobility andrequirement. A statutory authority may begiven for this body for reporting the matterto the District Collector at times ofintervention such as crop loss, naturalcalamity, price fall etc.

11.7.5 Hence, a comprehensive intervention toensure self-reliance and capacity building offarmers in modern farming techniques, amonitoring and support system for vulnerablefarmers and a transparent, village-level systemfor making a livelihood plan to derive incomefrom alternate sources along with farming isrequired to prevent farmers’ suicides in thenear future.

11.8 Policy 36: The loans taken by the realand full time farmers for their needs likehousing, medical treatments, marriages,children’s education and otherunavoidable consumption needs are alsoto be treated as agricultural loans as therepayment is to be made from farming.

11.8.1 Like the other individual in the societyfarmer is to be treated as a professional whois deriving income from the ‘universalprofession’ of farming in the case of the creditrequirements of consumption such as housing,marriages of his children, educationalrequirements, medical treatments etc. Heis the u l t imate producer and theCommittee is of the opinion that therequirements of the producer is to betreated as the requirement of production.If he avails the loans for the purposesother than farming, the repayment of thesame has to occur from the farming.Considering his unique involvement in theproduct ion process and the role ofsupporting his own family, the creditavailed for immediate purposes otherthan farming i s to be t rea ted asagricultural credit. All the benefits andformal i t ies for avai l ing credi t for

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agricultural purposes are to be applied herealso. The Government should see that only fulltime small and marginal farmers whose primaryincome is from agriculture and allied activitiesshall be entitled for this.

11.9 Policy 37: There is a need to strengthenthe Mental Health Programmes at primaryhealth care level, involvement of extensionofficials and institutions so as to offersupport and counselling to vulnerablefarmers.

11.9.1 Many researchers found out that thereexists a strong correlation between theincidence of natural calamities and price fallof the produce with rate of farmer suicides.The need for stress relief camps andcounselling services for farmers was expressedin many sittings. Many psychologists believethat even in the absence of psychiatricmorbidity, farmers are more likely to reportthat life is not worth living compared with thegeneral population.

11.9.2 Hence, if a natural calamity is predicted,there is the need for rapid mobilization ofextension workers, psychologists andpsychiatrists to the calamity hit region along withother supportive measures. The Governmentaction most often is predominantly limited topolitical announcement of exgratia benefits andnot towards prevention strategies.

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12. FARMER & FARM LABOURER WELFARERELATED POLICIES

12.1 In the past, advisory services wasbeing focused in the first place for optimizingproduction and profitability while improvingthe ecological and social status of the farmsreceived much less attention. New societaldemands now urge the Government to focuson the welfare of farmers and farm labourersso that the status of them in the society isimproved and the new generation is attractedtowards farming.

12.2 The only state in India where a pensionscheme for farmers is being operated is Kerala.Apart from the monthly pension, other welfaremeasures such as farmer insurance is alsobeing done. The following policy measuresare suggested for imparting a ‘human face’ tothe agricultural development initiatives of theGovernment.

12.3 Policy 38: The Pension Scheme forfarmers will continue

12.3.1 It was a great thing from the part ofthe Government during 2009 to includefarming community viz.,the paddy farmersunder pension scheme of the government. Theintroduction of a State wide farmers pensionscheme in 2012 was also a landmark move. Italso acted as a recognition for the real farmersof the State. The government should act torestore young farmers' confidence in thefarmers pension scheme also by periodicallyand sustainably improving the monetarybenefit.

12.3.2 The government should not bereluctant to change the basic design to meetthe rapidly changing realities. The biggest

realities today are the ever-growing rural-urban gap - which has to be narrowed - andrecognizing that most of the farmers todaywill not be farmers after two decades.Improving the scheme will undoubtedly costmore money now, but it will lay the foundationof a more genuine self-sufficient pensionscheme for the future.

12.4 Policy 39: As agriculturaldevelopment and farmer welfare areinseparably linked, a farmer welfare fundboard is to be established.

12.4.1 As the population engaged in farming isgetting reduced day by day due to variousreasons, it is very essential to attract and retainmore and more people in the sector, especiallyyounger generation. As per the NationalCommission on Farmers, a farmer welfareboard is suggested as part of this initiative. Thebenefits shall be restricted to farmers those whoderive income primarily from agriculture. Thesmall and marginal farmers should be givenpreference for all the welfare measures initiated.

12.4.2 A fixed contribution, which is on a halfyearly or yearly basis from the farmers, cessfrom spices/coconut and other trades,contribution from the State and CentralGovernments, contributions from Nationalisedand Cooperative banks, contributions fromtrade houses and export houses in agribusinessin the form of cess will form the operationalcapital of the Board.

12.5 Policy 40: There is a need to promotecomprehensive health insurance schemes for allthe farmers of the state.

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12.5.1 Due to climatic changes and changes inthe environment, excessive per capitaexpenditure on health rose to Rs. 92/- as perthe NSSO results. Health and life insurancecoverage up to 10 lakh, reasonable pensionamount, loan facilities for education ofchildren and marriages of children etc., shouldbe the prime focus of the welfare board. Onthe job accidents, should also be made eligiblefor pension. Family pension also should be amajor component.

12.5.2 Full time farmer with land area up to 2ha and primary vocation is agriculture and theonly source of income will be brought under thisprogramme.

12.6 Policy 41: Agriculture labour bankswill be started at Panchayat level to addressthe issue of shortage of agriculturallabourers.

12.6.1 A labour bank at Panchayat level maybe formed with co-ordination at the Blocklevel and allocation of MGNREGS workersfor agricultural and related works is animportant aspect to address the shortage ofworkers for agricultural activities.

12.6.2 This labour bank should act as a sourceof all kinds of logistic support for agriculturallabourers and should provide all facilities includeESI and Pension based on quantum of workdone by the labourer. A minimum of 100 daysper year should be worked by them in theagricultural sector for this scheme. Thisassociation of labourers shall be for the unskilledpersons only.

12.7 Policy 42: A production incentive willbe awarded to the farm laboures whoworks in the agriculture sector for notbelow than 100 days.

12.7.1 As the farm labourers who work in theagricultural production front contributes directlyto the farm production they should be paid aproduction incentive. The eligibility criteria shouldbe such that they should work in the farms atleast 100 days per year.

12.7.2 If the work is done by any labourer fromoutside the state, the benefit shall be passed onto them also for assuring the availability of labourthroughout the year.

12.7.3 The details regarding fund generation isdetailed in the Section 20.5 of the AgriculturalDevelopment Policy.

12.8 Policy 43: Sufficient number ofseats in professional courses should bereserved for the children of farmers so asto improve their social status.

12.8.1 By reserving sufficient seats inprofessional educational courses for theirchildren, the society would feel that theprofession of farmers is an attracting one. Thiswould help in retaining the farmers in farmingand attracting others towards farming as thisprofession is assuring a social security.

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13. POLICIES RELATED TO HUMAN RESOURCEDEVELOPMENT IN FARM SECTOR

13.1 Human resources constitute the mostcritical inputs relying on the use of scienceand technology for development. It involvesa planned approach to learning aimed atchanges in knowledge, skills, understandings,attitudes and values, and in the behaviour ofa learner or group of learners.

13.2 The size of the human resources ofthe Department of Agriculture, AnimalHusbandry and Dairy put together, it will givean mazing figure like 6117 number of fieldassistants, 2481 field officers, 520 middle levelofficers, 237 senior officers and 21 state levelofficers. This huge resource has to begenuinely designed to produce the output forachieving the ever dreamt agricultural andsustainable prosperity.

13.3 Human resource capacity buildingencompasses aspects of awareness-raising,education and training, attitude change,confidence building, participation in decision-making and action. A critical goal of HRD isthat of maximizing people's potential tocontribute to development by participatingfully in all its activities. Through capacitybuilding, individuals and groups areempowered to expand their abilities to morefully participate in the development process.As people increasingly direct and control theprocess of change that they themselves arebringing about, then the knowledge, skills,attitudes and behaviors they require alsochange. Based on these facts, the followingpolicies may be included.

13.4 Policy 44: Improved agriculturalproductivity depends on agricultural educationand competency-based trainings and areessential for building the human resourcecapacity.

13.4.1 This is required to improve agriculturalproductivity and to manage natural resources forsustainable development. An urgent need is toimprove the quality and content of the agriculturaleducation provided to students. It was observedby the sub-committee that often the subjectmatter is minimally relevant to the agro-ecologicalconditions, technological levels and socio-economic circumstances of local farmpopulations.

13.4.2 In order to attract the younggeneration the curriculam is to be addedwith agricultural subjects from the schoollevel. The curriculum should provide acritical analysis of agricultural and foodsystems and helps students understandnew concepts through hands-onexamples.

13.5 Policy 45: Develop the extensionpersonnel of the state to meet theknowledge & skill requirements offarmers as self-reliant agri-prenures.

13.5.1 To develop specially the small andmarginal farmers as agri-prenures andmaking farming a profitable enterprise,the state sponsored extension machinerywill have to take lead with completelychanged focus and attitude towards theirroles and responsibilities. A new agendaof Human Resource Development for

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agricultural extension personnel in terms ofrequired competencies in technical,organisational, managerial, communicationand business skills will be required to meetthese new challenges. The Human ResourceDevelopment will not be confined tocompetency building but providing congenialworking envi ronment to extens ionfunctionaries.

13.5.2 The extension personnel at all levels willhave to change their attitude and role frommanager of "files and subsidies" to managerof "information generation and dissemination"for different segments related with agriculturalextension.

13.6 Policy 46: Empowering thesmall farmers in order to have say in policymatters of government in agriculturesector would pave a way for betterdevelopment.

13.6.1 Farmers are to be empowered in thefollowing areas so that they may become apart of the decision making process of theGovernment which would ultimately reflectin the production and productivity.

1. Technological skills related to production2. Technological skills related to soil & water

management3. Organisational and management skills in

working together as Farmer producerOrganisations (FPOs).

4. Business skills in analysis of cost and benefit5. Marketing skills6. Skill for value addition to agriculture

produce7. Handling of Information Technology tools.8. Credit management expertise.

13.7 Policy 47: It will be required tomake necessary changes in the systems toprovide scientific and technical knowledgeand skills in agricultural operations to theinput dealers, so that they may advisefarmers in right direction & providevaluable extension services to farmersspecially to small & marginal farmers.

13.7.1 Besides public sector extensionfunctionaries, there are a large number Nongovernment organizations, para extensionworkers, traders and retailers of seed, fertilizerand pesticide, providing technical advise totheir client farmers about the products as wellas its use.

13.7.2 The other players are Indian &multinational companies in agri-business ,which provide extension services to farmershaving business dealings like Buy-backarrangement for farm produce. The agri-business companies in organised sector takecare of Human Resource Development oftheir extension personnel well. It will requireto make necessary changes in policy andsystems to provide scientific and technicalknowledge and skills in agricultural operationsto the input dealers, so that they may advisefarmers in right direction & provide valuableextension services to farmers specially to small& marginal farmers. They should actaccording to the Government guidelines andclose supervision by the Department ofAgriculture.

13.7.3 All these initiatives are to be closelymonitored by the concerned departments toassure 100% protection of the farmers’interests and at any cost, the misuse of thisprovision shall be allowed.

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13.8 Policy 48: Extension personnel of thestate will have to acquire latest knowledgeas well skills in use of various electronicdevices such as computers, multimedia,internet etc.

13.8.1 In the era of information technology,where information play a vital and decisiverole in taking strategic decision, extensionpersonnel will have to acquire latestknowledge as well skills in use of variouselectronic devices such as computers,multimedia, internet etc. The day is not farwhen tele/video conferencing will be commonmeans to interact with larger number offarmers to extend extension messages orsharing market information by extensionpersonnel. In coming years, the area ofInformation Technology for developingcommunication skills will be the largestsegment for competency building amongagricultural extension personnel forsupporting farming community.

13.9 Policy 49: The Human ResourceDevelopment of the extension functionariesis to be done scientifically and time bound.

13.9.1 Current recruitment process in thedepartment is immediate posting to a locationafter issuing the appointment order both forall officers and assistants in the respectivedepartment. A class room training module shouldbe created both sets of professional staff andmentoring system under senior officer for a periodof one month. Mandatory location specific on thejob modules also should be created as part oftechnology up gradation of the staff.

13.9.2 The Agricultural Officers are those whohave secured a good position in the variouscompetitive examinations and the potential of themshould be tapped fully providing adequate in-service provisions for acquiring higherqualifications such as MSc and PhD inagricultural sciences so that a task force couldbe formed with technologically sound personsfor improving agricultural productivity and tomanage natural resources for sustainabledevelopment. An urgent need is there toimprove the quality and content of theagricultural education provided to students.Sometimes the subject matter is minimallyrelevant to the agro-ecological conditions,technological levels and socio-economiccircumstances of local farm populations.

13.9.3 This facility shall be extended to alltechnical officers of the Department forsharpening their expertise. At least 20 personsper year have to go for higher studies in theinstitutions inside Kerala, India and even outside the country for assuring a technologicallysound manpower in the Government set up.The vision behind this programme must beto upgrade all the potential of the manpowerof the state to the fullest extent possible.

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14. POLICIES RELATED TO ICT APPLICATION

14.1 According to International FoodPolicy Research Institute (IFPRI), thegeneration and application of agriculturalknowledge is increasingly important,especially for small and marginal farmers, whoneed relevant information in order to improve,sustain, and diversify their farm enterprises.ICTs can directly support farmers‘ access totimely and relevant information, as well asempower the creation and sharing ofknowledge of the farming community itself.The public, private, and non-governmentalorganization (NGO) extension services willbe able to increase their effectiveness by usingthese ICT tools.

14.2 The National Commission on Farmershas noted that knowledge deficits constrainagricultural productivity in India. It added thatthe use of Information and CommunicationTechnologies (ICTs) for agricultural extensionis one way of addressing the information needsof farmers.

14.3 As government is thinking andformulating the policy for the betterment ofthe agricultural community with special focuson marginal and small farmers, ICT has to bethe key for that. It should be embedded in theagricultural activities. With the advent of newtechnologies, agricultural output hasincreased, but it is not enough. Through ICT,modernisation of the agricultura sector ofKerala is the need of the hour.

14.4 The concept of ICT is still in nascentstage, though Kerala has attempted somepioneering models like,KISSANKERALA.NET. More over, the state

has not tried different automation methods foragricultural extension management. Thepolicies regarding ICTs are framed with thesebackgrounds.

14.5 Policy 50: Immediate steps are tobe taken to materialise the concept of‘Paperless Offices’ with the help of ICT inthe case of Krishi Bhavans to assureservices with 100% fastness and accuracy.

14.5.1 The Krishi Bhavans of Kerala wereoriginated with the model concept of‘Paperless Offices’. But now the situation issuch that the system is tied with numerousfile works rather than the field works. If anyfarmer wants an advice from the extensionofficials, they have to come to the office anddiscuss with them. The present approach isto have an e- automated office, so that everyactivity of the Krishi Bhavan is made online.

14.5.2 This will have advantages like costeffectiveness, time saving, unified format forthe implementation of programmesthroughout the state, timely delivery ofservices and above all the extension works ofthe Department can be monitored veryefficiently from the top. The statistical datacan also be generated in a realtime basis.

14.5.3 An online software for the technologymanagement is to be developed without anydelay. Since, the current policy of the Stateand Central Governments regarding subsidydistribution is e-payments and the state hadalready taken a lead role in this regard, anonline software with proper authenticationprotocols at different levels are to be

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developed for saving the valuable time of theextension officials and they can concentrateon filed works effectively. A situation wouldarise where the officials go to field instead offarmer visiting the office for various assistanceand technology.

14.5.4 Hand held electronic gadgets such asTab Computers with connectivity are to beprovided to the Krishibhavans for updatingthe data regarding the farmers and their cropswhile visiting the field. A farmer can uploadthe applications for various assistance onlinewith his unique registered identificationnumber and the extension officials with thehelp of the Tab Computers the data regardingthe crop and farmers can be uploaded whenthey visit the field. With the help of the GPSlocator, it is possible to identify the exactlocation, while uploading the data and thusaccuracy of the system is assured. Moreover,the authorities can have a state wide pictureof agriculture situation with the help of amouse-click.

14.5.5 The controlling officers can generatethe financial claims with the help of a mouseclick and that can be presented in the treasuryand money can be disbursed without any delayby e-payment. The system gets transparent,becomes smooth, efficient and time saving.Automatically, with the help of electronicadministration, it would become field orientedand unnecessary time delay in implementationof different schemes of the Department canbe avoided.

14.6 Policy 51: The planning processshould be based on the real-time datagenerated with the help of modern ICTtools and State Agricultural Plan is to bedeveloped every year .

14.6.1 The modern technologies such ascloud computing, GPS, android basedapplications, mobile based technologies etc.,assure accurate information over a shortperiod of time. As described in the Section 14an online software for electronicadministration is mandatory. This can also helpin the data generation such as the following.

i. The current area under differentcrops in the state.ii. The present crop condition andsituation.iii. The exact requirement of the Statewith respect to produces.iv. The accurate point at which theGovernment is to intervene.v. Requirement of financial resourcesvi. Perfect market intelligence - Whatto grow, Where to grow, How to grow,When to grow, Where to sell, At whatprice to sell etc.

14.6.2 The same online software developedfor electronic administration can also be usedfor generation of State Agricultural Plan. Thedata will be updated every time when the fieldfunctionaries are in the field. Thus accurate,real time and authentic data will be got forthe planning purpose and this will drive awaythe un wanted pushing of programmes in thenon needy tracts and not getting theprogrammes in the needy tracts of the state.

14.7 Policy 52: When ICT enabledtechnologies are made popular,Concentrate on the demand, not on thetechnology.

14.7.1 It is seen that a lot of touch screeninformation KIOSKs are kept idle throughoutthe state. Besides that a number of onlineprogrammes are available in the internet where

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no farmers are seen directly operating it, thoughit is claimed to have developed for the directuse of even the illiterate farmers of the state.A number of interactive CDs and programmeswere made utilising the taxpayers’ money butno one is found to be used by the commonman. So any developed technology should bebased on the demand for the technology andnot on the merit of the information technologyat all.

14.7.2 The ICT enabled technology shouldbe such that it should empower theextension official in bringing the targetedtechnology to the targeted population ratherthan addressing the targeted populationdirectly.

14.8 Policy 53: The Call Centersare to be made efficient.

14.8.1 Many a time it was observed thatthe Call centres are failing in providingthe right information. The Call Centre areto be strengthened and reorganised withthe help of technical staff so that thequeries can be answered in the specificmoment and with accuracy.

14.8.2 Local people and their informationneeds should be the driving force behindICT initiatives and not the technology.Engage local people in the validation ofthe various communication tools and letthem identify the most useful medium tomeet their needs.

14.9 Policy 54: Farmer databasesare to be made perfect.

14.9.1 A novel approach initiated from thepart of the Government is the registration of

farmers for the building up of a database. Butdue to many reasons the same could not bematerialised. In this context it is recommendedthat an online registration which provides aunique identity number for the registeredfarmers and coupling with a permanentidentity proof so that a smart-card can beissued to them in the due course. This databasemust of the one used in many governmentalorganisations like IRCTC, where frequentupdating and verification is possible and veryaccurate database is got.

14.9.2 The database thus formed become thepart of the planning process, whereby the firsthand information on all aspects like the cropprofile, land use capability, extent of land thatcan be put for additional production etc., canbe got.

14.9.3 Only the registered and validatedfarmers will have eligibility for assistanceunder different schemes of state, representingthem in different committees for developmentand for voting for the selection of theirrepresentatives. This will check the unwantedentry of individuals in to the places reservedonly for real farmers.

14.10 Policy 55: Provide need-based ICTtraining at all levels, but especially toyouth, women and marginal farmergroups.

14.10.1 Farmer ICT basic training, site specificCrop Management systems , GIS, GPS, e-Marketing, crop models, ICT managed irrigationand fertigation systems, greenhouse managementsystems, process control pilots, distance learning,etc are to be imparted to the client groups on aneed based format.

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14.11 Policy 56: Necessary mechanismshould be evolved for providing the marketinformation to the farmers on a realtimebasis with the help of ICTs

14.11.1 Marketing forms a key issue in anyagrarian development. So with the help of themodern ICT tools the farmers are to beprovided with the latest market updated fortheir products.

14.12 Policy 57: The modern ICT toolsare to be modelled in such a way that itshould provide information about ruraldevelopment programmes and subsidies tofarmers.

14.12.1 Many at times the farmers becomeunaware of the developmental programmesof the Government. In this context the reliabletool can be the SMS services regarding thelaunching of new programmes by thedepartment. The registered farmers would getSMS relating to the programmes and they canapply online as suggested in the Section13.5.3.

14.13 Policy 58: ICT enabled weatherforecasting services, input prices andavailability, early warning of diseases andpests and soil testing & soil samplinginformation are to be provided by SMSservices.

14.13.1 When the databases of the farmersare made perfect, it is possible to get a targetpopulation capable or needed for receivingthese type of informations by Short MessageServices (SMS).

14.13.2 Farmers considers market information,facilitation of access to land records, a question-and-answer service and detailed information onthe Government’s agricultural developmentprogrammes most appropriate to their needs.Information on the best packages of practices,post-harvest technology, general agriculturalnews and information on crop insurance schemeswere suggested by most of them as needy ones.

14.14 Policy 59: There should be initiativesfor the application of technologies such as‘Tele Presence’ and ‘Google Glass’ for theconferences , technology refinement andtransfer.

14.14.1 Telepresence refers to a set oftechnologies which allow a person to feel asif they were present, to give the appearanceof being present, or to have an effect, viatelerobotics, at a place other than their truelocation. Telepresence requires that the users'senses be provided with such stimuli as to givethe feeling of being in that other location.Additionally, users may be given the ability toaffect the remote location. In this case, theuser's position, movements, actions, voice,etc. may be sensed, transmitted and duplicatedin the remote location to bring about thiseffect. Therefore information may betravelling in both directions between the user andthe remote location. It would be useful in theconferences and technology transfer. It isexpected to reduce the cost and time involvedfor the travelling of officers to attend themeeting.

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14.14.2 Google Glass is a wearable computerwith a head-mounted display (HMD) that isbeing developed by Google in the Project Glassresearch and development project with themission of producing a mass-market ubiquitouscomputer. Google Glass displays information ina smartphone-like hands-free format, that caninteract with the Internet via natural languagevoice commands.

14.14.3 These ICT tools are of recent originand underway in the develeopment. But theGovernment policy is to tap its potential asand when it is come in to reality, withoutmaking the situations compell to adopt them.

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15. POLICIES RELATED TO TECHNOLOGYDISSEMINATION AND MANAGEMENT

15.1 Agricultural extension is a keycomponent of the strategies and objectives ofthe Government’s agricultural policy. As partof the Governmentís responsibility for theestablishment of policies,regulations andprojects that will ensure sustained agriculturalproduction, the need for developing a NewAgricultural Extension Policy was felt.

15.2 Policy 60: Extension Services are tobe made more efficient

15.2.1 The efficiency of agriculturalextension services will be improved throughtraining, skill development, institutionalstrengthening and logistical support. Trainedextension agents will be provided to workeffectively with all categories of farmers, andwith all members of households, and to solvebasic production, management and marketingproblems in a wide range of crop, fishery,livestock and household enterprises. Thefocus of outreach activities is to provide themost cost-effective services to farmers.

15.2.2 The extension agencies in the threesectors (government, non-governmentorganisation and private) will continue towork within their own organisationalstructures and procedures, but the policyseeks to ensure that effective co-ordination isestablished to increase the efficiency ofagricultural extension. The new extensionreform in the country namely, ATMA can playa vital role in this regard.

15.3 Policy 61: Demand led extension is theneed of the hour.

15.3.1 Extension programmes concentrateon meeting the information needs of farmhouseholds, in particular helping them solvethe key problems they face in their farmingactivities. All extension activities and researchpriorities are to be based on the needs,problems and potential identified at farm level.This may lead to the involvement of extensionagencies in local on-farm participatoryresearch in order to identify appropriatesolutions to farmers’ problems. Extension staffwill work closely with farmers to identifyagricultural problems, using participatorymethods and techniques such as Rapid RuralAppraisal, Participatory Rural Appraisal andProblem Censuses. Farmers’ problems will setthe extension agenda, and in this way,extension services will be demand led, andbased on local situations and resources.

15.4 Policy 62: Group approach shouldbe the motto in all the extension activitiesof the state.

15.4.1 For the extension services to provideindividual attention to the more than 7 millionfarm families is beyond the resources availablein Kerala State. A group approach to extensionoffers the opportunity for more effective useof limited extension resources for problemidentification and solution, sharing ofinformation and cost-effective choice ofextension methodology.

15.4.2 A group approach to extension alsohas the advantage of providing a forum forparticipation, an area in which many non-government organisations have considerableexpertise.

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15.4.3 The New Agricultural ExtensionPolicy endorses the principle that extensionstaff should work with groups of all kinds, inorder to bring maximum benefit to farmers.It recognises that a very wide range of mutualinterest groups already exists in the field.These groups range from extremelytemporary, such as a seasonal Kerasree group/Cluster, to virtually permanent, such as thePadasekhara Samithies, and may be affiliatedto a wide variety of agencies, including thoseresponsible for input supply, credit extensionand marketing. These existing groups wouldbe the focus of extension activity. New groupswill be encourage where there are none atpresent or where key target farmer categoriesare not included in the membership of existinggroups. Extension staff from different agencieswill work with groups to:

- bring extension staff into contactwith more farmers;- help all categories of farmers (men,women, large, small and marginal) tobenefit from extension;- improve the learning and spread ofknowledge among the farmingpopulation;- enable farmers to fully participate inthe planning of extension programmes;- provide a forum where decisions canbe taken for farmers to take co-ordinated action leading to self-reliance (for example, on pestmanagement, forest management,livestock grazing and soilconservation);- promote a closer, participatoryworking relationship between staff andfarmers.

15.5 Policy 63: The development of closeco-operation between extension agenciesand formal research institutes is essentialif farmers are to be provided with theservices they require.

15.5.1 Research institutes requireinformation from extension about theproblems farmers are facing, for which thereare no available solutions, in order to conductresearch programmes both on researchstations and on-farm with farmers. Extensionrequires the findings from researchprogrammes, in order to provide farmers withthe most appropriate advice. Effectivemechanisms to ensure that there is a free flowof information between extension andresearch will be institutionalised.

15.5.2 The New Agricultural ExtensionPolicy also recognises that farmers themselvesare actively engaged in their ownexperimentation, as part of their dailyagricultural lives. Efforts to learn from andstrengthen such informal research will bemade.

15.6 Policy 64: The existing system ofextension activities are to be put under onesingle body so that the services to farmerscan be done efficiently.

15.6.1 To enhance the human capital,Panchayath level extension strategy need tobe designed and devised. Under the chairmanship of the Gramapanchayath President, aPanchayath extension body should befunctional in Panchayath level in tune with theATMA Model. This should be under the

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leadership of agricultural officer and theofficers who support allied activities such asveterinary, animal husbandry, fisheries,sericulture and watershed management shouldalign their activities and extension strategiesin that model. This body should be structuredin such a way that any knowledge pertainingto any field of agriculture can be transferredto farmer. Formation of farmer clusters,management of different commodity clusters,training programmes, workshops, leadershipdevelopment of farmers to take up agriculturalrelated activities, etc should be the role ofthese panchayath level bodies. The enhancedrole of Plan Coordinator of the Panchayathand Convenor of the Panchayath levelwatershed committee should enable theAgricultural Officer to coordinate theactivities of the commodity groups formedunder ATMA Programme.

15.6.2 Current ATMA system of approachcan be more functional with extension focus.The commodity based clusters can befederated at block level and form producercompanies or cooperatives based on natureof the commodities.

15.6.3 ATMA should act as the nodalextension body which can play a greater rolein coordination of the activities of multidisciplinary departments such as Agriculture,Animal Husbandry, Diary, Fisheries, SoilConservation and Soil survey etc. The seniormost officers in the Department of AgricultureShould head the ATMA project the entireextension strategy should be implementedthrough this body as envisaged in the nationallevel.

15.6.4 The current administrative set up ofATMA will be made more functional for statelevel coordination of integrated extensionapproach.

15.7 Policy 65 : The new face extensionshould provide integrated environmentalsupport.

15.7.1 The lives of more than 70 percent ofthe population are almost totally dependentupon the natural resource base which supportsagricultural production. However, it isrecognised that this critical resource base isunder threat. Among the concerns aredeforestation, water scarcity caused byoverabstraction, and an increased incidenceof pest damage due to introduction ofmonoculture and inappropriate use ofpesticides. To maintain the ecological balancein the natural environment, the Government’senvironmental objectives are to:

- control and prevent pollution anddegradation related to soil, water, andair;- promote environment-friendly activities;- strengthen the capabilities of public andprivate sectors to manage environmentalconcernsas a basic requisite for sustainabledevelopment;- create opportunities for people’sparticipation in environmentalmanagement activities.

15.7.2 The New Agricultural Extension Policytherefore should support extension programmeswhich seek to support and encourage farmersand farmers groups to apply sustainableagricultural practices. Through the sharing of

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information among all the agencies in theagricultural extension system, it is expected thatthe capacity of agencies to promote sustainableagricultural development will be enhanced. It isrecognised that farmers own IndigenousTechnical Knowledge is often environmentallysustainable, and efforts should be made tosupport and learn from farmers, as well as theformal research system. The policy recognisesthat, inevitably, with increasing demand for higheragricultural output due to a rapidly increasingpopulation, there may be a negative effect uponthe natural environment. However, the policy willsupport extension efforts aimed at balancing thedemands for increasing production andenvironmental preservation. This effort will beintegrated extension support for the wholefarming system.

15.8 Policy 66: Improved productivity oflivestock and improved quality of thelivestock keepers are possible only ifpolicies focus directly on people and policyinstruments are directed towards buildingtheir capacities for vibrant, competitive,informed and responsible participation invery aspect of the livestock sector.

15.8.1 Animal husbandry-extension is verypoor in the State and, if at all, is limited to givingadvice to farmers in a fashion not conducive forsecular livestock growth. The approach towardslivestock development will have to change fromdelivery of pre- packaged services toparticipatory process of planning, implementationand monitoring of development, based onpeople’s knowledge, access and control overresources, their development aspirations and theirperceptions regarding what risks they are willingand able to take as livestock entrepreneurs.

15.8.2 There are five training centers under theDepartment of Animal Husbandry by which theroutine mandate of trainings are undertaken. Butfor a professional approach in participatoryprocess of planning, implementation andmonitoring of development, based on people’sknowledge, access and control over resourcesetc., an apex Institute which would be a centreof excellence is a must. Hence the Governmentshould take immediate steps to materialise acentre of excellence in veterinary trainings andthe present training institutes/ centres are to bedeveloped as its satellite units.

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16. POLICIES RELATED TO MARKETS & MARKETING

16.1 Reforms in agricultural marketingpolicies are intended to improve the efficiencyand effectiveness of the marketing system inthe state so that the benefits such as increasein farmers’ net income, assuring remunerativeand profitable price to farmers and affordablesupplies of food stuff is realized.

16.2 According to FAO, Agriculturalmarketing includes: (a) the performance ofphysical and institutional infrastructure totransfer farm products from the farmers toconsumers; (b) the discovery of prices atdifferent stages of marketing; and (c) thetransmission of price signals in the marketingchain specifically from consumers to farmers.Agricultural marketing adds value in terms oftime, place, form and possession of utilitiesto the agricultural products originating at thefarm level. Physical infrastructure foragricultural marketing, inter alia, consists ofstorage structures, roads and transportationfacilities, marketing yards, grading equipment,packaging facilities, processing plants, andretail outlets. The institutional infrastructureincludes organizations (public, private orcooperatives) and rules of the game,prescribed by either government or marketfunctionaries - individuals or their groups -for performing various marketing functions.

16.3 Therefore, the policies are aimed atimproving market infrastructure and assuringbetter marketing channels with an intelligencesystem in the state.

16.4 Policy 67: Efficient marketinginfrastructure such as wholesale, retail andassembly markets and storage facilities is

essential for cost-effective marketing, tominimise post-harvest losses and to reducehealth risks.

16.4.1 National Institute of AgriculturalMarketing (NIAM) conducted a detailedstudy regarding the agricultural markets inKerala and come out with somerecommendations. Since they are in anintegrated manner, all are adopted for thepolicy initiatives in infrastructure developmentof agricultural markets.

16.4.2 Kerala state lacks well developedagricultural markets and market relatedinfrastructure and also having poor marketinformation and market intelligence system.The state also lack well developed agriculturalmarket infrastructure on post harvesthandling, assembling, sorting, grading,processing, packing, transportation, qualitycertification, palletization, labelling, pre-cooling, cold-store, ripening chambers andexports. In addition to that scenario ofovercrowding, chaos and insanitary conditionis apparently visible in the markets.

16.4.3 The following points may be taken into consideration for the development of themarket infrastructures.16.4.4 Major renovation of existinginfrastructure like buildings and market roadsshould be carried out for six whole saleagricultural markets. The interventions to beconsidered are:

Cool rooms /controlled atmosphericstorage with supporting reefer trucksshould be set up.

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Integrated pack houses and ripeningchambers should be set up. Retail markets should be set up to

promote direct marketing E- auction facility should be created

in urban markets. Shops-Mall concept may be

established in three urban marketsconsidering the proximity to Metros . Construction of training hall and

staying facilities including dormitoriesshould be given importance. Theme park with food courts should

be established. Scientific waste management facility

should be created.- (Biogas,vermicomposting etc.) Auction platforms should be

constructed. Processing unit should be set up. Farmers / traders rest house facility

should be created. Electronic Weigh Bridge should be

set up. Canteen should be made functional. Food safety and hygienic practices

should be followed in the market.

16.5 Policy 68: Reforms needs to bemade in such a way that commonmarketing infrastructure is created in allmajor production centres under the directcontrol of producer organisations

16.5.1 Village market infrastructure is nowunder the control of Grama Panchayaths.Renovation and modernization of all thesemarkets is essential.

16.5.2 Infrastructure like cold storage, coolchamber and concrete floors for fruits andvegetables handling facility should be created inVegetable & Fruit Promotion Council Keralam(VFPCK) markets.

16.5.3 Commodity Specific infrastructurelike Pine apple processing plant, mangoprocessing plant may be modernized, coconutChips making unit at small scale level, Bananaripening chamber and Tapioca starch makingunit facilities should be created. In additionto that Commodity specific market yardsshould be created.

16.5.4 Government should facilitate blocklevel or taluk level marketing centres and retailcontrolled by producer organisations andfarmers. The Commodity futures needs to becarefully controlled to avoid speculations andgovernment regulated futures needs to beestablished for spices and condiments. Allgovernment procurements such asprocurement of SUPPLYCO,CONSUMERED, HORTICORP should bemade only from farmer producer organisationsand outside procurement should only be madeunless and until there is no produce in theproducer organisations.

16.6 Policy 69: The twin goals ofensuring justice to farmers in terms of aremunerative price for their produce andto consumers in terms of a fair andaffordable price for food would be achievedthrough the establishment of ‘AMUL’model outlets for the procurement anddistribution of agricultural produces.

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16.6.1 In the recent past, there was acondition in the state when vegetable growersfaced a crash down in prices for theirproduces, the HORTICORP, a primeorganisation designed for the procurement ofvegetables from farmers was distributingvegetables to the consumers at 30% less costthan prevailing in the open market. Thiscondition is to be stopped immediately as theorganisations like VFPCK and HORTICORP aredesigned for assuring a decent prices for thefarmers. They should concentrate mainly on theprocurement of farmers’ produce rather than atdistribution. The distribution mechanism iscontrolled by the Department of Civil Suppliesand they can intervene at times of provision ofgood food to the people at affordable prices.

16.6.2 At this backdrop, the Government has tothink of establishing AMUL model outletsthroughout the state under Farmer ProducerOrganisations for the collection and distribution offarm produces.

16.6.3 Farmer Retails Outlets (FROs) are anotherimportant tool for marketing. They can run retailmarkets in the cities and the produces can be broughtthere as per the demand and price of the produce isassured there.

16.7 Policy 70:Aseparate AgriculturalMarketing wing may be set up under theDepartment of Agriculture for the betterinfrastructural developments.

16.7.1 More number of markets is being controlledby Local self-government. Poor management andless market development activities are being doneby them. So, Kerala government may bring allthese Local self of Government markets under

the control of Department of Agriculture,Government of Kerala and also may set upseparate agricultural marketing wing underDepartment of Agriculture.

16.8 Policy 71: A perfect marketintelligence system should be developedwith the help of modern ICT tools andtechniques.

16.8.1 Market information is of vitalimportance to all in the marketing systemwhether farmers, traders, processors orconsumers who require market informationfor different purposes. For provision ofinformation of prices of agriculturalcommodities prevailing in the State, outsidethe state and abroad an ICT-based MarketingResearch and Information Network isnecessary in the State. This can provideelectronic connectivity to important marketsin the State for collection and disseminationof price and market-related information.

16.8.2 In addition to price, diverse othermarket-related information is also to beprovided on the portal, for example, theaccepted standards of grade labeling; sanitaryand phyto-sanitary requirement; physicalinfrastructure of storage and warehousing;marketing yards; fees payable; etc. A regionalatlas of agricultural markets in the state on aGIS Platform that would indicate theavailability of the entire marketing services inthe State including storage, cold storages,markets and related infrastructure is a must.Similarly, commodity profiles indicating thepost-harvest requirements of importantcommodities are also must be uploaded on tothe portal.

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16.8.3 The State Agricultural Plan as describedin the Section 14.6 would be inter alia connectedwith the Market intelligence system so that, thefarmers can be advised about what to grow,when to grow, where to grow, how to grow, atwhat extent, where to sell and at what price.

16.8.4 Globalization of agriculture has alsoopened up opportunities for export ofagricultural commodities for which demandby importing countries and their qualityspecification and standards should be madeavailable to domestic exporters to pave forexport led growth. The farmers should alsobe made aware of the consequences of importson domestic prices. These emphasizes theneed for establishing a State Domestic andExport Market Intelligence Cell (SDEMIC)as in the case of the State of Tamil Nadu.

16.8.5 The main objective of SDEMIC wouldbe to disseminate timely, comprehensive, currentand future price intelligence on agriculturalcommodities for better scientific decision-makingby farming community, traders, firms andresearchers. More specifically,

• to forecast the supply and demand ofimportant agricultural commodities• to forecast future prices of majoragricultural commodities;• to study the State and Nationalmarket situation related to importantcommodities;• to disseminate the market and priceinformation to the farmers forplanning, production and holdingstocks; and• to suggest policy measures to theGovernment.

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17. POLICIES ON INTERNATIONAL TRADERELATED ISSUES

17.1 As a necessary element to humansurvival, food is a human right. Small, local familyfarms are the bedrock of traditional ruralcommunities and global food security- the abilityof countries to produce the food they need tosurvive. Yet the global food supply is increasinglyfalling under the control of giant multinationalcorporations. Large agribusinesses haverewritten the rules of the global agriculturaleconomy, using “free trade” agreements to turnfood into a commodity for profit rather than ahuman right. The global corporatization ofagriculture has had disastrous effects on farmers,food security, and the environment.

17.2 The adverse impacts free trade inagriculture have already adversely impactedfarmers in the State. The cost of inputs has risenwhile the international price depression ofagriculture products has reduced the incomes offarmers. South India has been particularly badlyaffected by cheap international imports. Palm oilfrom Malaysia and Indonesia have depressedthe price of coconut among other crops likepepper and tea in Kerala. Fisherfolk and dairycooperatives are also facing threats of loss oflivelihoods.

17.3 Some of the key issues identified bythe farmers during the sittings of theCommittee were the lack of awareness notonly at the leadership level but especially atthe grassroots of the numerous FTAs andWTO processes. The secrecy of the GOIsnegotiations and need to stay updated on therecent developments to the policy makers ofthe State. At this back drop, following policymeasures are suggested for assuring a sizeableincome to the farmers of the state.

17.4 Policy 72: The WTO cell of theDepartment of Agriculture needs areorganisation and made funcionally andprofessionally independent.

17.4.1 The WTO cell of the Department ofAgriculture was formed primarily to advicethe State Government on policy mattersrelated to trade in agriculture in the contextof India being a signatory to the WTO andKerala’s agriculture being predominantly tradeoriented. It holds the other functions like,advising the State Government on issuesrelated to Foreign Trade Policy ofGovernment of India with specific referenceto the State’s agriculture sector, periodicallyappraising the State Government on theAgricultural situation based on regularmonitoring of the performance of the crops,suggesting inclusion of schemes andprogrammes in the Annual/Five Year Planswith a view to enhance the competitivenessof agricultural commodities in the liberalizedtrade regime, examining the various WTOAgreements, International Treaties andnational legislation which have a bearing onState legislation on agriculture and advice theState on its implication, mode ofimplementation, modification /amendments,if any, to be made, advising the State on policydirections based on studies initiated by theCell, etc.

17.4.2 The present organisational setup andpowers are not supportive for the effectiveperformance of the above functions. Astructural reorganisation is needed in the light ofthe new FTAs and FDIs in agriculture.

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17.4.3 A very senior administrative serviceofficer of the cadre Additional Chief Secretaryshould head the Cell. The other statutorymembers in the Board must be an economistwith proven track record in the internationaltrade scenario and livelihood management, alegal expert having sufficient experience in theinternational trade related laws, an agriculturalproduction expert having sufficientexperiences in agricultural marketing, valueaddition and product diversification. A wellorganised office setup with efficient officersfrom the field must be absorbed for thefunctioning.

17.4.4 The WTO cell should be given withthe powers of sending advices and reportsregarding the impact of different tradeagreements which are happening in andaround the world to the Government directlyand before the Legislative Assembly for thetimely intervention of the Government inprotecting its most valuable farmingcommunity.

17.4.5 The WTO cell should make aVigilance Wing for keeping their eye open onall the trade related issues and making detailedand timely studies regarding the impact ofFTAs and other treaties and agreementsbetween the world nations.

17.4.6 An immediate step in this matter isnecessary because, the spice sector, milk andmilk products, etc., are known to be affectedby some of the FTAs.

17.5 Policy 73: Equipping the farmers toproduce the products with internationalstandards and value added products to getan uniformity in production will sort outproblems faced by farmers FTAs to agreater extent.

17.5.1 In many developed countries, theirproducts come in to the international marketsin the most processed and branded form withassured quality. The examples of milk, fruitproducts, food additives etc are examples. Thefarmers of the state by creating the FPOswould become in a position to generateproducts with world class standards if propertechnology for producing the same isadvocated to them. A hand holding supporton assessing the market demand and qualityassurance is necessary. This must be given bythe WTO cell after assessing the worldrequirement of agro-processed - value addedand branded products.

17.5.2 Spices are good examples of this typeof product diversification based on theinternational requirements and standards.They can be converted to oils, oleoresins, semiprocessed products etc,. when a market glutis noticed because of the international causes,the WTO cell advice the system about thispossiblities and the standards of production.

17.6 Policy 74: Terminal markets are to bewatched carefully for the entry of restrictedagro-produces in the disguised forms andstrict ban on such items should be executedto protect the interests of the farmers.

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17.6.1 Many at times the farmers of Keralaexperience a steep fall in price of the commoditiesdue to the entry of cheap under quality agro-produces. For example, the price fall in pepperis attributed to the entry of low quality Vietnampepper which is routed through the Colomboport and finally to India and mixed with thepepper of Kerala and being sold in theinternational market as Kerala pepper which isknown for its good quality. This type ofmechanism which maintains its secrecy can onlybe caught if we keep a vigil at the terminalmarkets. The WTO cell should make necessarymechanism to check this type of un healthypractices.

17.7 Policy 75: Create Programmessupportive of small farmers and sustainableagriculture to save the livelihood of farmers.

17.7.1 Government will finance sustainableagricultural practices and the improvement ofagricultural infrastructures. It shouldacknowledge that small farmers andcooperatives need policies that protect landownership, provide access to credit, offertechnical assistance, provide appropriatetechnology transfers, and guarantee pricingmechanisms that reflect the true costs ofproduction. Investments in agriculture shouldpromote local knowledge systems withimprovements in technologies.

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18. POLICIES RELATED TO FARMER PRODUCERORGANISATIONS

18.1 Collectivization of producers,especially small and marginal farmers, intoproducer organisations has emerged as oneof the most effective pathways to address themany challenges of agriculture but mostimportantly, improved access to investments,technology and inputs and markets (Nationalpolicy for the promotion of farmer producerorganisations(FPOs), 2013)

18.2 The vision envisaged is to build aprosperous and sustainable agriculture sectorby promoting and supporting member-ownedproducer Organisations, that enable farmers toenhance productivity through efficient, cost-effective and sustainable resource use and realizehigher returns for their produce, throughcollective action supported by the government,and fruitful collaboration with academia,research agencies, civil society and the privatesector.

18.3 Policy 76: FPO must be a bodyregistered and administered by farmers andthe organisation must be focused on activitiesin the agriculture and allied sectors.

18.3.1 The membership to FPOs shall belimited to farmers as per Section 4 of the‘Agricultural development Policy’ only.Necessary legal provisions may be made soas restrict the entry only the real farmers. Theprime need for the promotion of FPOs is toincrease the net income of the farmers. Sothe formation of FPOs must be based on theactual requirement by the farmers of theparticular locality and the profit share of thesame would be divided among the membersonly.

18.3.2 The formation and development ofFPOs will be actively encouraged andsupported by the Central and StateGovernments and their agencies, usingfinancial resources from various Centrally-sponsored and State-funded schemes in theagriculture sector agencies. This goal will beachieved by creating a coalition of partnersby the concerned promoter body, involvingcivil society institutions, researchorganisations, consultants, private sectorplayers and any other entity which cancontribute to the development of strong andviable producer owned FPOs.

18.4 Policy 77: State Governmentshould take up formation of FPOs on alarge scale through Centrally-sponsoredand State-financed programmes andschemes.

18.4.1 The primary objective of mobilisingfarmers into member-owned producerorganisations, or FPOs, is to enhanceproduction, productivity and profitability ofagriculturists, especially small farmers in thestate. The participant farmers will be giventhe necessary support to identify appropriatecrops relevant to their context, providedaccess to modern technology throughcommunity-based processes including FarmerField Schools; their capacities will bestrengthened and they will be facilitated toaccess forward linkages with regard totechnology for enhanced productivity, valueaddition of feasible products and market tie-ups. Farmers will be organised into smallneighbourhood informal groups which wouldbe supported under the programme to form

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associations/organisations relevant to theircontext including confederating them intoFPOs for improved input and output marketaccess as well as negotiating power.

18.4.2 Mobilising farmers into groups ofbetween 15-20 members at the village level(called Farmer Interest Groups or FIGs) andbuilding up their associations to an appropriatefederating point i.e. Farmer ProducerOrganisations (FPOs) so as to plan andimplement product-specific cluster/commercial crop cycles.

18.4.2.1 Strengthening farmer capacity throughagricultural best practices for enhancedproductivity.

18.4.2.2 Ensuring access to and usage of qualityinputs and services for intensive agricultureproduction and enhancing clustercompetitiveness.

18.4.2.3 Facilitating access to fair andremunerative markets including linking ofproducer groups to marketing opportunitiesthrough market aggregators.

18.5 Policy 78: FPOs must be based onthe values of self-help, self-responsibility,democracy, equality, equity and solidarity.

18.5.1 FPO members must believe in theethical values of honesty, openness, socialresponsibility and caring for others.

18.5.2 FPOs are voluntary organisations,open to all persons able to use their servicesand willing to accept the responsibilities ofmembership, without gender, social, racial,political or religious discrimination.

18.5.3 FPOs are democratic organisationscontrolled by their farmer-members whoactively participate in setting their policies andmaking decisions. Men and women servingas elected representatives are accountable tothe collective body of members. In primaryFPOs farmer-members have equal votingrights (one member, one vote) and FPOs atother levels are also organised in a democraticmanner.

18.5.4 Farmer-members contribute equitablyto, and democratically control, the capital oftheir FPO. At least part of that capital isusually the common property of the FPO.Farmer-members usually receive limitedcompensation, if any, on capital subscribed asa condition of membership. Farmer-membersallocate surpluses for any or all of the purposeslike developing their FPO, possibly by settingup reserves, part of which at least would beindivisible; benefiting members in proportionto their transactions with the FPO; andsupporting other activities approved by themembers.

18.5.5 FPOs are autonomous, self-helporganisations controlled by their farmer-members. If they enter into agreements withother organisations, including governments,or raise capital from external sources, theydo so on terms that ensure democratic controlby their farmer- members and maintain theirFPO's autonomy.

18.5.6 FPOs operatives provide educationand training for their farmer-members, electedrepresentatives, managers, and employees sothat they can contribute effectively to thedevelopment of their FPOs. They inform thegeneral public – particularly young people and

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opinion leaders – about the nature and benefitsof FPOs.

18.5.7 FPOs serve their members mosteffectively and strengthen the FPO movementby working together through local, national,regional and international structures.

18.5.8 FPOs work for the sustainabledevelopment of their communities throughpolicies approved by their members.

18.6 Policy 79: The Government shouldmake ‘Hand Holding Support’ to FPOs bytaking policy decisions and providingexpert management man power.

18.6.1 The Government may appoint anexpert in the FPOs for their professionalmanagement. The person engaged for thispurpose will not have any voting power inthe FPO. He will be a paid officer with highprofessional standards. he should have thecapacity of organisational management,financial management, group mobilisation,marketing management etc. In the due course,the FPOs can make their own arrangementfor appointing suitable experts.

18.6.2 By declaring FPOs at par withcooperatives registered under the relevantState legislation and self-help groups/federations for all benefits and facilities thatare extended to member-owned institutionsfrom time to time.

18.6.3 The State Government may supportFPOs by making provisions for easy issue oflicenses to FPOs to trade in inputs (seed,fertilizer, farm machinery, pesticides etc.) foruse of their members as well as routing the

supply of agricultural inputs through FPOs atpar with cooperatives.

18.6.4 The FPOs may be supported by usingthem as producers of certified seed, saplingsand other planting material and extendingproduction and marketing subsidies onpar with cooperatives.

18.6.5 The activi ty of FPOs may bestrengthened By appointing them asprocurement agents for MSP operationsfor various crops.

18.6.6 The FPOs may be developed as adevelopment tool by using them asimplement ing agencies for var iousagricultural development programmes,especially RKVY, NFSM, ATMA etc. andextending the benefits of Central andState funded programmes in agricultureto members of FPOs on a preferentialbasis.

18.6.7 The financial nearness to farmersmay be assured by linking FPOs tofinancial institutions like cooperativebanks, State Financial Corporations etc.for working capi ta l , s torage andprocessing infrastructure and otherinvestments.

18.6.8 The entry of industries in to theproposed ‘Rice and coconut bioparksshould be restricted to FPOs only forpreventing the exploitation of farmers bythe so called ‘big shot’ companies.

18.7 Policy 80: The FPOs are to be designedin such a way as to provide ‘end to end’services to its members.

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18.7.1 FPOs are to provide almost end-to-end services to its members, coveringalmost all aspects of cultivation (frominputs, technical services to processingand marketing). The FPO will facilitatelinkages between farmers, processors,traders, and retailers to coordinate supplyand demand and to access key businessdevelopment services such as marketinformation, input supplies, and transportservices. Based on the emerging needs,the FPO will keep on adding new servicesfrom time to time.

18.7.2 The se t of serv ices inc ludeFinancial, Business and Welfare services.

18.7.3 Financial Services: The FPO willprovide loans for crops, purchase oftractors, pump sets, construction ofwells, laying of pipelines.

18.7.4 Input Supply Services: The FPOwill provide low cost and quality inputsto member farmers . I t wi l l supplyfertilizers, pesticides, seeds, sprayers,pumpsets, accessories, pipelines.

18.7.5 Procurement and PackagingServices : The FPO wi l l procureagriculture produce from its memberfarmers; wil l do the s torage, valueaddition and packaging.

18.7.6 Marketing Services: The FPO willdo the direct marketing after procurementof agricultural produce. This will enablemembers to save in terms of t ime,transaction costs, weighment losses,d is t ress sa les , pr ice f luc tua t ions ,transportation, quality maintenance etc.

18.7.7 Insurance Services: The FPO willprovide various insurance like Crop Insurance,Electric Motors Insurance and Life Insurance.

18.7.8 Technical Services: FPO will promotebest practices of farming, maintain marketinginformation system, diversifying and raisinglevels of knowledge and skills in agriculturalproduction and post-harvest processing thatadds value to products.

18.7.9 Networking Services: Makingchannels of information (e.g. about productspecifications, market prices) and otherbusiness services accessible to ruralproducers; facilitating linkages with financialinstitutions, building linkages of producers,processors, traders and consumers, facilitatinglinkages with government programmes.

18.8 Policy 81: The State Governmentmay appoint SFAC as the ResourceInstitution (RI) for the promotion of FPOs.

18.8.1 The National Policy on FPOs alsosuggests that the Government can appointSFAC as the RI for the promotion of FPOs.This provision may be utilised. However,necessary staff support to SFAC may meprovided as the activity has to be taken up ina war footing.

18.8.2 Cluster areas are to be selected by theRI in consultation with the respective StateGovernment departments.

18.8.3 A Diagnostic Study is to be conductedby the RI in the selected cluster area. TheDiagnostic Study is conducted to assess thepreliminary situation of the farmers and levelof agriculture in the area. The study will also

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help in identifying the potential interventionsrequired and understand the specific projectimplementation context.

18.8.4 Feasibility Analysis for the formationof FPCs should be carried out by SFAC andthen appraised by hired external experts invarious technical areas. A normal feasibilitystudy should cover aspects such as financial,technical, legal, political, socio-cultural,environmental, economic and resourcefeasibility. The Feasibility Analysis willestablish a case for promotion of FPCs in theprevailing specific regional environmentalcontext of the FPOs.

18.8.5 Baseline Assessment, to be carried outby RI, will help in generating data related tothe current prevailing situation of farming andsmall, marginal and tenant farmers. Baselineassessment will cover a variety of factors toidentify the potential interventions, to plandevelopment and business plans and toestablish the base figures based on futureoutcome indicators that can be measured tounderstand the change contribution. Theassessment shall be conducted using stratifiedrandom sampling through structuredhousehold-level interviews and open-endedfocus group discussions with a variety ofstakeholders.

18.8.6 Business Planning will be carried outby SFAC with the help of selected farmers'representatives. Business planning is a processthrough which the strategic and operationalorientation of an emerging FPO is shaped.While baseline assessment figures will beimportant inputs to understand the level fromwhich products and services for farmers'members should be developed, more

important will be the collective visualisationof the future of the FPO. Using a variety oftools and systematic collective reflections, abusiness plan with proper projections on variousaspects needs to be developed. The key is todevelop business plans in detail with at least 10%of FPO farmer members to provide clear vision.

18.9 Policy 82: The formation of FPOs areto be done in a scientifically organised basisso that sustainability of the same should beensured.

18.9.1 Once a strong case has been establishedby Spear Head Team (SHT) with the help of aselect group of farmers through the businessplanning process, it is time to mobilise farmersinto FIGs and eventually as farmer-members ofFPOs. Mobilisation of farmers should be donewith a variety of communication aids like –pamphlets, documentary movies, posters,regular village-level meetings, proper visiondevelopment of promoter farmer-members.Promoter farmer-members are those who areeager to form a FPO on voluntary basis, havingunderstood the importance and potential benefitsof forming FPOs, obtained through trainingprogrammes and exposure provided by SHT ofRI.

18.9.2 FIGs in an aggregated cluster togetherform FPOs. Typically, around 50-70 FIGs cancome together to form a FPO. FPOs can beregistered under the Producer Companyprovision under the Companies Act. A separatemanual on registration of FPOs is depicted inthe National Policy on FPOs. However, itmust be clarified that the purpose of mobilisingfarmers is not merely to achieve the target ofregistering a formal entity.

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18.9.3 The final form which the FPO assumes(i.e. cooperative, producer company, multi-state cooperative etc.) must be a decisiontaken by FIG members at an appropriate time.It is important to stress that the process mustnot be hurried in any manner and there is no"right time" by which the FPO must beregistered. Any period between 18 months to24 months may be necessary for the FIGs tosettle down and understand the implicationsof aggregation. Only then should the FPOregistration be attempted.

18.9.4 Before initiating the operations of aFPO all required resources should bemobilised by the RI with the help of FPOrepresentatives and board of directors.Financial, human (staff), technical and physicalresources should be developed during thisparticular step. Based on the business plan theRI should liaise with various financingagencies and mobilise resources for hiring/purchasing and developing various resources.

18.9.5 RI should facilitate the developmentof management systems in the FPO.Guidelines for management systems shouldbe able to address all requirements related tofinancial services, input and outputmanagement services. Systems related to

management of finance, human resources, stockand inventory, procurement and qualitymanagement, marketing, internal audit,internal conflict resolution and otherimportant functional areas should bedeveloped. Standard operating procedures forthe same should be established.

18.9.6 RI should carefully train both thegoverning and operational structures of theFPO in order to ensure smooth functioningof business operations. Business operationsis the commencement of procurement,production, processing, marketing andfinancial service activities of a FPO. The entirevalue-chain related to various agriculture andallied products and commodities needs to bemanaged.

18.9.7 RI should facilitate constantassessment of performance of variousstakeholders like farmer members, governingboard of directors and service providers. Theyshould also help FPOs to reflect usingInstitutional Maturity Index to understandareas of improvement. Internal process andaccounting audits will help maintain bothtransparency and accountability.

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19. POLICIES RELATED TO FARM MECHANISATION

19.1 Farm mechanization is regarded assine-qua-non to reduce the human drudgeryand enhance the agricultural productivity.During the post-green revolution period, theimpact of farm mechanization on agriculturalproduction and productivity has been wellrecognised in India. Depending upon the useof other inputs such as irrigation, high yieldingseed varieties, chemical fertilizers, herbicidesand pesticides, different States in India haveattained different levels of mechanization.Consequently the agricultural production &productivity has witnessed three to four foldincrease.

19.2 According to FAO, The term “farmmechanization” is used to describe tools,implements and machinery applied toimproving the productivity of farm labour andof land; it may use either human, animal ormotorized power, or a combination of these.In practice, therefore, it involves the provisionand use of all forms of power sources andmechanical assistance to agriculture, fromsimple hand tools, to draught animal powerand to mechanical power technologies.

19.3 For Kerala to make a positive impartin agriculture, infusion of modern technologyand methodology is a must. Farmmechanization has been helpful to bring abouta significant improvement in agriculturalproductivity. Using mechanical equipmentwhich has higher output capacity cuts downthe number of operations to be performed hashelped in increasing area under cultivation andits productivity. Mechanization reduces thecost of production and saves labour. Further,large scale production reduces the unit cost

on the farms and also reduces the weather riskand risk of non-availability of labour. Timelymarketing is also made possible by quickharvesting, cleaning and handling.Mechanization also helps to reduce theharvesting losses considerably.

19.4 Policy 83: Encourage custom hiringoperation of tractors, power tillers andfarm machinery through training,financial incentives, subsidized loans andadequate financing to allow procurementof high capacity equipment by the customoperator to ensure sufficient turn over andincome.

19.4.1 Due to continuing fragmentation, theaverage size of operational holdings isshrinking in the State and the percentage ofmarginal, small and semi-medium operationalholdings is increasing. This is makingindividual ownership of agricultural machineryprogressively more difficult.

19.4.2 The Agro-Service Centres establishedin selected Blocks of the state are with thisobjective proves to be the best alternative, butthe service delivery may be concentrated atthe Panchayat level. For this purpose, theAgro-Service centres may be established atthe Panchayat level and the FPOs as perSection ... of the Policy can be made theagency for running the same.

19.5 Policy 84: Financial incentive shouldbe provided for replacement of inefficientequipments by improved tools andimplements.

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19.5.1 The small and marginal farmers of theState are now not in a position to improvetheir farm machinery to the most modernequipments, because of the shortage in theircapital investments. Owing to this fact, theState Government may chalk out programmesfor the replacement of less efficient machinerywith that of the improved ones. Financialincentive programmes would be launched tosupport this venture.

19.5.2 Till now the State assisted in the supplyof machineries to the farmers of Kerala andbecoming the priority area. The technology haschanged a lot during this period and themachineries need to be replaced with the modernones.

19.6 Policy 85: The State should developstrategies and approaches for optimuminvolvement of extensionists, researchers,development agents, and the eventual usersof the technology as a unified body for thefast and effective farm mechanisation.

19.6.1 Modern agriculture requires aninnovative capacity which goes far beyond theindividual farmer, researcher, industrialist, andeven beyond the abilities of any one of theirorganizations or institutions. Considering thefact that "ineffective linkage of research andthe agriculture industry", and "lack of a Statestrategy for agricultural mechanization(Agricultural Mechanisation Strategy - AMS)"are the other main factors found in the sittingsof this Committee, the challenge is thereforeto develop strategies and approaches foroptimum involvement of extensionists,researchers, development agents, and theeventual users of the technology as a unifiedbody in order to be effective. Since all

mechanization inputs have to be paid by thefarmers, they must be the main focus of allactivities.

19.7 Policy 86: Developing humanresources and generation of self-employment by way of providing skill-oriented training in the farmmechanisation sector is important.

19.7.1 Different types of training programmesin the selection, operation, repair/maintenanceand management of farm machinery for thebenefit of technicians, rural youth, farmers andengineering graduates are to be launched by theGovernment so that the technology become auser friendly one and capable of finding selfemployment for the qualified personnel. Thiswould aid in the improvement in the quality ofservices and elimination of unemployment.

19.7.2 The Regional Testing and TrainingCentres of the State would be developed as‘Centre of Excellence’ and time bound andneed based trainings are to be imparted bythem.

19.8 Policy 87: Agricultural mechani-zation strategy ought to clearly define theroles of the private sector and that of thestate.

19.8.1 The private sector should have the roleof providing the technology, services andspare parts to the farmers. Mean while, thestate should be a facilitator through thecreation of the enabling environment. Farmerswill only mechanize if this will result inincreased or maintained incomes. This is thedriving force for the adoption ofmechanization technologies. It is the farmer

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who will decide what technology to use, fromwhom and how to use it. Hence farmers arethe most important stakeholders because theyare the primary drivers of the mechanizationprocess.

19.8.2 Government needs to re-double effortsto create enabling environments for private sectorinitiatives. The components of such enablingenvironments include: appropriate macro-economic policies, legal and regulatoryframeworks, efficient and effective judicialsupport, land ownership and tenure policies.

19.9 Policy 88: Availability of machinery,equipment, spare parts and other suppliesis essential for successful and sustainablemechanization.

19.9.1 This means that agriculturalmechanization also involves the developmentof local industries for the production ofmachinery and implements, and whereproduction is not feasible, the establishmentand development of local franchise holdersto import them. In this case, establishing theeffective and efficient distributional channelsfor equipment, spare parts, repair services andenergy (oil and fuel) is critical for success.When mechanization process involvesdevelopment of supply chains and servicesfarmers have a better choice of equipment.Having spare parts and supply chains is simplynot enough, it is vital that these chains arereliable and offer low-cost supplies ofequipment.

19.10 Policy 89: To reduce drudgery andimprove human labour productivity, thereis a need to improve the design of existingtools and machineries.

19.10.1 Ergonomic tools and women-friendlytools in farming operations that could significantlyenhance human labour productivity in differentterrains should be introduced through programsand projects. Ergonomically designed harnesses,yokes and improved implements such as seedcum fertilizer drills, planters and multi row interculture implements are also required dependingupon the demand and region. Emphasis may begiven for introducing multi crop equipment suchas medium range multi-crop axial flow threshers,multi-crop reapers and roto-tillers suitable bybringing about design improvement to suit thecrops, gender and the terrain.

19.11 Policy 90: Pollution freemechanization practices that conservenatural resources such as land, water andsoil nutrients need to be promoted.

19.11.1 Mechanization options that allow directsowing, minimum/reduced tillage, land levelling,retention of crop residues will result in sustainableeconomic growth. The outstanding success ofno-till and conservation agriculture practices inBrazil is a good example of the approach to betaken.

19.12 Policy 91: Farm mechanisation is apart of agricultural extension.

19.12.1 The extension programs onmechanization should include front linedemonstration, agricultural machinery shows,media, publications and face-to-face contactswith farmers and co-operatives. Thegovernment can absorb and place the newflow of diploma graduates specialized inagricultural mechanization produced asextension agents across the State. Theextension services should place more emphasis

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on the development of small-scale farmers in:-The use of appropriate and affordablemechanization options-Credit acquisition -Effective supply of agricultural inputs(including spares)-Encouraging farmers’ co-operatives toparticipate in availing and providingservices of agricultural machineries.

19.12.2 Local manufacture ofagricultural machineries and implements can bepromoted through trainings on village-levelcraftsmanship, manufacturing technology,operation, repair and maintenance. Thegovernment should also provide in-servicetraining for existing staff, technicians andartisans to improve their understanding of thedifferent power and mechanization optionsavailable to farmers and to expose them tonew technologies and opportunities.

19.13 Policy 92: The agriculturalmachineries and implements shall beexempted from import duty and valueadded tax (VAT) in order to reduce the cost.

19.13.1 Subsidization of machineries /implements for small- and medium holderfarmers in the short-term shall also be envisionedwhere the costs of machineries can be subsidizedduring the initial period (2 to 3 years) afterintroduction and thereafter withdrawn graduallyto zero subsidies on investments.

19.14 Policy 93: The installation of solar,wind and hybrid technology based highvolume output pumps along the bunds ofthese Padasekaharams so that the powerconsumption and cost of cultivation couldbe minimised.

19.14.1 The most used machinery in the riceproduction sector in Kerala is the indigenous'Petty and Para'which is prevalent in theKuttanad and Kole regions. The main problemassociated with this device is the low efficiencywhen the power factor is concerned. As analternative means, energy efficient dewateringdevices are to be developed indigenously incollaboration with the private manufacturersand Kerala Agricultural University. Thetechnology or devices thus developed has tobe handed over to the public limitedundertakings based on the memorandum ofunderstanding set forth during the phases ofdevelopment.

19.14.2 Another important area ofconsideration is the installation of solar basedhigh volume output pumps along the bunds ofthese Padasekaharams so that the powerconsumption and cost of cultivation could beminimised. The technology and equipments areavailable in the market but the limiting factor foradoption is the cost involved. The Governmentcan intervene at this point and the installationsare to be made by the Government itself orsubsidising the installations when done by thePadasekharams.

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20. POLICIES RELATED TO INCOME ASSURANCE &CROP INSURANCE

20.1 Assuring the price of the produce andinsuring the crop against loss are the primerequisites for the sustainability in agriculture.

20.2 The price fixation is undertaken by thegovernment such that the productiveresources are channeled into production ofrequired food commodities and also generatesenough income to farmers for decent livingand provide for capital formation inagriculture for future production.

20.3 Price stabilization is one of the mostimportant objectives of agricultural policy.Different methods of price stabilization (bufferstocks, floor-ceiling prices, buffer funds,export / import taxes and subsidies) can beobserved in their purest form in India.

20.4 The policy considers assuring incomefrom farming and ensuring it by the properinsurance schemes of the Government in aPublic Private Partnership (PPP) modewherever applicable.

20.5 Policy 94: An Actio Apportum*concept is to be introduced for the first timefor assuring the farmers a legal demand ofright for sharing revenue or profit generatedout of the farm produce when it is traded.

20.5.1 Farmers are important in societybecause they feed the masses. They producefood that is consumed to keep both humanbeings and animals alive and healthy. If there wereno farmers, there would be no people or animals.

20.5.2 Farmers are the primary producers inthe society and the consumers get their producesfrom the traders and not from the producersdirectly. There exists a wide gap between theprice at which a producer sells his commodityand the price at which the consumers receivethe same - the difference between the producerand the consumer price- is referred as marketingmargin of the produce.

20.5.3 It was estimated that when palakkadmatta is sold in the upcountry metro marketsfor Rs. 65/- to Rs. 70/- per kg the producer inKerala is selling it at Rs. 22.60/-. The differencegoes as profit to one or two middle level tradeagencies. When milk and milk products areconcerned, there exists a marketing marginranging from 25 - 82 percentage for the liquidmilk and processed products respectively. In thecase of fruits and vegetables, the marketingmargin varies from 14-82 percentage.

20.5.4 If the producer farmer was doing themarketing and trading, the entire marketingmargin would have gone to him alone. But dueto the resource poverty and lack of time otherthan production he is not in a position to do thesame. He is actively engaged in the foodproduction process for the society. Actually, themiddle level agencies and traders are utilisingthis weakness of the farmer and they aregenerating huge profits out of the farmers’hard earned crop. So there is a legal right forthe producer farmer to have a share from themarketing margin.

20.5.5 It is estimated that over 40 lakh tonnesof rice is being sold in Kerala. If State could

*Derived from Latin, Actio = a legal demand of right, Apportum = profit or revenue

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could take away mere one rupee per kg of ricesold in the terminal market can generate an amountof Rs.350 to Rs.400 crores every year. This couldbe used as Actio Apportum (Avakasa Labham) alegal right for sharing the profit generated out of thefarm produce when it is traded at the terminalmarket. Every farmer who has given their produceto the state will be eligible to have Rs.5 per kg ofpaddy as Avakasa Labham. This may facilitate afarmer giving 3 tonnes of rice to earn a cheque forRs 15,000 rupees as Avakasa Labham from theDepartment of Agriculture for every crop season.Similar exercises could be worked out for rubber,milk and other crops after detailed study. This willfacilitate the farmer to invest more money toproduce more paddy so that it offers a decentreturn as a right with out fail. The unspentamount will remain as a 'nidhi' for futureutilization..

20.5.6 A similar situation can be simulated inthe case of milk also. If an amount of Rs. 0.5/-per litre of milk consumed is taken up from theultimate profit, the small farmers who are theback bone dairy and animal husbandry sectorwill enjoy the Actio Apportum concept.

20.5.7 The Actio Apportum should be madeadmissible only to those small and marginalfarmers who are depending only on agriculturefor their livelihood.

20.6 Policy 95: A price fixation authorityshould be formed for fixing the price of theagricultural commodity in the state, so thatprotection from price falling would beenabled.

20.6.1 As per the suggestion of theSwaminathan Commission, the total revenue thathas to be earned by a farmer for his decent livingis the sum of cost of cultivation and just half theamount as profit. In order to estimate the cost ofcultivation, an authority with autonomous natureshould be formed at the state with the AgriculturalProduction Commissioner as its Chairman. Theauthority should be purely a technical one withpersons having sufficient experience in the field ofestimation and scientific assessment. Under nocircumstances, persons with low profile or withouttechnical background is allowed in the authority.The authority has to depend upon the ‘StateAgricultural Plan’ as envisaged in the section 13.6.2for arriving at the realistic price of the produce.

20.6.2 When price of the commodity in theopen market falls below the price fixed by theAuthority, the Government has to takeimmediate steps for procuring the item throughthe ‘Amul’ model outlets, HORTICORP or CivilSupplies as the case may be.

20.7 Policy 96: Minimum Support Price(MSP) for paddy, vegetables, banana andspices may be announced during thecommencement of the season by the stateGovernment with the help of the PriceFixation Authority.

20.7.1 At present there is no mechanism forannouncing MSP for crops grown in the state.With the help of the Price Fixation Authority, itis possible to announce the prices of theimportant crops such as paddy, coconut,cucurbitaceous, solanaceous, leguminous andleafy vegetables, fruits like banana, pine appleand mango, etc well in advance during thebeginning of the season.

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20.8 Policy 97: An Agricultural RiskFund may be formed with the objectiveof providing immediate assistance tofarmers at the time of emergency.

20.8.1 Mechanisms for risk mitigationare poor or absent in the state. A properrisk management fund is to be providedat the department level for minimisingthe administrative delay in disbursingthe assistances needed for addressingthe emergency situations. There wereinstances of breaching the bunds duringthe peak cropping seasons in Kuttanad,Kole and Palakkad regions as presentedbefore the Committee while its sittingsin that districts where a huge loss oncrops occurred. These types of emergencysituations could be very well managed ifthe financial assistances are provided intime.

20.8.2 The initial corpus fund for the samecould be met from the budgetary provisionsof the State and for the coming periods,remains of the Actio Apportum Fund can betaken.

20.9 Policy 98: The Agricultural PricesBoard will be strengthened with broaderguidelines.

20.9.1 The Agricultural Prices Board was setupin the State with the objective of collecting,analysing and advising the farmers about theprice situations of current and future. But withthe introduction of the Price Fixation Authorityas per Section 20.6, the activities of the boardare to be widened regarding the marketintervention policies of the Government. ThePrices Board would tell the Government about

the suitable market regulation and interventionprogrammes apart from the present duties.The international as well as national marketprice situations are to be analysed employingsuitable modern tools by the Prices Board andthe matter would be brought to the attention ofthe Government by an intelligence mechanism.The data collected may not be made available tothe public as it is regarded as a strategic one. Ifthe situation of the State is known to others, theycan dump the produce in the state leading to ‘pricecrash’ of the indigenously produced goods.

20.10 Policy 99: Government should adopt‘Income Guarantee’ programmes for thefarmers as the main agricultural supportinstrument and an Act in this line should bepassed.

20.10.1 If the vision envisaged in the policydocument is to be accomplished, the farmersshould be assured of an income to the tune of thatreceived by a Class Four Employee in the Stateservice.

20.10.2 The National Farmers' Commissionstated, “Progress in agriculture should bemeasured by the growth rate in the net incomeof farm families..... moving away from an attitudewhich measures progress only in millions oftonnes of food-grains and other farmcommodities.”

20.10.3 The government will be directlyaccountable for improving the net incomes offarming households. So there is a necessitythat formulation and enactment of Farmers'Income Guarantee Act which assures allfarming households a dignified living incometo meet the basic living expenses.

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20.11. Policy 100: The views of the farmersshould also be taken in to account whilethe regulations on the management oftrespassing animals in the farm landscausing crop loss.

20.11.1 Crop damage by wild animals is a severeproblem in some parts of Kerala. Field surveysshowed that on an average 20% of the crop wasdamaged by wild animals in Kerala. Fortysevenspecies of crops were vulnerable to animaldamage. Highly nutritious crops like paddy,plantains and coconut were more vulnerable.

20.11.2 Only 8.2% of the amount claimed bythe farmers were seen sanctioned by the ForestDepartment. and in most of the instances.payment was delayed. Cropping pattern andlocation of the agriculture fields have greatinfluence on crop damage incidence. Crops likebetel leaf, cashew, clove, cotton, curryleaf and turmeric were not prone to damage.Damage of mulberry (up to 56%) recorded atPalanad by gaur is unique in Kerala. Gaur isknown to damage crop only at Marayur inKerala. If suitable remedial measures are nottaken, the farmers may become hostile andserious damage to wild life and livelihood of thefarmers would be resulted.

20.11.3 In Kerala. both traditional and modernmethods are employed as the control measuresagainst the crop raiding animals. Most of thetraditional methods are effective for short periods.Electric fencing using energisers, is an effectivemethod for preventing herbivores like elephant,gaur and deer. Wild boar canbe prevented by erecting good fences or stonewalls. In this study it was found that bar soapwas useful in controlling browsing of sambar forshort periods. The method can be employed in

critical periods and is economical also. Censusof wild boar should be initiated before initiatingany reduction in their numbers.

20.11.4 Educating the settlers about thebehaviour of wild animals and resettling theenclosures to the outside areas will mitigatethe problem of crop raiding to a certain extent.

20.11.5 All preventive methods discussed sofar can be considered as only short term, whichmay provide immediate relief. As a long termmeasure, intensive management of wild lifepopulation will be needed. Accurateassessment of the population of wild animalslike elephants, wild boar, Indian porcupine,sambar, spotted deer and gaur is a must toevolve management options. After estimatingthe optimum population level, the excessindividuals may be removed, either by cullingor by translocation. The views of the farmersin this regard should find a due place in theregulations evolved.

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21. AGRICULTURAL CREDIT POLICIES

21.1 Access to affordable and timely creditis crucial. Credit should be provided by formalsources which should pay special attention toproductivity raising investments. Credit at theright time and in adequate amount is a basicrequirement of small farm families.

21.2 The debt deaths underline the needfor urgent reform of farm credit. Many foreigncountries give loans to farmers at zero percentinterest. Obviously, the Government and notthe Banks meet the transaction cost.

21.3 Researchers revealed that reductionin cooperative banks’ credit and slow growthin commercial banks’ credit to agriculture inthe post-reforms period have led the re-emergence of money lenders in ruralagriculture credit marketing system in recentyears. This has increased the debt problemamong marginal farmers and has led toincreasing farmers’ suicides in the country.Therefore, a policy initiative is needed tostrengthen the cooperative credit system alongwith reduction in disparities of commercialbanks in agricultural credit allocation acrossthe states.

21.4 Policy 101: Increase flow of credit tofarmers including small and marginal,triggering agricultural growth ledeconomic progress, which can lead toopportunities for a healthy and productivelife to rural families.

21.4.1 The credit providing institutions willbe advised to increase the flow of credit tothe small and marginal farmers of the state.

In spite of government pronouncements, creditis becoming increasingly difficult to access. It isobvious that dire financial straits are drivinghapless farmers to take to extreme steps includingsuicides.

21.5 Policy 102: The SHG Bank Linkageprogramme is the most appropriatefinancial mechanism to extend credit tomarginal farmers.

21.5.1 An economically poor individual gainsstrength as part of a group. Besides, financingthrough SHGs reduces transaction costs forboth lenders and borrowers. While lendershave to handle only a single SHG accountinstead of a large number of small-sizedindividual accounts, borrowers as part of anSHG cut down expenses on travel (to & fromthe branch and other places) for completingpaper work and on the loss of workdays incanvassing for loans.

21.6 Policy 103: All the District co-operative banks functioning in the stateshould apportion a sizeable portion foragricultural loans.

21.6.1 Co-operative sector plays animportant role in the provision of farm credit.Usually the farm credit portion of the Districtco-operative banks are at low and has to beincreased

21.7 Policy 104: Interest free loans willcontinue.

21.7.1 The State Government had taken apioneering step in this regard and implemented

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the same for paddy cultivation. The interestportion would be paid to the Co-Operativebanks by the State Government. TheCommittee was very well convinced the utilityof the same by the farmers of the state in itsvarious sittings. The programme would becontinued for the coming years also. Also,interest should be waived on loans in areashit by drought and floods and for crops underheavy pest infestation. Compounding ofinterest on arrears should be applied only inthe case of recalcitrant borrowers who do notpay their dues in spite of having adequaterepaying capacity.

21.8 Policy 105: Livelihood finance,which is a comprehensive approach topromoting sustainable livelihoods for thepoor, is the need of the hour.

21.8.1 The National Commission for Farmersemphasisized the need of livelihood finance.It comprises of:

(i) Financial services (insurance for life,health, crops and livestock(ii) Infrastructure (finance for roads,power, market and telecommunications(iii) Investments in human development,agriculture and business developmentservices (including productivityenhancement, local value addition, andalternate market linkages(iv) Institutional development services(forming and strengthening variousproducers' organisations such as self-helpgroups, water user associations, forestprotection committees, credit andcommodity cooperatives, empoweringpanchayats through capacity building andknowledge centres)

21.9 Policy 106: The loans taken forpoultry, dairying and animal husbandryare also to be treated as agricultural loans.

21.9.1 At present, these types of loans arenot categorised under the agricultural loansand are treated only as ‘Medium term Loans’which are charged at a higher interest rate.Appropriate mechanism from the part of theState Government is to be taken to putpressure on the Central Government toconsider these types of loans also at par withcrop loans as these activities are of the primaryproduction type and inseparable fromagriculture.

21.9.2 Since the repayment of all loans takenby the farmers are from farming only, theyare to be treated as ‘Agricultural Loans’regarding the interest component.

21.9.3 These provisions are to be madeadmissible only to those farmers who areregistered with the Government by the‘Farmer Registration’ programme.Theamount eligible would be according to thedetails validated against the possession of landeither owned, leased and / or both.

21.10 Policy 107: An ‘Agricultural CreditRelief Fund’ is to be formed for addressingthe waiver of loans in the event of naturalcalamities.

21.10.1 Natural calamities like drought, floodwhich are frequent and recurrent occurrencesand pest infestation are serious and cripplingrisks. Rescheduling and restructuring of theirloans are not enough. Waiver of loans is alsoneeded. An Agriculture Credit Relief Fund,set up with contributions from the Central and

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State governments and banks in a predeterminedfashion, as suggested in the Report of NCF asRisk Fund, could provide relief to farmers in theform of waivers in full/ part of loans and interest.

21.11 Policy 108: Take an integrated creditrequirement approach combining farmand consumption needs and has to beadopted by the financial institutions.

21.11.1 The credit is involved at all the levelsthat is from production, processing, storage,marketing, trading, but institution or noninstitutional credit is available or confined tofarmers at Production and consumptionrequirements only. At this back drop theGovernment should address the integratedcredit requirement approach.

21.12 Policy 109: Necessary mechanismshould be evolved from the part of the stateGovernment in the light of restrictionsimposed on Primary Agricultural Co-operatives (PACs) in dealing withagricultural credit very recently by theReserve Bank of India (RBI).

21.12.1 During the recent past the RBI hasintroduced many regulations for the provisionof agricultural loans by the PACs. The actualsituation regarding the agricultural credit isthat the PACs provided credit to the farmersin a very appreciable way. More over, the firstinstitution where the farmers of the rural areaapproach for credit is the PACs. In this contextappropriate mechanism should be evolvedfrom the part of the Government in keepingthe PACs in providing valuable credit facilitiesto farmers.

21.13 Policy 110: The agricultural creditmust be monitored from the time ofdisbursal to the repayment.

21.13.1 It is seen from the statistics that, hugeamount of money has been advanced as croploans in the entire state. But it is paradoxicalto see that, that much agricultural productionhas happened. Hence there is some problemassociated with it. So the credit advanced mustbe monitored to see that the same has beenused for agricultural production purposealone.

21.13.2 The financial institutions at the time ofdispersal of loans must inform the respectivedevelopment officer for giving the farmers goodguidance regarding the adoption of moderntechnologies, so that he can repay the amount intime. The credit has to be monitored from thetime of advancement and not at the time when itbecomes defaulted. The credit advancementmust be given according to the Section 21.9.3only. Good credit related policies would help thefarmers.

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22. POLICIES FOR CROP HUSBANDRY

22.1 The main crops grown in the state arepaddy, coconut, pepper, cashew, cassava,other tubers, banana, fruits and plantationcrops like rubber. Cash crops, like coconuts,rubber, tea and coffee, pepper and cardamom,cashew, areca nut, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon,cloves and the like, give the agriculture ofKerala a distinct flavour.

22.2 The main crop is coconut which bringthe people their principal source of earning inagriculture. Nearly 70% of Indian output ofcoconuts is provided by the State. Cashew isan important cash crop. The state has facilitiesfor converting raw cashew into the dried fruit,salted or plain. Cardamom is another cashcrop which gives Kerala a distinctive place inIndian export. Alappuzha, one the district ofKerala known as the 'rice bowl of the state',has a predominant position in the productionof rice. Paddy cultivation in the state is facingnumerous issues and the area is dwindling veryfast. The lush greenery of Kerala state is theoutcome of the environmental impact of thepaddy crop.

22.3 Policy initiatives needed for the cropprofile of the state is listed below.

22.4 Paddy crop related policies

22.5 Paddy occupies the largest area amongannual crops. The first crop of paddy is mostly awetland crop and it covers twice the area underthe second crop and the four times the area underthe summer crop. Under high yielding varietyprogramme, substantial increase in paddyproduction has been achieved, even though thepercentage of area sown under paddy is

decreasing year after year, due to conversion ofpaddy fields to other purposes.

22.6 Indiscriminate reclamation of paddyfields, allegedly under the disguise ofdevelopmental activities, appears to have ledto a sharp fall in area under the crop, and aconsequent substantial drop in riceproduction. The maximum area under rice wasin 1974-75 at 8.81 lakh ha, with productionat 13.34 lakh tonnes. But as per the currentdata, the area have decreased to 2.13 lakh ha.and production 5.2 lakh tonnes.

22.7 Two main reasons have beenattributed to the continuous fall in itsproduction are “indiscriminate reclamation ofpaddy fields in the name of developmentalactivities and shifting to other lucrative cropswithout making concerted efforts to increaseproductivity, making paddy cultivationprofitable giving it the due importance andpriority over others. With these backgroundsthe policy initiatives are listed.

22.8 Policy 111: Kerala cannot affordany more conversion of paddy lands,ecologically or economically.

22.8.1 The challenge facing our Governmentfor the next few years will be to feed theescalating population, keeping prices low tobenefit poor consumers and reducingproduction costs to benefit poor growers. Tofeed a population of 3.3 crore, Kerala has toproduce approximately 40 lakh tonnes of foodgrains every year at the minimum per capitafood availability of 320 g.

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22.8.2 The Kerala Conservation Of PaddyLand And Wetland Act, 2008, has to beimplemented in its true sense to arrestconversion and to protect existing paddylands. The ecosystem services provided by therice crops need be recognised and intensiveefforts have to be taken to bring back fallowland under cultivation by providinginstitutional support for developing therequired infrastructural facilities and bypromoting lease land cultivation whereverowners of paddy lands are unable to continuerice farming.

22.9 Policy 112: Among the strategiesfor increasing rice production in the State,area expansion needs immediate attention.

22.9.1 Intensive efforts will be taken to retainthe existing paddy area and at the same time,bring more fallow land under cultivation,promote lease land cultivation and alsoconvert sizable area from single crop to doublecrop and double to triple crop.

22.9.2 The programme envisages enhancingthe existing area of 2.13 lakh ha to 3.0 lakhha in a phased manner within a period of fiveyears . The following programmes may begiven priority.

22.9.2.1. Bringing additional area under paddyby cultivating paddy in cultivable fallow lands.

22.9.2.2. Increasing upland rice cultivation.

22.10 Policy 113: The currentproductivity of 2.30 t / ha of rice has to beincreased to 4.0 t / ha so as to achieve theproduction target of 12.0 lakh tonnes of ricefrom 3.0 lakh ha. within a span of five years.

22.10.1This increased productivity could beachieved through popularization of highyielding rice varieties and rice hybrids in largerareas and promotion of scientific rice farmingthrough group approach in a participatorymode. The programmes suggested forincreasing productivity of rice in Keralainclude the following

1.Revitalizing Group farmingProgramme2. Constitution of farm advisory servicefor each district.3. Popularization of High YieldingVarieties of rice.4. Integrated nutrient management basedon soil test data.5. Organizing frontline demonstrationsformaximizing profitability of rice.6.Production, multiplication anddistribution ofquality seed to ensure supply of rightseeds in the right quantity at the righttime.7. Integrated Pest Management8. Encouraging farm mechanization9. Minimising Post harvest loss10. Strengthening the Kerala State SeedDevelopment Authority11. Strengthening of Paddy DevelopmentAgencies and other agencies involved inRice cultivation inKerala12. Providing interest free loan to ricefarmers at the start of the season13. Insurance to paddy crop againstnatural calamities

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22.10.2 These programmes may be formulatedwith the help of State Agricultural Plan asenvisaged in the Section 14.6 for achieving theresults very fast.

22.11 Policy 114: Rice farming has to bemade more remunerative to attract morefarmers for which measures to augmentincome from rice based farming has to beformulated.

22.11.1The income from farming should be alucrative one to sustain the farmers in thatvocation. The policy of the Governmentshould be such that income is assured to paddyfarmers in an year round basis. The followingsteps will have to be taken to assure subsidiaryincome to paddy farmers of the state.

1. Providing supplementary income torice farmers.2. Popularization of Organic rice andethnic special ricevarieties3. Integrated rice-fish culture.

22.12 Policy 115: Considering the foodsecurity point of view and theenvironmental benefits of paddycultivation, the land area ceiling of 2 ha.has to be raised to 5 ha. for availing theinput and financial assistance of theGovernment Schemes.

22.12.1 Food grain production is becoming amatter of concern for India as a whole andKerala in particular. Rice is the staple food ofMalayalees and as Kerala's populationcontinues to grow steadily, demand for rice isalso growing. It is only past history that theformer princely State of Travancore, a

constituent of the present Kerala, had madegreat progress in providing food security forits people and was also exporting rice till themiddle of the last century. The food scene inKerala is turning grim as factors ranging fromglobal to local accelerate the scarcity and pricehike of food grains. Our land and waterresources are declining and we have beenexperiencing shortage of our main food grain-rice- even for own consumption at least fromthe beginning of the present century.

22.12.2 Considering these factors it isnecessary that rice crop is to be promoted ina war footing. So the subsidy norms has to bechanged accordingly so that, this lessremunerative crop as per farmers’ perceptionhas to be supported covering more ricefarmers as beneficiaries.

22.13 Policy 116: Paddy farmers are tobe provided with incentives comparable tothat of fruit plants and industrial crops.

22.13.1 Currently the farmer invests 90% ofthe total cost of paddy farming to sustain thefood security and ecological restoration of thewet land (The cost invested in an approximatearea of 2 lakh Ha is Rs 8000 crores andGovernment investment is approximately1000 crores!). The wet land farmers investmore to protect the wet land and waterconservation for 3 crores population in thestate.

22.13.2 All subsidies to be converged andsubsidy norms may be revised taking intoaccount the regional specialities (The totalsubsidy for paddy cultivation should be aminimum of 50 % of cost of cultivation).

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22.14 Policies related to coconut

22.14.1 Next to paddy, coconut is the mostimportant crop in Kerala. The crop is grownover all the state. Most of the Kerala housesalso have Coconut palm grown for immediatehousehold needs. The growing of coconuts isby tradition part of the local rural economyrather than a major element of nationalagriculture.

22.14.2 The State's coconut farmers are facinga severe crash in prices, with prices of all otheredible oils rising, but coconut oil prices falling.

22.14.3 According to the CoconutDevelopment Board, in order to save thecoconut sector, projects to improveproduction and productivity will have to beinitiated on an urgent basis. Otherwise,families of coconut growers, numberingaround 35 lakh, would be put to severehardship. Clearly, it's time that the ‘Land ofCoconuts’ began sprucing up its backyard.Still, coconut remains an important crop forKerala. Covering 9 lakh hectares, coconutaccounts for 42 per cent of the net croppedarea, and provides livelihoods to over 3.5million families in the State.

22.15 Policy 117: Since the import ofedible oils affects the price of the coconutadversely, the State Government has topressurize the Central Government forsetting up a frame work, so that thefarmers would get remunerative price forcoconut oil, even if the import of edible oilis happening.

22.15.1 Imported edible oils enjoy tariffconcession as well as subsidy and this brings

down their market price at retail level. Duringthe November 2011 -May 2012 period, importof refined oil (RBD Palmolein) increased 97%.A total of 1 million tonnes of oil was importedduring the period, compared to 5.5 lakhtonnes in the corresponding period last year.

22.15.2 The excessive import of edible oils,especially the palm oil, during the peakcoconut production season would definitelytrigger price crash of coconut oil. The pricemovement of coconut oil reveals that importof large quantities of palm oil would resultin crash of coconut oil price.

22.16 Policy 118: Introducing dwarfvarieties in at least 25% of the new treesor through under-planting in the existingcoconut gardens for meeting the evergrowing requirement of the State’sOfficial Drink - the tender coconut water.

22.16.1 The coconut development board(CDB) estimated that the share of dwarftrees in Kerala is 1% as against a nationalshare of 3.4%. A study conducted in 2010-'11 had found a 30% growth in the localtender coconut water market, which is alsomainly serviced by imports fromneighbouring states.

22.16.2 Varieties like Chowgat green/orange dwarf, Malayan green/orange dwarfand Gangabondam green dwarf attain just20-30 ft height and facilitate easy harvest.Nuts from these varieties have almost doublethe water content at 600 ml/nut than the tallvarieties besides bearing fruits from as earlyas three years.

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22.16.3 The farmers should ideally aimat introducing dwarf varieties in at least 25%of the new trees or through under-planting in theexisting coconut gardens. The Government incollaboration with CDB should plan to popularizecultivation of dwarf and hybrid varieties throughthe coconut producers' societies besideslaunching special schemes to promote thesevarieties. The seed nuts may be made availablefrom the master farmers as well as from theDepartmental farms.

22.17 Policy 119: The long cherisheddream of producing ‘Neera’ by the coconutfarmers of the State is to be materialisedfor improving their income.

22.17.1 Talking of diversification, the mostimportant value added product from coconutthat has sought the attention of all thestakeholders in coconut is Neera. Thenutritious non alcoholic drink, Neera hasenormous market potential. The various valueadded products from Neera like palm syrup,jaggery and sugar have prospects in bothdomestic and export market. Neeraproduction is permitted in Maharashtra andparts of Karnataka. Neera is sold inMaharashtra as a health drink. The KarnatakaDepartment of Horticulture has introduced inthe market, packed Neera in pouches.

22.17.2 The current contribution of coconutto the SDP is more than Rs. 8000 crores andRs. 2000 crores in the foreign exchange. Ifthe value from Neera is taken in toconsideration, the share of SDP at the currentprices would go up to a woofing of Rs. 25000crores.

22.17.3 Globally the development of each dropis not separated from the production andmarketing of its value added produce whichwill give maximum profit to the producer.Viewed from this angle, the coconut floral sapand its value added materials are of immenseimportance with respect its medicinal andhealth value. All coconut growing countriessince the formation of the WTO has madetremendous progress in this line.

22.17.4 Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia andSri Lanka has gone far ahead in these ventures.Indonesia alone produces 10 lakh tonnes ofcoconut sugar annually out of the coconutfloral sap. In fact, India though started someworks, is pathetically slow and passive in thedevelopment pathway. Even though KAUdeveloped a technology for keeping the sweettoddy unfermented some six years back, theprogramme seen stagnated.

22.17.5 Neera can provide Rs. 1500/- permonth from one plant to a farmer based onthe estimation by Kerala AgriculturalUniversity. Under such conditions theeconomic returns of the farmers will beimproved a lot producing revolutionarychanges in the product development incoconut.

22.17.6 Neera production is to be undertakenin a well disciplined manner. The wholeproduction process demands transparency,efficiency and accuracy. Entrusting wellfunctioning CPS/ Federations/FPOs withproduction of Neera will enable production inan efficient manner. Also, Neera production canbe done under the auspices of CPS andprocessing into various value added products canbe undertaken by the FPOs.

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22.17.7 At present there are two technologiesfor the production of Neera. They have to beevaluated. They are developed by KAU andDFRL. The DFRL technology is used by theCDB and Karnataka Government. So twoprojects for the same should be given shapefor evaluation. The projects are to beundertaken in areas such as Palakkad andAlappuzha where the potential exists. ASpecial Officer for this task is to be appointedby the Government.

22.17.8 The Neera production should accordhigh priority in the Government policies.

22.18 Policy 120: A new platform thatwould bring farmers, processors andretailers together have to be launched tolink agricultural production to the market,to maximise value addition, minimisewastage and boost farmers’ income.

22.18.1 A new platform will be developedunder the farmers participation model. Thiswould provide for the infrastructurerequirements for farm-level procurement inidentified clusters. It will also help in theprocessing of products,. Centralisedinfrastructure to take care of processingactivities requiring cutting edge technologieswill have to be established.

22.18.2 This proposed platform should ensurevalue addition and effective marketing. Themain aim is to create world-classinfrastructure facility, offering quality serviceto coconut products’ manufacturing industry.It will also bring in more investment in thesector. Exports will also grow due to the valueaddition and opening up of new markets.

22.18.3 The proposed ‘Coconut Bio Park’ isof this type, but the investment on these parksshould be limited to FPOs based on coconutonly for sharing the profit to the farmers only.

22.19 Policies related to vegetablecultivation

22.19.1 Vegetables and fruits are vitalcomponents of our daily food. Mainly 12major varieties of vegetables are cultivatedin Kerala.

22.19.2 According to Department ofEconomics and Statistics, 7,20,671 Quintalsof different kinds of vegetables were producedin the state in an year. According to the survey,major vegetable producing district isMalappuram. The major crops in the districtare Bitter gourd, Cucumber, Ash gourd,Ladies finger and other vegetables. Kottayamdistrict is the second largest producer ofvegetables. The least vegetable-producingdistrict is Alappuzha.

22.19.3The major vegetable crops in the stateare Ash gourd, ginger, bitter gourd and snakegourd. Brinjal, coccinia, ladies finger,amaranthus etc are also cultivating at a goodextent.

22.19.4 The percentage loss of fruits andvegetables due to poor infrastructure and postharvest handling is very high. Lack of suitablestorage system, immediate processingfacilities and uncertainty in prices etcdiscourage farmers from undertaking largescale cultivation of vegetables and fruits.

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22.20 Policy 121: ’Safe to eat’ brandingprogramme for vegetables is to beintroduced for assisting the domesticproduction and attracting more consumersso that the farmers get more demand fortheir produce.

22.20.1 Vegetables are one of the mostimportant food items in people's daily diet,because people obtain essential nutrients fromvegetables, which they cannot get from otherfood. Therefore, eating vegetables is a partof people's daily life, which may be why peoplepay so much attention to the quality of thevegetables they buy. Vegetable quality has todo with the freshness of the product, thediversity of varieties, hygiene standards, thelevel of chemical residues, etc. In the past,most consumers were concerned only aboutthe freshness and diversity of vegetablevarieties. Until a few years ago, they did notrealize that hygiene and agrochemical residuespose a problem. In fact, food safety is a newconcept to most consumers. Nowadays,consumers - and especially urban consumers- are very cautious about the safety of thevegetables they eat. They attach importancenot only to freshness and the diversity ofvarieties, but also to sanitary aspects andchemical residues. They complain about thepoor quality of the vegetables they buy and,consequently, vegetable safety has become asocio-economic and even a political issuetoday.

22.20.2 There is a large potential for theproduction of ‘Safe to Eat’ vegetables inKerala due to the favourable agro climaticconditions. Many vegetables are grown in ourstate without the application of chemicalfertilizers or pesticides. Sate’s demand for

chemical free food is increasing day by day.The farmers of the state are found usingcomparatively less fertilizers and vegetablesgrown out of agrochemicals have greatadvantage in the market. There is immensescope for promoting ‘Safe to Eat’ brandedvegetables. Agencies like SHM,HORTICORP, Vegetable and FruitsPromotion Council, Kerala can help much inpromoting safe to eat food production in thestate as vegetables and fruits produced out offree of chemicals are in high demand insideand outside the state/country.

22.21 Policy 122: Homestead farmingof vegetables and popularisation ofvegetable gardens in schools proved theimpact on the increased vegetableproduction in the state and theprogrammes should continue.

22.21.1 Homestead farming is the traditionalfarming system in Kerala where every part ofthe homestead is used for the agriculturalproduction. Vegetables form an importantcomponent in this system. Significant resultswere observed during the year 2012-13 bythe intensive vegetable productionprogrammes of the state. Homestead farmscontribute remarkably to food security andfarm income in terms of output and provisionof variety of plants compared to distant farms.Thus for assuring the nutritional security,homestead vegetable production is to bepromoted.

22.21.2 Vegetable gardens at schools werebeing promoted very recently by the state withthe prime objective of transferring the richculture of ‘farming’ to the youngergenerations. The programme was welcomed

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by one and all and very good response wasreceived from the schools. Considering thisgesture of acceptance, newer programmes inthese lines are to be continued.

22.22 Policies related to banana crop

22.22.1Small and marginal farmers areadopting banana cultivation faster than everbefore due to increased demand and soaringprices for locally-grown banana varieties suchas Nendran and Red banana. According tostatistics from the Kerala HorticultureMission, Kerala saw a steady but gradualresurgence in banana cultivation. Acreageunder the crop has moved up in the past onedecade, even as the area under cultivation ofcrops such as coconut and paddy fellconsiderably.

22.22.2 The steady demand for banana dueto its varied uses and wide adaptability todifferent farming situations makes it the smallfarmer’s favourite crop. The dwindling farmholdings also make this a practical alternativeto other crops.

22.22.3 It is the red banana which is provingmore profitable to the farmers. This is mainlybecause it has earned the label of an exportitem in addition to its strong domestic market.Thiruvananthapuram is the biggest exportmarket for red bananas and exports are mainlyto the Gulf countries.

22.23 Policy 123: Since more than 70 percent of banana cultivation is done on leasedlands by resource-poor farmers, obtainingmaximum income from a unit area undercultivation assumes utmost importance.

22.23.1 Several research institutes developeddifferent technologies for pushing upproductivity. High density planting developed byKerala Agricultural University helps the farmerto earn better. Uniformly growing tissue culturedNendran plants are the best planting material fordoing high-density banana cultivation.

22.23.2 However, sucker plantations can alsobe raised successfully if due care is given toplanting equal weighing suckers in the samepits.

22.23.3 Another technology of doubleplanting helps the plants to utilize water andfertilizer more efficiently through increasedroot density. It also helps the plants resistwinds more effectively and cost for stakingwas considerably reduced.

22.23.4 Modern technologies of this type hasto be promoted by the Government throughresearch trials, demonstrations, seminars,training, and field visits in the subsequent yearsand the potential of 27 t / ha. yield should beattained in the place of 8-7 t/ha. inconventional methods. This will surely addadditional income to the resource poorfarmers of the state.

22.24 Policy 124: B y - p r o d u c tutilisation and product developmentshould be given preference for assuringsteady income from banana cultivation.

22.24.1 Enormous by-products of banana arean excellent source of highly valuable rawmaterials for other industries by recyclingagricultural waste. This possibility preventsan ultimate loss of huge amount of untappedbiomass and environmental issues.

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22.24.2 The utilization policy of banana by-products such as peels, leaves, pseudostem,stalk and inflorescence in various food andnon-food applications serving as thickeningagent, coloring and flavor, alternative sourcefor macro and micronutrients, nutraceuticals,livestock feed, natural fibers, and sources ofnatural bioactive compounds and bio-fertilizers are to be worked out for whichsound technologies are now available. Futureprospects and challenges are the important keyfactors to be discussed in association to thesustainability and feasibility of utilizing theseby-products. It is important that all availableby-products be turned into highly commercialoutputs in order to sustain this renewableresource and provide additional income tosmall scale farm families of the state withoutcompromising its quality and safety incompeting with other commercial products.

22.25 Policies related to mangoproduction in Kerala

22.25.1 Mango is not considered as acommercial crop of Kerala, but mango treesare inevitable components of homesteads ofthe state. The total estimated area undermango cultivation is 75,911 hectares with anannual production of 323,517 tonnes.Commercial orchards of mango are beingestablished in the Palakkad district, where theclimatic conditions are more suitable formango trees.

22.25.2 The mango population consists of bothseedling and grafted trees but the commercialorchards are of grafted trees only. The cultivatedvarieties include Alphonso, Sindhoor, Bangalora,Banganapally, Neelum, Kalapady, Guddadat,Priur, Kalappady, Olur etc.

22.25.3 The main feature of Kerala's mangoproduction is the earliness. The first mangofruits of the season come to the Indian marketsfrom Kerala. The flowering commences byNovember-December and the harvestingstarts by March-April, which helps to fetchthe maximum price for the fruits to thegrowers due to the high demand for the fruitsin the main markets in the other parts of thecountry.

22.26 Policy 125: The governmentshould develop a ‘Mango Export Zone’ inMuthalamad due to the early bearingnature, it could be exported at high prices.

22.26.1 According farmers of Muthalamadaabout 15,000 hectares of land can be broughtunder mango cultivation in Chittur taluk aloneon a commercial basis. The cultivation can betaken up in all 10 panchayats of the taluk,making it one of the largest exporters ofmango. For this, government help is required.The farmers can earn good profit and foreignexchange for the country. Now annually,mango worth more than Rs.300 crore isexported from Muthalamada alone. It can beincreased to Rs.500 crore if more areas comeunder cultivation in Chittur taluk.

22.26.2 Support from the Government isrequired in meeting the phytosanitorystandards at international level. The farmersare to be equipped with the infrastructure andtechnology.

22.27 Policy 126: Kerala is well known forsome traditional mango varieties and thegermplasm of them are to be protected anda research station under KAU should beset up for mango at Muthalamada.

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22.27.1 Kerala has the indigenous mangovarieties such as Kottukonam, Preeyoor,Thenmaanga, Chandrakaran,Thathammachundan, Mayilpeeliyan, NambiarMaanga, Nedumangadan. There are wellknown oversized mango varieties such as theAanathalayan, Muthalamookkan and Kosseryweighing up to two kg. These varieties are indanger and has to be protected. Germplasmcollections of the same are to be done inDepartmental farms at the earliest to protectthese varieties.

22.27.2 Muthalamada is known as the‘Mango City of Kerala’ which is famous forthe fabulous varieties. The research on mangoin Kerala is in a very crude stage and has tobe promoted at the earliest as mango has beenpredicted by the international agencies as the‘crop of the years to come’. A research stationunder KAU should be started atMuthalamada.

22.28 Policy 127: Since climate plays animportant role in the production of qualitymangoes, an advisory system should bedeveloped to protect the quality andproduction.

22.28.1 Muthalamada farmers get a goodprice for their mangoes because these reachthe market early. The harvest starts early inJanuary every year. There are only two otherplaces in the world where mangoes ripen asearly as in January — Peru and Bolivia. So,Muthalamada mangoes get good exportorders and high price from different parts ofthe world because they are the first to hit theinternational market.

22.28.2 Mango trees need rain in the monthsof December and January for good productivityand for getting good quality fruits. The annualyield at Muthalamada, is estimated to be over45,000 tonnes of premium varieties such asAlphonso, Banganapilly, Malgova, Kalapadi,Suvarnarekha, Sindhooram and so on. If no rainis received during the above two months, yieldwill come down to half. The quality too will notbe up to the mark.

22.28.3 Besides the loss of internal and externalmarkets, the farmers may have to loose theprice advantage too. In this context an advisorymechanism should be set up at district level andshould be monitored at Directorate level.

22.29 Policy 128: A separate insuranceand supporting scheme for mango in theevent of crop loss has to be built up.

22.29.1 Mango farmers said that they did notget any compensation for crop loss from thegovernment as in the case of other cropsduring the sitting of the Committee atPalakkad. There is also no crop insurancescheme for mango though it is cultivated on acommercial scale in large parts of the district.

20.30 Policies related to roots and tubers

22.30.1 According to FAO roots and tubersprovide a substantial part of the world's foodsupply and are also an important source ofanimal feed. On a global basis, approximately55 percent of roots and tuber production isconsumed as food; the remainder is used asplanting material, as animal feed or in theproduction of starch, distilled spirits, alcoholand a range of other minor products.

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22.30.2 More than simply food crops for therural poor, roots and tubers can also serve assources of cash income for low-income farmhouseholds and raw material for processedproducts for both rural and urbanconsumption.

20.30.3 Lifestyle changes, historical andcultural factors, and evolution in tastes alsoinfluence root and tuber consumption trends.The rapid increase in urbanization in our stateover the last three decades, the greaterparticipation of women in the labour force(especially in the MGNREGS), and thepervasive exposure to advertisement of foodcommodities and to the eating habits of NRKshave increased the proportion of purchasedfoods in total food intake. These changes inconsumption patterns have affected thedemand for roots and tubers in various ways.

22.30.4 In controlled conditions, tubers suchas cassava, yams, and aroids have been foundto withstand extreme drought. This attributewill help policy planners promote tuber as asubstitute crop to meet exigencies.

22.31 Policy 129: Promoting tubers as analternative to cereals will augment foodsecurity.

22.31.1 Tubers are to be farmed as analternative to cereals and pulses duringdrought conditions. Promotion programmesof the same has to be taken up.

22.31.2 Tubers generally shed leaves duringdrought, leaving just a few to sustain the lifeof the plant with minimum photosynthesis.The plants sprout fresh leaves with rain. Ingreenhouse experiments, 7 to 8 degrees above

the ambient temperature, tapioca performedreasonably well while the performance ofelephant foot yam was comparable to that inthe best conditions. When rain-dependentkharif crops fail in the absence of monsoon,tuber crops will survive with just life-savingirrigation during the planting season.

22.32 Policy 130: Tuber ‘minikit’programmes are to be introduced forpromotion of roots and tubers in thehomesteads.

22.32.1 Planting material availability is to beassured at the door steps so that thehouseholds are fully utilised the potential oftuber crops. Though rice was the staple foodin Kerala, tubers, especially tapioca, were thesurvival food.

22.33 Policy 131: Tubers could be used toproduce quality cattle-feed, thus bringingmore profit to the farmers.

22.33.1 Many developing countries are underincreasing pressure to make more effectiveuse of available resources in the agriculturalsector both to satisfy the growing demand forlivestock products and to raise rural incomesby generating additional value added throughprocessing. The cost of balancing domesticdemand for livestock products with feed orlivestock imports has become prohibitivelyexpensive. The prospects for increases in theoutput of cereals of the magnitude requiredto meet livestock and human requirementsremain problematic. Consequently, alternativesources of livestock feed both to spurdomestic livestock production and to free cerealsupplies for human consumption are receivingcloser attention. Interest in the potential for a

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expanded use of tuber and tuber by products asanimal feed in the current scenario has arisen inthis context.

22.33.2 For eg., after harvest, large quantitiesof the biomass such as cassava leaf (5-7t -ha )and tuber rinds (15-23 per cent of the tuber)are generally thrown as waste. Leaf of cassavais a rich source of protein and other nutrients,nevertheless, the toxic principles in it is aconstraint to commercially exploit this as acattle feed or allied purposes. Buttechnologies are available for processing thesame.

22.34 Policy 132: Exploit the newtechnologies, new variety of crops and bio-pesticides developed by institutions suchas the CTCRI based on tuber crops so thatthe State can be self-sufficient in food andcan reduce its dependence on other States

22.34.1 The bio-pesticides from cassavacould be used for management of borer pestslike pseudostem weevil (Odoiporuslongicollis) in banana, red palm weevil(Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) and other borerpests of tree and fruits crops.

22.34.2 A formulation has also been madeagainst sucking pests like mealy bugs, aphidsand leaf eating caterpillars. This formulationhas to be commercially produced. Details areavailable in the Section 32.7

22.35 Policy 133: Demonstration ofimproved production technologies suchyam minisett technique, yam stakingmethods, root/tuber based crops mixturesare to be adopted in departmental farmsand farmers’ fields.

22.35.1 It is proposed to lay out demonstrationplots in the potential areas at block level/ GramPanchayat level during the coming years. Eachdemonstration plot will be an area of 1000 m2which will demonstrate the cultivation of popularroots and tuber crops (Tapioca, Sweet Potato,Colocasia and Yams) in order to popularise thenewer technologies in crop production and thereby increasing the area, production andproductivity. The area available in between thetree crops would be taken for demonstration tospread the message of “tubers are excellent”intercrops.

22.36 Policy 134: Nucleus plantingmaterial production of improved varietiesof tubers are to be carried out atDepartmental farms.

22.36.1 Traditional source of multiplying anddistributing planting materials is by picking fromfarmers’ own farms, as well as other peoples’farms. Some of the challenges facing thetraditional sources of tuber planting materials are:low yield (5-6ton/ha); low income level;multiplication and spread of diseased plantingmaterial; use of long stem cuttings (resulting inlow multiplication ratio and scarcity of plantingmaterial at the beginning of the planting season);random planting (making post planting activitiesdifficult with low planting density).

22.36.2 At the primary level, few materials frombreeders are multiplied under optimal agronomicconditions in the Departmental Farms to produceclean and healthy foundation planting materials.The planting materials are inspected in the fieldon two occasions by a team of experts, to ensurequality and standards, before spreading themto secondary fields.

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22.36.3 The secondary level which is also inthe Departmental farms involves furthermultiplication of certified materials bycontracted or commercial planting materialproducers for distribution to tertiaryfarmers. Secondary fields are also inspectedby a team of experts to ensure quality andstandards.

22.36.4 The tertiary level is where certifiedplanting materials from secondary fields aredistributed to farmers mainly for productionas food.

22.37 Policy 135: Processing and valueaddition of tuber crops is to be treatedas a priority area.

22.37.1 Value addition technologyenhances the marketability of the tubercrops. Compared to selling the rawharvested produce, value addition requiresmore financial inputs, proper guidelines, andbackup technologies to ensure success. Itis possible to add value to the tubers bycreating 33 different varieties of productsfrom them such as sweets, pickle, mouth-freshner, and brewing powders similar to thetea. They can be processed into a variety ofvalue-added products such as gari, dried chipsand flour for both home consumption andagro-industrial applications. The processingof tubers requires special attention.

22.38 Policies related with spice crops inKerala

22.38.1 Kerala is a major producer of spicesthat form the cash crops of the state. Kerala'sspice trade is about 7000 years old and it iswell known how the fresh aroma of the superb

quality Kerala spices lured foreigners into thiscountry in the medieval ages. Kerala produces96% of the country's national output ofpepper. The important spices are cardamom,cinnamon, clove, turmeric,nutmeg and vanilla.Cardamom is exported and brings greatrevenues to the country.

22.38.2 The history and destiny of ourcountry, perhaps the whole world wereinfluenced unbelievably by the spices. It wasthe taste of the 'Black gold' pepper and theflavour of the 'Queen of spices' Cardamom,which attracted the Arabs and Europeans tothis country and ultimately led to the foreigndomain.

22.38.3 The spices that are growntraditionally in the state include pepper,cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. But nowthere is an increasing trend for the farmers inKerala to grow spices that are usedworldwide. Such spices include vanilla,oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, mint, bay leafand sage.

22.38.4 Unfortunately, spices sector is reallysuffocating due to a variety of problems.Generally, the price of a commodity must beeither cost based or demand based. However aclose observation of the prices trends show thatthis principle does not have much significance inthe case of major spices including pepper andcardamom. Similarly, any upward vend in theprices of spices should benefit the producers.But it is paradoxical to see that the producers ofspices never get the benefits of price hikes butthey have to bear all the evils of adverse marketconditions. This is a clear evidence to believethat there is something wrong with the presentmarketing system of spices.

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22.39 Policies related to pepper crop

22.39.1Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.)famous as “Black Gold” and also known as“King of Spices” is one of the importantagricultural commodities of commerce andtrade in India since pre-historic period. Thecrop is the major source of income andemployment for rural households in thepredominantly pepper growing State of Keralawhere more than 2.5 lakh farm families areinvolved in pepper cultivation.

22.39.2 Kerala accounts for 80-90% of thetotal pepper production in the country. Idukkiand Wynadu are the two major pepperproducing districts in Kerala. The estimatedarea under pepper in India is 2,36,180 hectares(2006-07) and the estimated production is50,000 tons (2007-08). The production ofIndian pepper has come down from 80,000tons (2002) to 50,000 tons (2007-08estimates).

22.39.3 The commonly observed cultivationsystem in Kerala is the “extensive homesteadcultivation” where pepper cultivation is takenup as a secondary crop interspersed withseveral other crops.

22.40 Policy 136: Area under pepper cropin the state is to be extended on a warfooting to cater the domestic andinternational demand.

22.40.1 If Indian production decline furtherand current supplies could not cater thedomestic demand, the low cost importedpepper from ASEAN countries will affect theIndian pepper producers’ economy further.The sustenance of Kerala pepper is mainly

due to its intercropping conditions. Pricevolatility and increase in cost of productiontempts the pepper growers of the majorpepper growing districts of Kerala viz. Idukkiand Wynadu to switch over to other crops. Inaddition to this, low productivity of pepperto the tune of 267 kgs./hectare (NationalAverage) is another challenge which has tobe met with. The productivity of Vietnam andChina is around 2000 kgs/hectare. The lowproductivity is mainly due to poor farmmanagement, incidence of diseases & pests,senility of plants, non-popularization of elitecultivars as well as ill maintained farms withtraditionally available high yielding cultivars,depletion of soil fertility, damage of livestandards due to pest attack etc. Scatteredcultivation by small holders, lack of long terminvestments for improving the crop are someof the added perils.

22.40.2 The State Government may launchsuitable programmes to extend the crop to atleast 20000 ha per year for the coming fiveyears.

22.40.3 Pepper is a fragile plant, especiallywhen it is young, and requires great care,being quite vulnerable to variations in theweather. It needs rain, scattered and at specificintervals, and sun and warmth, in almost thesame measure. If needed, the cultivators haveto spend much time watering the plants duringthe summer and draining out the water duringthe monsoons. And, there is no yield from theplant for the first three years, or more, whenthe crop is most vulnerable and is usuallyravaged by severe ailments. So theprogrammes should have the component ofmanaging the gardens with utmost care.

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22.41 Policy 137: Availability of sufficientquality planting material is to be assuredfor guaranteed production andproductivity.

22.41.1Scarcity of planting materials is a majorhurdle in the State’s attempts to revive its peppergardens. The Department of Agriculture, IISRand the State Horticulture Mission (SHM), whichhas the mandate to produce pepper saplings, donot have enough planting materials of goodquality pepper to meet farmers’ demands.

22.41.2 Most of the pepper plantations are veryold, senile and have become uneconomical. Theavailability of disease-free planting material withlower fruit-bearing age and the financialassistance on easy terms would help the farmersto replant for realizing increased crop yield andprofitability. Under such circumstances, the roleof Department of Agriculture needs to bewidened and more supportive role towardspepper-growing farmers seems to be warranted.

22.41.3 The Government would launch a projectto produce sufficient quantity of diseases-freesaplings using tissue culture and conventionalrooting technology. High-yielding indigenousvarieties such as the Wayanadan, Kottanadanand Kaniayakkadan types are to be promoted.It would be desirable to produce pepper plantingmaterials bearing DNA based bar coded tagsfor assuring the varietal fidelity.

22.41.4 The planting materials would beproduced on a decentralised nursery productionplan by the partner institutions at the IndianCouncil of Agriculture Research, KAU and theDepartment of Agriculture.

22.42 Policy 138: A serious attention as untilnew and diversified export markets are notexploited, the farmers would face crash infarm gate price due to the surplus stock.

22.42.1 Idukki and Wayanad, were oncefamed in the world market for their pepperquality. But now, the production of this spicehas become an unremunerative propositiondue to depressed prices in the domestic and/or global markets coupled with increasinginput costs. Further, from the projections forthe production and demand for the period2005-2015, it is evident that the pepperproduction is going to outpace the domesticdemand in a big way. This requires a seriousattention as until new and diversified exportmarkets are not exploited, the farmers wouldface crash in farm gate price due to surplusstock.

22.42.2 The specific focus on quality throughadoption of improved cultivars for export andprocessing perspectives, value-addition in thelight of high demand of derived products likeoleoresin and spice oil and ensuring qualityof international standards of this premiumspice in raw as well processed products formswill garner a larger share in the internationalexport market.

22.43 Policy 139: A support pricemechanism for the pepper crop is to beintroduced for meeting the vagaries ofprice volatility.

22.43.1 A majority of the pepper growersin Kerala are small and marginal farmers.For them, a better price is the bestincentive to remain in cultivation of thiscrop and huge volatility, particularly in

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southward direction discourage them to usebetter inputs. The only way to ensureremunerative price to the farmers whilemaintaining export price at competitive levelis to increase the yield of the crop.

22.43.2 The assured price mechanism asextended to other cash crops will fetch agreat deal in assuring the economic profitrealization by the farmers and will retaintheir interest, as they are hard hit in theevent of any eventuality on the price front.

22.44 Policies related to nutmeg

22.44.1 Nutmeg. It's a spice with a history,and its share of mystery. Famed for itsflavour, and medicinal properties, this two-in-one spice – the fruit has two spices, the blackcoloured nut and the bright red coloured macethat covers it – found extensive use in Europeancuisine from medieval times. But the fat pricethat the Europeans paid for the spice, onlytempted the Arab traders who supplied it toconceal its origin.

22.44.2 Current prices of nutmeg are promisingfarmers just that - a fortune. The average priceof nutmeg with shell increased three times fromRs.113.42 in 2007-08 to Rs.348.18 last fiscal.Mace which fetched Rs.398.86 on an averagein 2007-08 is today priced at Rs.1190. But atrend of falling to Rs. 400/- is seen now a days.

22.44.3 Enthused by the price, farmers areturning to the crop in huge numbers. The areaunder nutmeg cultivation in the country went upto 16,400 hectares in 2008-09 from 11,270hectares in 2005-06. The figures would be higheras most of the price rise, and hence intensiveplanting, happened in the last three years.

22.44.4 Kerala today accounts for more than90 per cent of the total production of nutmeg.Nutmeg cultivation in Kerala is concentrated inthe Thrissur, Ernakulam and Kottayam districts.Much like for rubber, the climatic conditions ofKerala suit nutmeg. It cannot withstand heat andneeds the cover of shady trees. This makes it anideal intercrop in coconut, clove, coffee orarecanut plantations. It is difficult to calculate thearea under nutmeg cultivation in the State, as itis grown in homesteads and as an intercrop.

22.45 Policy 140: The area expansionprogramme of nutmeg is to be done withcaution, since the price of the produce beganto show a declining trend.

22.45.1 The main nutmeg exporters in the worldare Indonesia and Grenada. Grenada is thesecond largest exporter of spices after Indonesia.The hurricane named Ivan, destroyed 90% ofthe nutmeg trees in Grenada during 2004 andthe country was put in deep distress as this wasthe main foreign exchange earner. The better pricefor nutmeg at present may be due to this fact.But at present, after nine years of devastation,the country is gaining its foot hold and gettingsufficient share in the international market.

22.45.2 The current trend is the requirement ofnutmeg oil. Eventhough India had mastered thetechnology to produce it, no serious attemt wasseen done towards the export of processedproducts.

22.45.3 There are improved varieties developedby the research institutions like the ‘Vishwasree’and are to be provided to the farmers without anytime delay. Nucleus planting materials are to beprocured by the Government and mother gardensare to be established at the Departmental farms.

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22.46 Policies related to ginger and turmeric

22.46.1 Cochin ginger and Alleppey fingerturmeric, still considered the finest of gingerand turmeric varieties by exporters, may soonvanish from the scene. Dwindling acreage, lowprices, soft rot disease and the spread of cropslike rubber and pepper have combined toherald the passing away of one of the softestand ̀ yellowest' varieties of ginger and turmericin the world.

22.47 Policy 141: If measures are notinitiated soon, Cochin ginger and Alleppeyturmeric will soon be crops of the past.

22.47.1 Though ginger and turmeric make smallcontributions to the booming spices business,their uniqueness should not be lost. The farmersare calling for measures from the State AgricultureDepartment to extend cultivation of Cochinginger and Alleppey finger turmeric.

22.47.2 Cochin ginger is second only to thelegendary Jamaican ginger for its suitabilityfor drying. While most of the ginger availablein India now is suited only to be used as avegetable, low fibre content has made theCochin ginger an all-time favourite withexporters. Ginger is extensively cultivated inthe north-eastern states, Sikkim, Maharashtraand Andhra Pradesh.

22.47.3 Alleppey finger turmeric is known forits high content of curcumin - a yellowcolouring substance. Its bright yellow colourhas been preferred by spices importers inEurope and other continents. Currently,Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal,Orissa and Tamil Nadu lead the list of bigturmeric producers in the country.

22.48 Policy 142: Measures forencouraging ginger cultivation should beoriented in the context of regionaldisparities and location specific strategiesare to be made.

22.48.1 The factors influencing area underginger are different in different districts.Studies reveal that decreased price and areaare the key factors favouring the growth ofginger area. In Emakulam where the areaunder ginger is declining, current area underpineapple is found to have affected the gingercultivation. It is because of the comparativeeconomic advantage of pineapple over gingerin Ernakulam district.

22.48.2 In Wayanad where there has been asignificant expansion of area under ginger, thedecreased area and turmeric price are themajor factors favouring ginger cultivation.Thus price of ginger and comparativeadvantage of substitute crops are importantfactors, influencing the acreage responses ofginger. Therefore, measures for encouragingginger cultivation should be oriented in thecontext of regional disparities.

22.49 Policy 143: I n s t i t u t i o n a larrangements should be made to providequality seeds and other package of inputsto the farmers to boost the output of ginger.

22.49.1 The recent studies indicates that thegrowth performance of ginger has varied fromstate to state in India and from district todistrict in Kerala. The major contributor toincrease in production in Kerala has beenproductivity. While area under gingerincreased in all other major producing states,it has declined in Kerala. Three factors are

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responsible for the decelerated growth ofginger production in Kerala. Firstly, there isonly limited scope for increasing gingercultivation as a monocrop due to the generalcrop shift in Kerala; ie .from annual crops toperennial crops. Secondly, emergence ofsubstitute crop like pineapple has influencedthe area under ginger in Ernakulam, one ofthe major ginger producing districts of Kerala.Thirdly, the yield per hectare in Kerala issubstantially lower than the average yield.

22.49.2 Thus, the prospects for attaininggrowth through extension of cultivated areaare diminishing fast. The wide difference incurrent yield rates among the states indicatethe scope for increasing yield rates.Institutional arrangements should be made toprovide quality seeds and other package ofinputs to the farmers to boost the output ofginger.

22.49.3 Yield can be increased by the timelysupply of disease-free seed to farmers. TheGovernment should undertake theresponsibility of distribution of healthy seedsthrough Grama panchayat level KrishiBhavans. Productivity increase is needed notonly to increase the output but also to improvethe cost competitiveness and profItability

22.50 Policy 144: Since there is onlylimited scope for increasing area underginger in Kerala as a monocrop, theexisting potentialities of cultivating gingeras an intercrop in coconut, arecanut andyoung rubber plantations may also beexploited to the maximum possible extent.

22.50.1 In ginger cultivation, emphasisshould, therefore, be placed on both

productivity increase and area expansion.Moreover, studies from Kearala AgriculturalUniversity indicates that ginger is a shadeloving plant and can be effectively planted inthe interspaces of coconut garden.

22.51 Policy 145: To protect cultivatorsfrom incurring loss the Government shouldannounce a support price for ginger.

22.51.1 Side by side with crop research,marketing research may be taken up with thehelp of the Price Fixation Authority asdescribed in the Section 20.6 of AgriculturalDevelopment Policy so that enough data areavailable to the policy makers to fix pricesand formulate developmental policies.

22.51.2 There should be a balance betweendemand and supply. For efficient marketing,it should be ensured that market does notsuffer due to short or excess supply. Whensupply exceeds demand, the state and centrallevel cooperative organisations should enterthe market and purchase the surplus.

22.52 Policy 146: Technologicalupgradation of processing is very muchessential to improve the quality of dryginger.

22.52.1 Ginger is a food item andconsiderable importance is attached byimporting countries to hygiene part of theproduce. Traditional method of processingwill result in loss of flavour and quality.Scientific drying facilities should be madeavailable by the Spices Board in collborationwith State Government and LSGD, especiallyin major producing districts like Wynad,Ernakulam and Idukki for producing clean and

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good quality product retaining the original flavour.This would encourage buyers' confidence, helpthe farmers to get better price for the commodityand would result in increased export.

22.52.2 There is a lot of potential for the exportof value added products like ginger oil andoleoresin especially to the developed countries.This potential needs to be tapped fully with thehelp of FPOs as per Section 18.3 of theAgricultural Development Policy.

22.52.3 Adequate International MarketingInformation System should be developed so asto help formulate suitable strategy to developexports.

22.52.4 Attention should be paid to thediversification of the export products andmarkets. Steps may be taken to introduce gingerin syrup and ginger candy in the export market.For this purpose, suitable ginger varieties shouldbe identified and up-to-date scientific processingtechniques may be imparted to the farmers andmanufactures.

22.53 Policies related to main cash crops

22.53.1 The main cash crop of the state areRubber and cashew. However, the rubber cropis well looked after by the other agencies, thelatter needs a thorough improvement in the policystatements of the Government.

22.54 Policies related to Cashew

22.54.1 Among the Agricultural - Horticulturalcommodities getting export from India, Cashewretain top position. Cashew cultivation isconfined to peninsular India. Kerala State stood

first in the extent of area under cashew. But withthe expansion of area under Rubber, large areaunder cashew in the northern District wereconverted to Rubber plantation, and at presentKerala Stands 5th among other sates viz.,Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, AndhraPradesh, Orissa and West Bengal.

22.54.2 There are around 800 registeredCashew nut processing units in Kerala employingaround 3 lakhs Workers of which 95% arewomen. It generates employment in theprocessing and agrarian sector employing over3 lakh persons with 95% of them beingwomen.The cashew industry is facing problemrelated to availability of raw nuts. The down fallin the domestic production of raw nut has leadto this situation.

22.54.3 India has a creditable record of attaininggood amount of foreign exchange by way ofexport of cashew kernels. Among the Agri-Horticultural commodities getting exported fromIndia, cashew ranks the 2nd position. During theyear 2009-2010, India could export 1,08,120mt of cashew kernels valued at Rs.2,90,582lakhs. USA, Netherlands, UK, Japan, UAE,France, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Italy,German Fed. Republic, Austria, Israel and Spainare the major international buyers of IndianCashews.

22.55 Policy 147: The policy initiativestowards promotion of cashew growers’FPOs (for procurement of raw nuts, supplyof inputs, credit and infrastructure, smallscale processing, value addition andmarketing), and cashew apple processingwill definitely widen the perspective ofcashew growers.

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22.55.1 Establishment of cashew clusters in theform of FPOs among the processors mayfacilitate the expansion of market linkage andimprovement of quality of kernel. Clusterapproach would also facilitate setting of otherancillary units like CNSL, units producing jam,pickles, etc. from cashew apples.

22.56 Policy 148: The Cashew Corporationshould enter the market to prevent ownersof private cashew processing units fromcontrolling the procurement price.

22.56.1 Though cashew nuts had beenfetching Rs.260/- per kg in the London markettill December, the `monopoly lobbies' arecontrolling the price as they procure the nutsfrom here for their processing units inneighbouring States to exploit cheap labourthere. Entry of the Corporation will beexpected to promote competition in themarket.

22.56.2 The role of middlemen in the marketshould be reduced and Governmentprocurement system should be strengthenedso as to motivate farmers to grow this cropon a sustainable basis and ensure a better price.

22.57 Policy 149: There is a need to increasedomestic production to substituteimported raw nuts in order to derive themaximum benefits from a strongprocessing and marketing capabilitydeveloped over the years by the cashewindustry.

22.57.1 Over the years, the share of importednuts in the total raw nut processing has been40-45 percent. There is a need to increasedomestic production to substitute imported

raw nuts in order to derive the maximumbenefits from a strong processing andmarketing capability developed over the yearsby the cashew industry. Increased domesticproduction would reduce imports, which willin turn reduce the volatility in the prices ofraw nuts.

22.57.2 Recently, Cashew Export PromotionCouncil (CEPC), Cochin organised "KajuIndia 2006" and launched "Mission 2020"programmes, with the objectives of achievingself sufficiency in raw nut production. Moresuch programmes may be organized to createawareness among the stakeholders.

22.58 Policy 150: Value addition andproduct diversification should receiveadequate attention of the Government forhaving competitive edge and higherreturns in the years to come.

22.58.1 Major export from India is onlythrough cashew kernels at present. The exportof value added cashew kernels like salted androasted kernels from India is insignificant. Thisis mainly due to the reason that the importersand packers in the major markets like UnitedStates do not want the Indian suppliers to sendvalue added products, which they consider,would adversely affect their packing industry.However, there is a scope for increasing theexport of value added cashew kernels in thenon- traditional markets like West Asiancountries. Value addition and productdiversification should also receive adequateattention for having competitive edge andhigher returns in the years to come. Sweetenedand flavoured cashew spread, etc. may beprepared from cashew kernel baby bits.

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22.58.2 Cashew apple preparations like jam,jelly, chutney, juice, syrup, etc. need to bepopularized and commercially exploited, asit will increase the income of cashewcultivators and also enhance ruralemployment. Except in Goa, cashew apple iswasted in almost all the states in India. Thereis also a need to popularise the techniques ofmanufacturing the value added products fromcashew apple among the SHGs.

22.58.3 Scientific processing techniques torecover cashew shell liquid oil may be used inthe processing of raw nuts.

22.59 Policy 151: Production andproductivity of cashew in the state can beenhanced through a phased replantingprogramme.

22.59.1The price fall in the open market isset to aggravate the growers' situation. It is fearedthat the problems may accelerate the conversionof cashew-growing areas into rubber plantations.Rubber fetches a higher price than cashew. Amajor reason fro the unpredictability of cashewcultivation is the fact that nearly 70 per cent ofthe cashew trees in the region are aged, localvarieties, which start yielding late in the season.

22.59.2 Senile plantations adversely affectedthe productivity and competitiveness ofcashew. Production and productivity can beenhanced through a phased replantingprogramme. Farmers are hesitant to take upre plantation in the due to the expected croploss and negative returns during the initialyears. Inter cropping may be practiced bycashew growers as it helps in obtaining returnsfrom cashew. Crops and trees like groundnut,

cowpea, tapioca, casuarina, turmeric, blackgram, etc. can be effectively grown as inter cropduring the initial 4-5 years. Strong extensionactivity and credit support is required to makethe farmers rejuvenate old plantations as well asto practice intensive cultivation practices.

22.59.3 Technologies like use of vegetativepropagated planting materials may be used forincreasing the production and productivity ofcashew. The present level of productivity is 860kg/ha whereas the new varieties have a potentialof 2000 kg/ ha. Efforts need to be taken forreplacement and new plantation with clones ofthese varieties. Trials with different density andspacing in cashew have proved that net profitrealised from high tree density planting (384 trees/ha, 6.5 x 4m) was high for the first 10 yearscompared to normal tree density (156 trees/ha).Better management practices like pruning, topworking for rejuvenating cashew trees, improvedplanting material, adequate disease and pestcontrol, etc. are required to increase the yield.

22.60 Policy 152: All the Cashewdevelopment agencies are to be effectivelyco-ordinated under the Department ofAgriculture.

22.60.1 There are many agencies functioning inthe state for the promotion of cashew. But it is aknown fact that the area under the crop isdecreasing. In order to have a proper co-ordination of all the activities, they must be co-ordinated by the Department of Agriculture,which is the main functionary in agriculturaldevelopment. Otherwise, the resources will bewasted and will not be able to put a co-ordinatedeffort on the development of cashew.

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22.61 Policies related to Pineapple

22.61.1 Pineapple may become yet anothergood revenue earner for Kerala after plantationcrops with the recent granting of geographicalindication (GI) status to Vazhakulam pineapple.

22.61.2 The Vazhakulam variety accounts for50 % of the 3.25 lakh tonnes of pineappleproduced in Kerala every year. This popularvariety of pineapple, characterized by a specialaroma, extra sweetness and low acidity, was firstgrown in Vazhakulam about 30 years ago; it isnow cultivated in a larger area covering parts ofIdukki, Kottayam and Pathanmthitta districts aswell. Pineapple is the third most canned fruitbehind applesauce and peaches.

22.62 Policy 153: Standardization oftechnology to bring down cost of productionof fresh pineapple and its adoption bygrowers, and technology to producepineapple throughout the year may go a longway in promoting pineapple cultivation inKerala.

22.62.1 The seasonality of the pineapple cropaffects returns obtained by the farmers.Technology for producing the crop year roundwould help the processing industry and therebyhelping the farmers to get a better price for theproduce. Th e small and medium producersgenerally lack experience in pineapple growing.Th is translates into poor entrepreneurialmanagement because of their ignorance of basicaspects such as production costs. There is littleorganizational tradition and limited integrationbetween the links driving the production chain.For example, better coordination in seedprovision is needed to achieve significantreductions in production costs.

22.63 Policy 154: Steps should be taken topopularise pineapple cultivation as anintercrop in the coconut gardens andrubber plantations to increase theproduction and income of the farmers.

22.63.1 There is immense potential to increasethe area under pineapple in Kerala as it can begrown as an intercrop in coconut and rubberplantations. Coconut is grown in about 9 lakhhectares and if pineapple is grown as an intercropin coconut garden it will give an additionalincome, especially in root wilt affected areas itwill be a solace to the farmers. Special attentioncan be given for intercropping pineapple incoconut in root wilt affected areas.

22.63.2 Out of the current area of rubbergrown, about 15000 hectare is replanted everyyear. Pineapple is grown as catch crop for thefirst three years in rubber at the time of replanting.Pineapple cultivation in rubber will give incometo farmers during the period when there is noincome from rubber. However, only less thantwo percent of the potential area in Kerala iscultivated with pineapple. At present pineapplecultivation in Kerala is generating employmentof about 45 lakh mandays among farmers,agricultural workers, people involved in loading,unloading, transporting, traders, retailers etc. Bydoubling the area under pineapple cultivation, anadditional 45 lakhs work days per year can becreated.

22.64 Policy 155: The marketing ofpineapple needs immediate attention as toimprove the export potential of the crop forassuring better returns to farmers.

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22.64.1 The pineapple cultivation in Kerala isdependent on fresh fruit market, supplying mostof its produce to outside Kerala. The Mauritiusvariety grown in Kerala is marketed in about 10states in India including New Delhi. It is alsoexported to Gulf countries in limited quantities.It is possible to increase its marketing byexploring new markets and techniques and alsoby increase in quality and quantity of fruitproduced. It is essential to explore the possibilityfor marine exports to reduce cost. Consumerpreference and marketing strategies are to betaken into consideration. The annual value ofpineapple produced in Kerala comes to about170 crores which may be next to cardamom andcoffee. But it is doubtful whether it is gettingsufficient attention it deserves.

22.64.2 Steps like regulation of markets forpineapple and integration of production,marketing and processing ctivities would goa long way in decreasing marketing cost andthereby encouraging cultivators for selfmarketing. In recent times, grower’smarketing co-operatives have come intoservice in Kerala, which need support fromthe Government.

22.65 Policies related to floriculture

22.65.1 India has a blooming future as faras floriculture is concerned. Enormousgenetic diversity, varied agro climaticconditions, versatile human resources etcoffer India a unique scope for judiciousemployment of existing resources andexploration of avenues yet untouched. Indiawith a population of over a billion is a bigmarket. Domestic industry is growing at anannual growth rate of 15-20% per annum.Flower consumption in the cities and major

town is reportedly growing at 40% perannum. The total business of floriculturalproducts in India in 2005 increased fromRs. 8,174 lakh to Rs. 14,117 lakh in April2009. In India, Kerala with its humidtropical climate has a promising future indeedin the field of floriculture.

22.65.2 In the yesteryears, every house in Keralahad at least a little yard where jasmine, roses,hibiscus, marigold, chrysanthemum and ashokawere grown. There grew a lot of wild flowerson the fences and sidewalks. Kerala was dottedwith water bodies full of water lilies and lotus.But today concrete has engulfed them. So, justas every essential article from rice to sugar andconsumer products from soap to electronicgadgets, Kerala gets its flowers from itsneighbouring States. The situation has becomeso grim that if flowers from Tamil Nadu orKarnataka stop coming, no wedding or ‘pooja’can take place in Kerala.

22.65.3 But Kerala has developed a new-foundlove for two groups of flowering plants-theorchid and the anthurium. Both produce exquisiteand delicately hued flowers. Most of the orchidsand anthuriums grow well in the tropical climateof Kerala. Above all, the cut flower culture ofthe modern age has created good market forthe orchids and anthuriums as hotels and othercommercial establishments prefer these flowerswhich are long- lasting compared roses, dahliasand gladiolas which stay only for a day in flowervases. Some progressive farmers are making afortune out of flower cultivation in Kerala.

22.66 Policy 156: Establishment of modelnurseries should be done in the state eitherin the public and or in the private sectorto address the issue of shortage in the

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availability of new and good quality plantingmaterials which is the most importantlimiting factor in the development offloriculture in Kerala.

22.66.1 The establishment of model floriculturalnurseries is very important for timely supply ofquality planting material. Hi-tech floricultureindustry can be successful only if enough supportis provided for procurement of genuine plantingmaterial either domestic or global and marketingof production by the government. The new seedpolicy had already made it feasible to importplanting material of international varieties.

22.67 Policy 157: Traditional Flower FPOsare to be established like cut flower growers'association for traditional flower growers.

22.67.1 There is also a need to establish FPOsfor the traditional flower growers. This willhelp for minimum support price for theflowers they produce. The lotus cultivationdone. in Thirunnavaya and the recent trendnoticed in Vellayani in Thiruvananthapuramwill be benefitted from these types ofinitiatives. The blooming business of lotusflowers here has made many traditional paddyfarmers in the State to opt tend lotus in thevillage ponds.

22.67.2 Farmers are always worried about thedomestic market rates of flowers. During festivalsand wedding seasons the rates are very high,but for the rest of the year the prices vary andare comparatively very low. If government couldcontrol the Value added tax (VAT) on cut flowers(presently 9-12%), and solve the marketingproblems; farmers will be satisfied.

22.67.3 The flower growers’ FPOs are to beestablished in the state need to be strengthenedboth financially as well as functionally so thatthese could operate in the areas to expandflowers’ cultivation and to safeguard theinterests of flower-growers.

22.68 Policy 158: Specific attention is to begiven to the development of traditionalflowers by assisting traditional farmers interms of bank loans, proper marketingfacilities, and dissemination of informationthrough training and media support onimproved varieties.

22.68.1 The cut-flowers’ marketing like othercommercial crops is more critical than theproduction itself. This is mainly because of thefact that market decides the profitability andeconomic sustainability per se of the product andfloriculture is no exception. Like scanty andscattered production, the cut-flowers’ marketingis also unorganized and under developed. Thehigh price-spread on account of exorbitantmargins, no specilized packaging due to lack ofpacking material, no open auction for sale, lessnumber of flori-traders in the market, few flori-markets and no existence of primary market inthe producing area amply speak of the deplorablestate of market/marketing system. In thisbackdrop, it is suggested that flowermarketing system should be brought under theambit of regulation and control. This requiresthe establishment of producers’ co-operativesor FPOs as under Section 18.3 of theAgricultural Development Policy.

22.69 Policy 159: An insurance mechanismfor the floriculturists against naturalcalamities of the state is to be formulated.

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22.69.1 The flori-business has been found to behighly capital intensive and risky. It may not bepossible for an ordinary farmer to bear the riskof crop failure that may lead him to completeruin/economic disaster. To warrant against suchtype of situations, the flori-business needs to beinsured.

22.70 Policy 160: It is emphasized that thesubsidies on poly/green-house, plantingmaterials and specialized equipmentsshould continue.

22.70.1 The floriculture avocation in the state isyet at its infancy stage and there is dearth ofdesired infrastructure both at the farm as well asinstitutional level. Hence, it is emphasized thatthe subsidies on poly/green-house, plantingmaterials and specialized equipments shouldcontinue. Further, liberal funding is also requiredto strengthen R & D programmes in theinstitutions like Kerala Agricultural University,State Department of Agriculture, ICARInstitutes, KVKs, etc.

22.71 Policy 161: Efforts should be made toencourage small stakeholders to patronizeflower cultivation for enhancing their incomeand employment avenues.

22.71.1 The cut flowers’ cultivation mainlyorchids and anthuriums in the state has beenpicked up mainly by the well-endowed familiesand not by the resource-poor marginal andsmall farmers. Therefore, efforts should bemade to encourage these small stakeholdersto patronize flower cultivation for enhancingtheir income and employment avenues. Forthis cause, some of the pre-requisites like,location and approach of farm, distributionof quality planting material, easy term loans

from institutions and assured market outlets,need to be expedited, stream lined andstrengthened.

22.72 Policies related to medicinal andaromatic plants.

22.72.1 Medicinal Plants constitute an importantcomponent of the plant resource spectrum ofKerala. Recent analysis shows that out ofestimated 4600 flowering plants in Kerala, about900 possess medicinal values. Of these, 540species are reported to occur in forestecosystems. Over 150 species of plants that areeither indigenous or naturalized in Kerala areused in the Indian system of Medicine likeAyurveda and Sidha. The rural folk and tribalcommunities make use of about 2,000 speciesof lesser-known wild plants for various medicinaluses. About 60 to 65% of plants required forAyurvedic medicine and almost 80% of plantsused in Sidha medicine are found in the forestsof Kerala.

22.72.2 With respect to medicinal plants, a wellplanned approach is required for its commercialcultivation and utilization. Presently, organizedcultivation in medicinal varieties are lacking inmajority of the cultivated medicinal plants. Inorder to make cultivation profitable the plantshould have to be high yielding and its officinalpart should contain medicinally active principlesin economically acceptable level and should meetthe quality standards of the industry.

22.72.3 The use of plant-based medicines isexpanding rapidly worldwide and anyeconomic activity relating to the growing ofmedicinal plants for commercial purpose isbound to be a viable enterprise. The processfrom plant to pharmacy shelf takes up to 20

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years involving their toxicological,pharmacological, and clinical tests andrequires heavy capital investments, in thecase of modem medicines. Even after theseprocesses, the search for new medicinesmay not come to fruition in all cases.Medicinal and aromatic plants can bedeveloped as a mean for sustainableeconomic development, safe and affordablehealth care and conservation of biodiversity.

22.73 Policy 162: New avenues likecontract farming and forest farming areto be explored as sustainable way toensure the steady and constant supply ofquality raw materials for drugs.

22.73.1 It is necessary to initiate systematiccultivation of medicinal plants in order toconserve biodiversity and protectendangered species. In the pharmaceuticalindustry, where the active medicinalprinciple cannot be synthesisedeconomically, the product must be obtainedfrom the cultivation of plants. Systematicconservation and large scale cultivation ofthe concerned medicinal plants are thus ofgreat importance. Efforts are also requiredto suggest appropriate cropping patterns forthe incorporation of these plants into theconventional agricultural and forestrycropping systems. Cultivation of this type ofplants could only be promoted if there is acontinuous demand for the raw materials.

22.74 Policy 163: In order to initiatesystematic cultivation of medicinal andaromatic plants high yielding varietieshave to be selected.

22.74.1 In the case of wild plants, theirdemonstration would require carefuldevelopment work. Sometimes high yieldingvarieties have also to be developed by selectivebreeding or clonal micropropagation. Theselected propagation materials have to bedistributed to the farmer either through nurseriesor seed banks. Systematic cultivation needsspecific cultural practices and agronomicalrequirements. These are species specific and aredependent on soil, water and climatic conditions.Hence research and development work has tobe done to formulate Good Agricultural Practices(GAP) which should include proper cultivationtechniques, harvesting methods, safe use offertilizers and pesticides and waste disposal.

22.75 Policy 164: Efforts to develop, use andpromote the green technology for asustainable production system of Medicinaland Aromatic Plants are to be made.

22.75.1 The green technology is morenecessary for MAP cultivation because of theiruse in health care system which requires zeropesticide residue limit to be a safe drug. Thesuccess of cultivation of MAP using greentechnology such as GAP and also success ofgood quality raw drug supply throughimplementation of GACP would largely dependon how effective technology transfer system wehave to take these developments in to thegrassroots level workers such as farmers andcollectors. Development of various technologytransfer tools will have to be attempted and alsodemonstrated through organizing trainingprogramme for various stakeholders. Attemptswill also have to be continued to transfertechnologies developed at the KAU and assesstheir impact by using modern ICT tools.

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22.76 Policy 165: Small and marginalfarmers will be organised into Self HelpGroups and cooperative societies ofmedicinal plants growers or as producercompanies to enable them to take upmedicinal plants cultivation

22.76.1 The cultivation of medicinal and aromaticplants is to be done in conjunction with theprocessing facilities and markets available formedicinal plants. This is to be done in clustersidentified by Department of Agriculture throughindividuals, Self Help Groups, CooperativeSocieties of medicinal plants growers. Thus,small and marginal farmers will be organised intoSelf Help Groups and cooperative societies ofmedicinal plants growers or as producercompanies to enable them to take up medicinalplants cultivation, which presently they are unableto do. Financial assistance and technicalguidance will also be provided to them formobilizing the Growers cooperatives/Federations as well as for preparation ofcluster specific project reports/business plans.

22.77 Policies related to fodder productionand fodder crops.

22.77.1 Though livestock sub sector makessignificant contribution to the State’seconomy, it is facing serious constraints dueto inadequate fodder base as a result of sharpand continuous decline in the area underlivestock-supporting seasonal crops especiallypaddy and the limited scope for foddercultivation in the State.

22.77.2 One major problem faced by Kerala isthe weak feed and fodder base. With the shift incropping pattern of Kerala, the area under ricecultivation has come down by more than 50

percent over the last two decades leading todrastic reduction in the availability of straw forfeeding cattle. It is estimated that the stateproduces only 60 per cent of the roughagerequirement for cattle in Kerala. As a resultroughage in the form of straw is being brought into the state from adjacent states at an exorbitantrate.

22.77.3 About 18% of total geographic area inKerala state lays underutilized. Self help groupsand other unemployed youths can venture in toproduction of green grass, legume crops or treefodders by adopting various silvi pasturalsystems and sell it to farmers as preserved formor fresh. The required technical know howshould be provided to them. Many suchendeavors have been known started in manyparts of Kerala.

22.78 Policy 166: Increasing fodderproduction and availability within the statethrough the intervention of co-operatives,SHGs and FPO's should be explored.

22.78.1 The scope for individual initiative byfarmers in fodder cultivation seems ratherlimited. It is very difficult for the state toenforce strict land utilization laws so as toprevent the decline in the availability of dryfodder. What is more feasible will be toencourage farmers to take up foddercultivation as a commercial programme withthe support of the local bodies who shouldalso incorporate fodder production as one oftheir major activities in the rural developmentsector. New varieties like CO3 and KKM1are found promising for commercial fodderproduction and marketing.

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22.79 Policy 167: The State Government, incollaboration with agricultural universities andresearch institutes, will be responsible fordeveloping, promoting and extendingnutritious and high yielding varieties of fodderspecies for cultivation on agricultural lands.

22.79.1 Depending upon the need, the varietieswith high protein content, palatability, fast growth,high adaptability etc., are to be developed andpromoted for the improvement of the small farmers.Rehabilitation and productivity enhancement ofdegraded forests through silvi-pastoral practices ofintegrating grasses and fodder trees under theinstruments of Joint Forest Management.

22.80 Policies for minor millets promotion.

22.80.1 There are different types of minor milletsviz. finger millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet,kodo millet and barnyard millet. Like other cereals,minor millets also supply a significant amount ofenergy to the body. Millets contain more digestivefiber compared to rice and wheat. This enhancesslow release of energy, thereby increasing physicalefficiency. Compared to rice and wheat, milletscontain higher proportion of minerals. Finger milletcontains 30 times more calcium while other milletsposses 2 time more calcium than rice and wheat.Little millet and foxtail millets are rich in iron. ThusMinor millets can form a good solution for qualityfood. Apart from that they can be grown underclimatically very stressful conditions.

22.80.2 Despite their nutritional benefits, tolerancefor difficult growing conditions, and ease of storage,small millets have consistently been neglected byagricultural policy in the state, which has put theemphasis on cash crops and other cereals.

22.81 Policy 168: There must be programmesto reintroduce minor millets to regions wherethey were once more popular.

22.81.1 There were regions in Kerala where thecultivation of these crops concentrated. It wasrecognised that these crops are rich sources ofnutrients and capable to fight with climatic changes.Hence the Government should formulateprogrammes for their reintroduction to the areaswhere they were grown freely. Newer varieties arealso needed for the programme. Value addedproducts from these crops would fetch a high pricein the shopping malls of the State and outside.

22.82 Policies for pulses promotion

22.82.1 Kerala produces only a very little portionof pulses required. Pulse productivity in India is amatter of concern and is declining year after year.Pulses are not commonly cultivated in Kerala,whereas it is an inevitable component in KeralaCuisines. These crops fetches lucrative prices inthe market. The pulses required for Kerala comesfrom nearby states. With a view to putting maximumarea under pulse production, introduction of suitablevarieties for this region needs to be done. Sointroduction of pulse crops to non traditional areais of great importance.

22.83 Policy 169: There must be programmesfor promoting pulses in the traditional as wellas no traditional tracts utilising the paddyfallows.

22.83.1 The pulse crops like red gram, black gramand grain cowpea are cultivated in Kerala in sometraditional belts. They are to be intensified and areaof the same is to be expanded to other nontraditional areas of cultivation utilising the ricefallows of the State.

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22.84 Policies related to bee keeping in Kerala

22.84.1 Kerala was contributing major share ofhoney produced in India till 1990s. There is greatpotential for beekeeping in the State due to thediversified flora available which is suited to bees.Extensive geographic variation is exhibited by honeybees and there are four species of bees (viz., Apisdorsata, Apis florea, Apis cerana indica and Apismellifera) in the State. The indigenous species A.c. indica is being utilised for commercialbeekeeping. Another promising species, thestingless bee Trigona iridipennis is also beingcommercialised in the state.

22.84.2 Successful beekeeping depends on theavailability of pollen and nectar which are essentialfor the growth and development of bees. Coconut,is an abundant source of pollen to honeybees whichis grown in 9.3 lakh ha. A single inflorescenceprovides 272 million pollen grains and 12-16inflorescence bloom in a healthy palm per year.Coconut palm provides pollen through out the yearand hence there is no scarcity of pollen to bees.More over, the rubber plant Hevea brasiliensisgrown in 5.5 lakh ha is a potential nectar source tobees. Research findings of AICRP on Honey Beesand Pollinators revealed that maximum honey yieldper hive was recorded when 10 colonies wereplaced per hectare in rubber plantations.

22.85 Policy 170: There should beprogrammes to increase the number of beehives from the present 6 lakh numbers to 30lakh numbers in five years.

22.85.1 Considering the floral source there isample scope for rearing about 55 lakh Indian beecolonies. But there is only about 6 lakh Indian beecolonies at present. There is scope for rearing 49lakh colonies additionally. Conservation of bee

species and encouraging beekeeping will also helpbee pollination in various agricultural and horticulturalcrops which in turn will help in yield enhancementand food security. Hence a policy for increasingthe number of bee hives to at least 30 lakhs withinfive years to be made.

22.86 Policy 171: Bee keeping should bepromoted as a vocation for women, youth,marginal farmers and self help groups and thenumber of bee keepers are to be doubled totwo lakhs from the present one lakh and theconcept of ‘Honey Villages’ has to be put in toreality.

22.86.1 At present there are about one lakhbeekeepers who adopted apiculture as a mainstream job or as a side business/ hobby. The annualhoney production in the State is about 6000 tonnes.Large number of unemployed youth, women, selfhelp groups are coming forward to take up theindustry through which they can improve theirlivelihood and attain women empowerment.

22.86.2 Augmentation and conservation of honeybees will definitely be benefited to the farmingcommunity by enhancing crop productivity throughpollination by bees. In cardamom plantations,honey bees are the sole agent of pollination.Coconut, cashew, coffee, vegetables are othercrops benefited by bee assisted pollination whichin turn supplement for yield enhancement to a tuneof 20-40 per cent. Food security, food diversityand productivity enhancement can be ensuredthrough beekeeping in all the districts. Beekeepingmay be considered as an essential component ofcrop husbandry practices and thus an integral partof agriculture. Hence steps for increasing thenumber of beekepers in five years should bedoubled to two lakhs.

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22.87 Policies related to plantationcrops

22.87.1 Plantations form a very rich asset ofKerala. The state is identified as attract whichgave birth to the concept of plantation industryin the country. Almost 27% of the grosscropped area is still covered by plantationcrops. The revenue they generate is billionsof rupees per annum. The foreign exchangeearned by plantation industry in the lastfinancial year was approximately Rs.60,000crore and import substitution done by therubber industry alone works out to aboutRs.7,000 crores. This should be viewed inthe backdrop of the contribution of theagriculture sector to state GSDP of aboutRs.40,000 crores. Evaluation of plantationsidentifying the Western Ghats area is undertakenby natives but under the pressure of Europeansand today plantations are rated as a dependablesource of various types of central and stategovernment taxes providing employment andbest livelihood care to the lack of plantationlabour.

22.87.2 In a land hungry state like Kerala bringingmore land under plough is very difficult to evenimagine and plantation crops require idealenvironment situation to survive and plantations arereally centres where large scale monocropping ispracticed and the produce are processed, packedand sent for domestic marketing and export. Itwas a creation of colonial rule and so had a specialstature since it is owned by foreign companiesespecially British. This kept it aloof from localfarming population. Truly plantation comes underthe farming sector i.e. crop culture division.

22.88 Policy 172: On no account area underplantations should be used for growing anycrop which is not notified before.

22.88.1 A new development approach is urgentlyrequired regarding the preservation of plantations.Ecologically and climatologically all the conduciveareas for growing plantation crops like tea, coffee,cardamom and now rubber has been brought inthe state. Considering the strategic nature of thecrops in its management and processing whilepassing the land reform act Kerala has given aspecial status to the plantations. In short they areexempted from the land ceiling. In the presentcontext through a policy it must be insisted that inall the cultivable land belonging to the plantationsthe notified plantation crops should be planted sincefresh planting areas are unavailable. On no accountit should be used for growing any crop which is notnotified before. Since land suited for cultivating thespecific crops are unavailable it should not be usedeven for large scale cattle rearing or tourism orentertainment related centres. This is a must andplantations must be encouraged with soft loans, taxconcessions and technology upgradation for thepurposes like replanting, water conservation and valueadded products. Such an approach is necessary sincethe plant population in most of the estates has evencrossed its biological life span. In several estates onecould see 100 year old tea bushes still maintained.

22.88.2 Plantations provide great wealth to Keralanot as an agro produce alone it provides employmentto several thousand common people and also as amoney spinner since different taxes the state and centralgovernment are getting several crores of rupees annually.Hence plantation must be treated as a part ofagriculture in its real sense and it must be preservedand helped to develop to meet the fast growingneeds of the society, trade and exports, all bringingwealth to the state and nation.

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22.89 Policy 173: The rate of lease onGovernment land given for plantationpurpose should be scientifically revised inevery five years.

22.89.1 The State Government is losing large sumsconsequent to its failure to revise lease rents onthousands of hectares of revenue and forest lands.

22.89.2 The rates on lease has to be assessedscientifically and revision is needed in every fiveyears. Rules are to be amended using theprovision in the Kerala Grants and Leases(Modification of Rights) Act, 1980, thatempowers the Government to issue directivesto the collectors on fixing the rent.

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23. POLICIES FOR LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT

23.1 Kerala State is having about 17.5 lakhbovines according to the 2007 census. Itwould be of the responsibility of the StateGovernment to address each and every animalas an entity and the farmers as the prime stakeholder of the developmental programmes ofthe Animal Husbandry Department. Thepolicies of the Government have to be framedwith this objective of considering the animaland its (owner) farmer as equally important ifany developmental activity is planned. Thefollowing policies is expected to help inachieving this objective in full.

23.2 Policy 174: The farmers of thestate would be helped for the improvementof their present resources by assessing thepresent potential of the livestock status andemploying an 'Animal Performance andControl' mechanism to monitor, evaluateand upgrade the livestock population of theState.

23.2.1 For the first time in India, the databaseof the bovine population of the State wouldbe codified for efficient animal health controland vaccination programmes, propertraceability in the case of outbreaks of trans-boundary diseases, genetic improvement andcross breeding, with the help of moderntechnologies such as RFID would be formed.

23.2.2 With the present population oflivestock, the state could achieve 27.13 lakhtonnes of milk / year, 3.4 lakh tonnes of meatand 170 crore eggs during 2011-12. Therequirement of the same during 2011-12 was33.72 lakh tonnes, 4.95 lakh tonnes and 594crores of milk, meat and egg respectively. It

would be possible to fill up the gap inrequirement and production if an authenticdatabase and control over the population isestablished. The RFID based dataidentification and retrieval mechanismsuggested here would prove to be aneffective tool in this regard.

23.2.3 By employing the RFID assistedanimal performance, evaluation and controlmechanism, it would be possible for aVeterinary Surgeon to identify and monitorthe strategic operations including utilisationof a better performing breed to be usedmore for the cross breeding programmes,provision of timely vaccination and AI, trackthe movement of animals for ensuring thehealth, updating of realtime data on theproduction, etc. It would serve as a baselinefor all the developmental initiatives of theState. Moreover, it is possible for the policymakers to address the current situations ina more realistic way.

23.2.4 If the RFID technology is coupledwith the Android based applications andCloud Computing, the field level officerscan get the data of the animals in theirjurisdiction, with the help of Tab Computersand mobile phones and can act in a timebound manner in the case of disease control,AI, feed advices etc.

23.2.5 So the Government may form thepolicy of implementing an ICT based'Animal Performance and Control 'mechanism without any further delay as thefirst step in the improvement of farmers'animals.

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23.3 Policy 175: All the l ivestockfarmers of the state should be providedwith 24 hour Veterinary EmergencyAssistance Service.

23.3.1 It was estimated that about Rs. 0.5lakhs is being spent for the productionof a high yielding cross bred cow inKerala. There are instances where theanimal or its productivity is lost due theabsence of access to veterinary servicesin time during some critical situationssuch as difficulty in parturition, mastitis,mineral deficiencies, prolapse of uterus,poisoning etc. It was also found thatabout Rs . 500 crores i s be ing los tannually due to the difficulty in access toveterinary services in the off hours duringthese critical situations.

23.3.2 In order to eliminate this hugeloss and to protect the farmers' interests,emergency veterinary services on roundthe clock basis to be provided with theactive cooperation of the concernedLocal Self Government institutions andthe Department of Animal Husbandry.

23.3.3 Mobile Veterinary Clinics maybe established in needy places based onanimal population to cater to the need foremergency ve ter inary care . TheGovernment should formulate VeterinaryEmergency Ass is tance Programme(VEAP) at the earliest. The requiredinfrastructure with professional staff maybe created and put in place. It is veryessential to assure the farmer that hisvaluable animal will be provided with allthe required veterinary health care in caseof clinical emergency at his doorstep.

23.4 Policy 176: The farmers of theState would be assured with a livestockpopulation free of all the contagiousdiseases by universal vaccination andnecessary steps would be taken todeclare as Animal Disease Free Zone.

23.4.1 Kerala State with i ts uniquegeographical position is very conducivefor developing as an Animal Disease FreeZone (ADFZ). But the state do not have aperfect database of the animals which arevaccinated against the dreadful contagiousdiseases. The Animal Disease Control Project(ADCP) will be strengthened to achieve this.If the Animal Registration and ControlMechanism as described in Section 31.2 isemployed, it would be possible forindividually track and vaccinate the entireanimals of the State effectively and the datawould be generated in retrievable manner forfuture use.

23.4.2 Based on this, the Government maychalk out programmes for vaccinating theentire animals, so that the farmers are assuredabout healthy and good performing animalsin their possession.

23.5 Policy 177: The farmers of Kerala areto be provided with yield and sex assuredanimals as a result of the cross breedingProgramme.

23.5.1 Assuring a female calf by the crossbreeding was a consistent demand from thefarmers of Kerala over years. It would bemuch more effective if they can beprovided with yield assured offspringfrom the cross breeding programmes.

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23.5.2 There are improved technologies in allthe developed countries for assuring the yield ofoffspring as a result of the genomic selectionprogrammes for 'Bull Evaluation' and productionof sexed semen. It is possible to assure thefarmers the sex of the offspring and its expectedyield. This would surely add momentum to thegenetic stock improvement.

23.5.3 Kerala is the only state in the countryhaving a structured, operational, self sustainablebreeding policy for cross breeding of animals.At present the document is being reviewed every4 years with the active consultation of the stakeholders including farmers.

23.5.4 The animal per day average productionhas reached 9.02 liters, which is well above thenational average. But even after 40 years ofoperation the outcome is not satisfactory. Henceit can be the accepted policy of the state andhave a review every 4 years with department ofAnimal Husbandry as the custodian of the policyand others like Kerala Veterinary and AnimalSciences University (KVASU), DairyDevelopment Department, Kerala LivestockDevelopment Board (KLDB), Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation(KCMMF) and Livestock Farmers as the majorstake holders.

23.5.5 Since Kerala is in a commanding positionin cross breeding in India it is high time tointroduce yield guaranteed sexed semen toachieve a state average production of 15 litresof milk per day and 36 lakh Mt by 2025 andthis should be adopted as a policy.

23.5.6 A separate breeding policy should becreated and adopted for other food animals likegoat, pig and rabbit. The primary objective should

be breed conservation, refinement andimprovement.

23.6 Policy 178: The low yielding animalsof the State must be used as FosterMothers' for the production of improvedbreed by the embryo transfer technology.

23.6.1 There are about 5000 numbers of lowproductive cattle are being produced in the stateannually which is an un-avoidable scientificphenomenon in every breeding programme. Thefarmers in those cases would be put in distress,but they may not sell the cow for slaughtering it.This is a tricky situation where the breeder hasto be cautious in protecting the sentiments of thefarmer. But the fact is that this accounts for abouta loss of Rs. 25 crores per annum.

23.6.2 This massive loss can be very wellminimized by the simple and accurate technologyof ‘embryo transfer' where the low productivecow would be treated as a foster mother whocarry the embryo of high yielders which will givean assured performer. The main advantage forthis technique is that, the waiting period for thehigh yielding cow from the low productive cowis apparently nil and thus the sentiments of thefarmer towards the cow can also be safeguarded.

23.6.3 For the better development of theoffsprings, the ‘foster mothers’ shall be assuredof a nutrient rich feed.

23.7 Policy 179: The farmers of the Statemay be allowed to rear indigenous andaccepted breeds of cattle for conservationpurpose with guidelines from theDepartment of Animal Husbandry.

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23.7.1 The State has an accepted and definedbreed of local or indigenous cattle 'VECHUR'that can be conserved and a farmer willing torear the same can be allowed to continuerearing them. The breeds of cattle should beapproved by National Bureau of AnimalGenetic Resources.

23.7.2 National Bureau of Animal GeneticResources, Karnal (NBAGR) is the nodalagency for registration of newly identifiedgermplasm of the livestock and poultry of thecountry. Total number of indigenous breedsregistered in the country is 144, which include37 cattle, 13 buffalo, 23 goat, 39 sheep, 6 forhorses& ponies, 8 camel, two pigs, onedonkey and 15 chicken species.

23.7.3 State should initiate steps to identify,characterize, define and conserve other nativebreeds of cattle, goat and poultry if any andput in a mechanism to conserve them withthe approval of NBAGR, Karnal.

23.7.4 But at any cost it should not beallowed to be used for cross breeding withthe crossbred population of the state. Thepropagation can be left to the farmer and ifnecessary the germplasm can be provided. Thecrossbreeding activity of the indigenous cattleshould be carried out under the supervisionof a registered Veterinarian only.

23.7.5 The domestic goat alternates as agood source of milk, meat, fibre and skin.Goats contribute to the agrarian economy byoffering livelihood security to the marginalfarmers, including women. Limitedinformation on the existing diversity inindigenous goat breeds has lead to theirunderutilization, replacement and dilution

through cross breeding. This necessitatesconservation, refinement and improvement ofthe existing breeds such as Malabari,Attappady Black, etc.

23.7.6 Pigs are ideal suppliers of good qualitymeat. Pigs excel all other meat producinganimals except well kept broiler. Three maintypes of the Indian domesticated pigs havebeen described by the researchers: Desi,Gahuri and Ankamali, inhabiting northernIndia, north-eastern India and Kerala provincelocated in southern India respectively.Although the growth rate and feed conversionratio of native Indian pigs including Ankamalipigs is less than those of the exotic orcrossbred pigs, they have unique features suchas disease resistance, heat tolerance and abilityto produce meat with less fat when comparedwith exotic breeds.

23.7.7 The aim of this policy is to geneticallycharacterize the Ankamali pigs for theeffective utilisation of the resistant genes inthe ensuing breeding programmes.

23.7.8 An act should be evolved to restrict theimport of animals for breeding from any otherpart of the country to Kerala. This is to avoidthe spread of diseases that are prevalent in otherpart of the states and not in Kerala. This primarilyaimed at preservation of genetic purity of thebreeds in Kerala. If any farmer wants to importanimals and new breeds the same has only to bepermitted by the Director, Department of AnimalHusbandry, Govt of Kerala.

23.8 Policy 180: The farmers of the stateare to be assured with one calf per yearper animal.

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23.8.1 Cross bred animals are prone totemporary infertility and 99% of these types ofcases can be treated and cured. It is estimatedthat about Rs. 200 crores per annum is lost dueto the infertility of cattle in Kerala. Infertility ofbovine is a major problem affecting the farmer'sincome in a state like Kerala where the animalrearing is playing dual role of income generationand milk production. The present estimatesshows that as an average one animal losing onemonth due to infertility will cause a loss of Rs8000/ per annum due to loss of production andunproductive feed consumption.

23.8.2 When the animal is found infertile, thefarmer will resort to distress sale of his crossbred high producing animal which leads to theloss of germplasm and reduction in the numberof high yielding cross bred animals.

23.8.3 Hence a comprehensive fertilitymanagement policy for bovines must be put inplace. There should be early detection ofinfertility, treating them with necessarymedicines/ drugs/ supplements at free of costto the farmer. The department of AnimalHusbandry should take up modern scientificmethods and tools to diagnose and correctsuch situation thus minimizing loss to farmers.Such activities should be a part of the planallocation every year in the department.

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24. POLICIES RELATED TO ANIMAL NUTRITION

24.1 Nutrition is the foundation of alivestock production system and propernutrition is imperative for achieving high andsustained livestock productivity. The successof animal reproduction and healthprogrammes rests on proper nutrition.According to FAO, in most developingcountries, ruminant animals usually survive oncrop residues and natural herbage, which donot provide adequate nutrients for improvingproductivity. Low quality crop residues aredeficient in fermentable nitrogen,carbohydrates and minerals. The productivityof dairy animals in the State is greatlyconstrained by the lack of green fodder andgood quality feed, due mainly to lowavailability and high cost. Social security andfood security is being assured by animal orlivestock population. The policies related toanimal nutrition are therefore be based on theabove facts.

24.2 Policy 181: Every calf born in the stateout of cross breeding programme shouldbe guaranteed a well balanced feed toutilise the genetic potential of the calf forconverting in to economic value.

24.2.1 Food for animals are of greatimportance and hence its feed should beassured. The state is composed of cows witha wide range of genetic potential ofproduction. Cows with a higher geneticpotential may produce more milk and thusrequire more nutritional inputs. Generallyfarmers fail to give feeds meeting thesestandards of cross bred cows. This can affectthe productivity and fertility of the calvesresulting in the impaired production of the

future generations. Thus nutritional gap notonly affects the current production, but alsothe coming generation which may manifest inthe form of loss to farmers in many folds.

24.2.2 Considering these situations, theGovernment may launch programmes whichis aimed at providing assured feed and mineralsupplements to all the female calves born inthe state as a result of the cross breedingprogramme.

24.2.3 The cross breeding activities is thestate launched is the late 1960's has yieldedtangible results. The process has to be mademore sustainable by providing healthy andconforming replacement stock for the stateanimal wealth. The replacement rate is 15-20 % of the total breedable cattle population.Only option available is to produce thereplacement stock indigenously.

24.2.4 The value of raw milk produced bythe cows of Kerala accounts for about Rs.7000 crores per annum. In order to maintainthis cattle population with an annualreplacement of 20%, we need 140000 cowsbe added to the existing animal in milk. If thisis not achieved, there will be drastic fall ofanimal population which in turn will result inthe decreased production. So the populationof animals are to be kept in the desired levelas mentioned.

24.2.5 It is estimated that there are 14.5 lakhArtificial Insemination during 2011-12 and 4.5lakh calf births and 2.25 lakh are femalecalves. Plan should be in place adopt the calffrom the date of birth and provide it with

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scientific care and feeding to ensure optimumgrowth and attainment of puberty by at least14-16 months of age. This will cater to theneed of replacement of animals and preventthe drastic reductions in animal populationexperienced now. All the female cross bredcalves born in the state should be adoptedunder a calf adoption programme

24.2.6 Over the past five years on an average50,000 are being supplied with balancedcompounded feed at subsidised rate. Theadvantages of this programme are listed asearly maturity, early age at first calving, betteryield and confirming to one calf a year norm.If an animal attains these parameters it issuppose to contribute to the economypositively. If we adopt all the female calvesborn in the state ( 2 lakh numbers) under suchprogramme, the per day increase in milkproduction will be 20 lakh litters per day. Thisin turn adds 610 lakh litres annually whichwill be valued at Rs. 2135 crores.

24.3 Policy 182: Male calf fatteningprogrammes are to be taken up by theGovernment for assuring nutrition to themale calves and for assuring wholesomemeat to the consumers and therebyassuring better returns to the farmers.

24.3.1 Beef is a major source of protein forthe population of Kerala. But the definitionof Beef and the one available in the markethas no connection. The meat of bovine thatare specially reared for meat purpose canconsidered as Beef. Unfortunately the beefavailable in the market is from Bovines thatare otherwise rendered useless due to age andloss of productivity. The meat will have moreof fiber rather than soft tissues that can be

considered as meat. It is high time we utilizethe male calves around 2.5 lakh born in thestate. Fatten them to the age of 18 months ortill they attain 150 Kgs of body weight andslaughter them for meat. This meat will bewholesome, healthy and tasty. Assistance canbe accorded for such ventures to encouragefarmers to take up this activity on acommercial basis. Aim should be to produceat least 30% of requirement of meat throughthis system by adopting the male calf fatteningprogrammes.

24.3.2 The feed for the same has to be sourcedlocally as far as possible and KVASU shouldbring out technologies for local feed productionand feeding methodologies especially for the malecalf fattening programmes.

24.4 Policy 183: The farmers of the statemust be assured of getting quality cattlefeeds and feed for other classes of livestock.

24.4.1 The production of an animal dependson two major facilities as its breed and feed.The output of right breed with right feed willbe optimum. The breed will be taken care ofby the breeding policy and the quality of feedis the other major factor that has to beattended to.

24.4.2 There are technical specifications foreach class of feed for different class of animals.At present there is no mechanism to checkwhether the feed available in the market to bepurchased by the farmer is having the requiredquality. Whether there are any malpracticesin its manufacture and marketing. Thereaspects have a direct bearing on the farmoutput and profitability of the farmer.

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24.4.3 The state would promulgate thestandards of feed in tune with BIS or GOIspecification for feed of each class and put ina mechanism to ascertain the quality of feedmarketed in the state. This will checkmalpractice and cheating and will instilconfidence in the minds of the farmer. TheAnimal Feed Regulatory Authority must becreated by the Department of AnimalHusbandry. Also there should be a state ofthe art Laboratory to analyse and certify feedsample that are despatched to the Authority.

24.4.4 The farmer can send feed sample foranalysis and also the department can collectsuch samples and conduct analysis on thesame. An act should be formulated on the linesof the national fertilizer and insecticide act1968 and implement it.

24.5 Policy 184: Fodder cultivation wouldbe promoted on a mission mode on acommercial scale to ensure its availabilityto the farmers at affordable cost.

24.5.1 The land devoted for fodder cultivationin Kerala is very negligible—only 1% of thecultivable area or 5,395 ha (Government ofKerala, 2011). It is estimated that out of therequirement of 23.2 million (M) t of fodder, only5.1 M t is produced in Kerala. The onlyimmediate opportunity is to increase productivityper unit area. Raising fodder as an intercropwithin existing crop systems can be a commonsolution to this problem. Though feed and fodderis one of the most important contributing factorsfor the growth of livestock sector, developmentof this sector has not received the required levelof focus in the past. It is estimated that the 60-70% of total cost in livestock production is dueto feed and fodder. Any attempt towards

enhancing feed availability and economizing thefeed cost would result in increased margin ofprofits to livestock owners.

24.5.2 Fodder production on commercial basisdoes not exist in the state in spite of hugedemand. At present the requirement of fodderis being met by dry fodder/straw import fromother states apart from domestic production. Butthere is ample scope for fodder production withall the existing constraints i.e. lack of land andother inputs. Fodder cultivation on barren land,cultivable fallow land, lease land, any strip of landthat can be used for fodder production andintercropping with any other type of cropespecially coconut plantation must beencouraged. Along with assisting anindividual, an area based approach has to beadopted, create cluster or group for thepurpose in the area, assist them with capitaland other resources, produce and market themin needy areas by levying a reasonable profit.

24.5.3 The APCOS and Milk societies shouldmake it as a mandate and make green and dryfodder available for the dairy farmers of thearea. NGOS, and SHGS can also play a veryactive role in this activity. This will enhancefodder production, income generation, andemployment and arrest lands lyinguncultivated. For lease land farming necessarysafeguards should be evolved to assure thelandowner that under no circumstances theland will be forfeited /lost. The safe methodis to put in a leasing mechanism that will expireautomatically after a fixed tenure. The leasedeed must be signed between the Govt.Official in his official capacity and land owner.Once this assurance can be guaranteed moreand more land will be available for fodderproduction.

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24.5.4 Fodder banks must be created in everyPanchayath by utilizing barren land forcultivation and storing them in flesh seasonas silage or fodder blocks to meet therequirement during lean season. Nonconsuming producers can be encouraged oncommercial scale with financial incentives sothat fodder will be available for the needy ataffordable cost.

24.6 Policy 185: Area specific mineralmixture for dairy cattle should beformulated and made available to thefarmers in order to correct mineraldeficiency and effect productionenhancement.

24.6.1 Considering the abundant, cheap andlocally available ingredients for the productionof blocks, the beneficial effects on improving theproductivity of animals and the growing demandfor the supplement, there is a potential that thetechnology will attain its sustainability. It has beenproven that the block is a handy supplement thatcan be immediately given to animals in the eventof calamities where availability of feeds andgrasses for animals are affected. Concernedagencies, both Government and private mustwork hard together to ensure sustainability.Technology promotion through training andinformation dissemination should be supportedfurther by the concerned agencies to enhancedits adoption.

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25. POLICIES RELATED TO MECHANISATION INANIMAL HUSBANDRY & DAIRY

25.1 A governing principle of livestockmachinery design has been to create an overallenvironment that maximizes productionefficiency. The overall environment includesthermal, physical and social environment.Thermal environment includes the temperature,humidity, air velocity and radiation surroundingthe animals. Physical environment includes thebuilding shelter, pens, floors, bedding, feeders,stalls, cages and waste handling systems thatphysically constrain the movement of the animals.Social environment includes animal density in apen or in a building, difference of ages in thesame group, and ability to choose companionshipand interaction with other animals. It is importantto understand the environmental needs of animalswhen designing facilities and machineries.

25.2 Today's world is after quality foodproducts. The best way to achieve quality assuredfoods of animal origin is by mechanising it.Moreover, the labour availability is less andcostlier, which in turn add to the cost ofproduction can be reduced to a veryconsiderable extent by employing suitablemachineries in the animal management andproduction. This inevitable requirement cannotbe met by the resource poor farmers and anintervention from the part of the Government isnecessary. So policies of the Government maybe aimed at the small scale mechanisation of theresource poor farmers' animal productionventures.

25.3 Policy 186: Portable milking machinesshould be provided to milkers and farmersfor the production of better quality milk in ashorter period and preventing the spread ofcontagious and managemental diseases.

25.3.1 The milking machine is a nearly automaticmachine installation for milking cows. There are twomethods of milking a cow: by hand or using a milkingmachine. When milking a cow, hands may becomecontaminated with mastitis-causing pathogens.Mastitis is an infection of the breast that can causepain, swelling, and redness, and makes the milkfrom the cow unfit to consume.

25.3.2 Milking Machines are extensively indemanded by various dairy farms across thestate. Portable Milking Machine Systems areprovided with single Milking Machine & doublebucket Milking Machines. Small and MediumDairy Farms can avail these machines in differentpatterns and specifications to cater to the variedneeds of dairy Industry. These Milking Machineshelp in extraction of milk more effectively.

25.3.3 Milking Machines are Ideal for Smallfarmers and Medium Dairy farms and it helps toproduce better quality milk. With the help ofthese Portable Milking Machines it is easy forsmall Dairymen for Milking 8 to 10 cows perhour.

25.4 Policy 187: Chaff cutters are to beprovided to farmers for the better utilisationof crop residues and minimising the costof production.

25.4.1 A chaff cutter is a mechanical devicefor cutting straw or hay into small piecesbefore being mixed together with other forageand fed to cattle. This aids the animal'sdigestion and prevents animals from rejecting anypart of their food. Utilisation of chopped fodderwill be high when compared with that of un-chopped ones. This will reduce the wastage and

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even un palatable crop residues can beconverted as useable fodder if chaff cutters areemployed. It is estimated that around 400 milliontonnes of crop residues are being generated inIndia. If proper technology is used for convertingthem to fodder blocks, it will serve as a goodsource for the cattle population.

25.5 Policy 188: Automatic drinkers areto be established in each and every farmfor ensuring production and improvinganimal health.

25.5.1 Dehydration or inadequate waterconsumption in dairy cows or cows withcalves reduces milk production. Overallhealth is also affected by improper waterintake.

25.5.2 Cattle that are healthy as a result ofgood nutrition and proper water consumptiontend to avoid disease and sickness. Properminerals and proper amount of waterconsumption are required for a healthyimmune system. The ability for cattle toabsorb minerals and nutrients is greatlyenhanced with proper water intake. Sicknessand disease are avoided with good waternutrition. Without adequate water levels inthe body, cattle are at a disadvantage in justabout every way. With the introduction ofautomatic drinkers the State's top mission isto help the farmers to keep the cattle's waterconsumption at proper levels which in turnadds their income and reduce the risks.

25.6 Policy 189: There must be steps atleast to prevent the hoof ailments andaccidents happening to cattle in their shedsthereby reducing the veterinary costs andloss of production.

25.6.1 The rubberised floor mat is particularlyadvantageous in areas where cows spend mostof the time, because it reduces the pressure onthe hooves and legs. The floor mats have a slip-resistant surface and that provides a rough greatfriction as a function of movement, providemaximum traction facilitating greatly themovement of cows in the shed. Studies and testshave shown in fact that cows walk faster andslip much less on the rubber floor. 70% of cowswalking on concrete floor glide at least slip once,but only 20% slip when walking on the rubbermats.

25.6.2 The rubber mats ensure a drier andcleaner environment for hygiene optimumimproves the condition of the hooves andreduces the incidence of mastitis and is easyto install anywhere. The rubber mats, evenmore than the technical characteristics andpeculiarities, practices recognized by farmersmet, showed a significant reduction inaccidents and veterinary costs.

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26. POLICIES FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INANIMAL FOOD PRODUCTION

26.1 The bacteriological quality of raw milkat the time of milking in the state is comparablewith that in the advanced dairying standards.Subsequently, however, the quality deterioratesdue to improper handling of milk and lack ofavailability of infrastructure like cooling facilities,potable water, regular electric supply andsewage disposal. A holistic approach will betaken to address the issue of clean milkproduction, which is imperative for marketingand promoting export of dairy products.

26.2 It is essential that all meat-processingoperations, whether slaughtering, cutting orfurther processing, be carried out in a clean areaand, as much as possible, that the products beprotected from contamination from all sources.When meat-processing operations are carriedout within a facility specifically built andmaintained for meat processing, sources ofcontamination can be much more easily andadequately controlled.

26.3 The development of a marketing networkand remunerative price support to the producersare great incentives for higher animal productivityand these will be encouraged for all types oflivestock products. Even the advanced countriesare giving direct and indirect price support tolivestock farmers. Priority attention should alsobe given to improve processing, marketing andtransport facilities for livestock products andvalue addition thereon.

26.4 Policy 190: The potential for milkpurchasers to misrepresent the quality ofthe milk and cheat farmers out of a fair pricewould be eliminated by the introduction ofthe Automatic Milk Collection System.

26.4.1 The Automatic Milk Collection Systemprovides several advantages over the traditionalmanual method which was time taking and dueto that the milk got spoiled. The Automatic MilkCollection System speeds up the entire process,thereby reducing the spoilage of milk. Wait timefor the farmers decreases from 45 to 10 minutes.Automation of the measurements eliminates thepotential for milk purchasers to misrepresent thequality of the milk and cheat farmers out of a fairprice. The automated system is more transparentand minimizes the role of the collection agent,reducing the likelihood of mistakes or fraud. Farfrom just having economic consequences,automation gives freedom to the farmers fromthe burden of having to fear cheating or corruptionin their daily business dealings. Physicaltransparency and simplicity of the process arethe keys to the success of such an endeavour.

26.4.2 Automated system makes entire milkcollection process automated. Right fromweighing and measuring the fat of the milk tomake payments to the farmer and generateanalytical reports. All the steps are taken careof in the solution.

26.4.3 Kerala produces about 78 lakh liters ofmilk a day. Of this about 20% is being collectedor procured by Milma and rest is marketed aslocal sales and as domestic consumption. Adynamic market and transparent transaction willdrive the growth of the sector as this will attractmore investments and production. Thediscontent percieved mainly lies with the measureand quality assessment of milk which leads topricing. More transparency is being expectedby the farmer in these transactions. HenceAutomatic Milk Collection Units are more an

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answer than an increased liability. This willanalyze the milk for its quality and will fix theprice automatically without any favor orotherwise. The farmer can have the quality andprice fixed immediately and can calculate thevalue of his produce immediately. Technologieshave reached a stage where the money due fora farmer will be automatically deposit the moneyin the bank of his choice.

26.5 Policy 191: The meat sold in Keralashould originate from an approvedslaughter house. Cleanliness at slaughterminimises the potential risk to humanhealth, contributes to the production ofsafe meat, improves the shelf life of themeat, and consumer confidence.

26.5.1 Kerala in spite of having 90%population as non vegetarian don't have anymechanism for clean meat production or anyregulation in place. The number of largeslaughter houses under organized sector arevery less or less than five. It is high time that theGovernment put in place appropriatemechanisms to inculcate the habit of humaneorganized slaughter of animals in a scientific andhygienic manner. For this there should beorganized slaughter house in Taluk HeadQuarters at least and slaughter places in all thelocal bodies. Such facilities should be supervisedby aqualified veterinarian and the mandatory AnteMortem and Post Mortem examinations shouldbe carried out. The slaughter houses should beestablished in border areas with other states sothat the transport of live animals for slaughtercan be restricted and instead wholesome meatcan be transported in refrigerated vehicles to theretail outlets. This will meet the twin objective ofclean meat production and animal disease

prevention and control. Public should beenlightened about the necessities of hygienicmeat production and consumption. Theslaughter houses and slaughter places shouldbe constructed as per the plans approved bythe Department of Animal Husbandry.

26.5.2 The Rules and Acts in place withregard to specification of animals that can beslaughtered should be strictly enforced.Animal transportation norms should be strictlyadhered to. Errant transporters should befined heavily and Department of AnimalHusbandry, Department of Motor Vehicles,Home Department and Sale Tax Departmentshould act in unison for this purpose.

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27. POLICIES FOR INCREASING PROFITABILITY INANIMAL HUSBANDRY

27.1 Livestock related interventions arefound to be a successful strategy for povertyalleviation all over the world and largepercentage of rural population depend onlivestock rearing to earn their livelihood.According FAO, the livestock wealth of Indiais mostly distributed among the marginal andsmall landholders, any growth in the sectorwould be beneficial to the poor people of ruralIndia.

27.2 The existing polices and programmesin the sector are not effective in finding lastingsolutions to the persisting problems in thissector. Many a time programmes are plannedand executed by officials without necessarygrass root level consultation with farmers andtheir organizations. Animal Husbandry is notgranted an equal consideration withagriculture in terms of subsidies and otherservices from the governmental and bankinginstitutions.

27.3 It is also observed that there is noproportionate return from dairying due to theincreased cost of milk production. The costof milk production has gone up in the statewith the escalating cost of cattle feed andfodder. The governmental regulation of theprice of milk in the market has also affectedthe profitability of farmers from dairying. Theinadequate governmental support and theemerging adverse grass-root situation in thedairy sector are endangering the livelihoodoption of the marginal framers.

27.4 Policy 192: The dairy cooperativesand Departments of the Governmentrelated to dairy development have to plan

programmes to attract youth and sustainthe present farmers towards dairy farmingand dairy based enterprises.

27.4.1 Now after 30 years the scenario ofdairying is changing. Medium and small unitsare getting a foothold in the sector. The daysof single cow or two cow unit are vanishinggradually and medium units with 10-20 cowsare taking the space. Hence instead of viewinglarge unit as more profit making unit,considering their contribution, adequateassistance as incentives should be allocatedfor such units. They will have a sizablecontribution to the sector in terms ofproduction and employment generationespecially in the case of youths. But the microunit should be continued with the maximumassistance that will help to generate livelihoodfor the farmer. All these are aimed atincreasing farmer income, employmentgeneration, livelihood support and increasedproduction. Proper checks and balance haveto be put in place to prevent exploitations andenvironmental degradation while allowingassistance.

27.4.2 When very large enterprises with highend commercial motives are established by theprivate sector, assistances from theGovernment in the form of money shall berestricted at its maximum but assuring all thetechnical support and guidance from theconcerned Departments for the establishment.

27.5 Policy 193: A good incentive planrecognizes that individuals can make a realdifference in the operation and itsprofitability.

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27.5.1 The present planning process involvesproviding assistance to a farmer as financiallysupporting him which has no linkage to theproduction of any produce. But it could beborne in mind that any assistance disbursedto an individual should result in commensurateincrease in production. This can be betterachieved by making effective changes in thepresent way of assessing and the selection ofa beneficiary. In the new method the solecriterion will be the production potential ofthe person associated. His/her eligibility isthe assets he/she has put to increaseproductions. Fix a rate of incentive/unit ofproductions for any commodity and releasethe assistance on assessing the quantumproduced. This will increase the income ofthe farmer and will result in concomitantincreased production. There should be a foolproof procedure or mechanism and shouldbe neutral and unchallengeable / undisputable.The assistance should be paid in cash to thebank account of individual through e-paymentas described in the Section14 of theAgricultural Development Policy and shouldbe released prudently without any hardshipsto the beneficiary.

27.6 Policy 194: Since the farm sector aimsat food security of the state, there must bean immediate end to the "division" ofpeople on the lines of below poverty line(BPL) and above poverty line (APL) forreceiving the financial assistances in theAnimal Husbandry sector.

27.6.1 Production of any commodity whetherproduced by APL/BPL category is going tobe pooled with the main pool to assess theproduction increase. Hence the mere reasonthat APL individual has more resources, the

production need not be viewed as differentfrom that of BPL individual and equalopportunities need be allowed to allparticipating in the process. One restrictionthat can be put in place is that no BPLapplicant should be left out before selectingan individual from the APL category. This isto ensure that all BPL are included in the foldand adequately assisted. No change in ratefor two different categories of farmers.

27.7 Policy 195: Input allocation plans ofthe Animal Husbandry sector must be inline with the holding capacity of the localityso as to develop a sustainable strategy for‘zonation of inputs’.

27.7.1 The geographical area of the state isnow divided or classified into different Agroclimatic Zones and develop projects/schemessuitable to that area. The concept ofeverything to all should be done away with.The inputs for one area or an enterprise forone area may not suit well for the rest of thearea and unsuitable areas should be avoidedfor such enterprise. Such left out areas shouldbe supplemented with projects that can thrivewell in that zone. This will avoid wastage ofresources and effort and will help to augmentproductions and improve efficiency andprofitability.

27.8 Policy 196: The present method ofcalculation of loss in the event of a naturalcalamity like flood, landslip, lightning,drought, disease outbreak, manmadedisaster should be modified in such a waythat the farmer gets the real value / marketvalue as compensation rather than a tokenamount.

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27.8.1 The aim of providing compensationis to develop an alternative/ replacement forthe asset he has lost and that will supporthim to earn his livelihood. The disbursalshould also be speedy and the bureaucraticprocessing should be hastened.

27.9 Policy 197: Financial assistance forfeeding is necessary to bring down thecost of production and improving theprofit of the farmers.

27.9.1 Dairying in Kerala is 75 % underintensive system and 25 % under semiintensive system. Intensive system requiresthe entire feeding expenses like concentrateand roughage to be fed to the animal bythe owner. This in turn constitutes to 80%of the cost of production. Spiralling cost ofconcentrates is a matter of major concernfor the farmer. The cost of the same washiked by 35 % recently and withoutproportional increase is the procurementcost of milk. This has reduced the alreadynarrow gap between cost of production andprocurement resulting in low profitability.The matter should be urgently addressed byevolving a mechanism to subsidize the costof concentrate by making available theconcentrate feed through rationingapparatus. The quantity due for a farmercan be decided based on the number ofheads of cattle he rears or the volume ofproduction he contributes. There can be capon the total subsidy a farmer can be entitledin this regard for year. The amount ofsubsidy thus applicable for a farmer can betransferred to his/ her Bank Account throughe-payment as per the Section 14 of theAgriculture Development Policy.

27.10 Policy 198: An advisory and technicalCommittee at Local Self Government levelshould be constituted for increasing theprofitability of different enterprisesconnected with animal husbandry andassuring better returns to farmers.

27.10.1 Animal production system, efficiency,market and cost of production varies fromarea to area. Hence as a uniform pattern ofplanning cannot be taken up, the local bodybeing the smallest administrative set up hasbeen chosen as a unit for evolving a mode ofevaluation and assessment of quantum ofproduction and market.

27.10.2 The present system of carpet subsidycan be replaced with production linked incentive.The contribution of each farmer is quantified andbased on that the subsidy or incentive will bedecided. In order to fix the quantum ofproduction it is necessary that a Panchayat / Localbody level committee be formed. The President/Chairman/ Mayor/ Head of the local body willbe the Chairman. Two standing committeechairpersons can be its member. The veterinary/ Senior Veterinary Surgeon will be the convenerand 5 farmer representatives will also be themembers. The farmer representatives should bereal farmers having any one of the milk, meat oregg producer type venture. 6 of this 3 can befrom dairy, 1 each from goat/ pig/ rabbit producerand on egg producing farmer.

27.10.3 There should be minimum 3 womenapart from the convener even if women. Thiscommittee will collect the details of farmer.Collate the production and quantify than anddecide the incentive due to the farmer. Themethod of quantification can be based on

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technical data and received as and whennecessary. This committee can also take upmarketing of the produce and can fix price ofthe commodities to be marketed through them.

27.10.4 The production data arrived at by thecommittee should form the basis quantificationand disbursal of incentives to the farmer. Anykind of malpractice brought to be notice of thecommittee by any farmer should be correctedforthwith and ensure smooth functioning of thesystem.

27.11 Policy 199: Pricing of milk is to bedone in a more scientific manner that thefarmers should receive remuneration wellabove the cost of production.

27.11.1 Milk production in the state is beingmanaged by small holder units. The animals arebeing maintained under intensive system whichneeds 100 % hand feeding. The feeding consistsof two parts as concentrate and roughage. Thecompound feed or concentrate price variesfrequently based on the price of ingredients. Alsoroughage cost varies with time and transportationcost. Hence it is mandatory that cost ofproduction of milk be calculated at least once ina year based on an approved methodology andpublished after required consultation with stakeholders. The procurement price should be fixedbased on this cost of production. Theprocurement price needs to be fixedconsidering the cost of production and themarket potential. However, maximum effortsshould be taken to ensure a procurement pricecovering the cost of production.

27.11.2 Procurement process should be mademore transparent and automation will becompleted within 5 years in a phased manner.

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28. POLICIES RELATED WITH DAIRYING

28.1 India is the world's largest milk producerwith a total production of 128 million tonnes ofmilk. Kerala has marked tremendous growth inmilk production with an average annual growthrate of 5% against all India growth rate 4.4%. Inthe previous year Kerala produced 27.13 lakhsMT milk.

28.2 It is estimated that about 7 lakhs dairyfarmers working under this sector. But only 15to 16% of milk is collected from 3 lakhs farmersthrough dairy co-operative Societies in Kerala,and the rest is handled by this unorganised dairyfarmers. The per capita availability of milk inthe state is 210 gm against the per capitaavailability of 281 gm in India. Since milk is abalanced diet, its production has to be enhanced.At the same time the quality of the product shouldbe maintained with the standard prescribed bythe authority.

28.3 Compared to other states of Indialand availability is much less in Kerala. Sothe total production of roughage in Keralameet only 60% of the total requirement. Theland availability, depletion of organic manureresources and degradation of surface soil dueto erosion, non availability of crop residue .added the situation worse. So special focushas been given for adequate roughage forcattle in Kerala to overcome this situation.Even though cattle population in Kerala showsa decreasing trend due to the highproductivity of milch animal state can achieveself sufficiency in milk production.

28.4 The State produces 78 lakhs liters ofmilk and has a shortage of 7 lakhs liters /day.

Our immediate goal is to achieve self sufficiencyin milk production and thereafter production shallbe export oriented.

28.5 Dairy co-operative societies and thelocal self government can play vital role inmaintaining animal population. Farmers arepromoted to cultivate new verities of foddercrops ie perennial fodder and fodder tree cropand more of the farmers are taken up foddercultivation. But availability and sustainabilityof this crop of fodder is dependant on droughtand flood. Entrepreneurs to take up foddercultivation have been come forwarded tocultivate fodder on massive scale. Priorityshould be given to cultivate plants and foddertrees which is suited to human and animal tomeet food security. We need a rigid policy toachieve self sufficiency in milk production andanimal feed security for cattle population.since Dairy sector gives more selfemployment opportunity the following pointsshould be taken in account to protect thissector.

28.6 Policy 200: Provision for loans to dairyfarmers for purchase of animalsconsidering it as a farming activity.

28.6.1 Dairy farming is an agricultural basedactivity where very poor farmers are involved.At present the Bankers, (nationalized) private& co-operatives give loans to Dairy farmersfor purchase of cow for interest rate between13%-17% per annum. Dairying is an activitywhich provides only meagre profit. It is alsohighly risky, since live stocks are involved theloan is associated an amount of insurance

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premium also. The Government and theBankers usually give priority for agricultureand sanction agricultural loan and croploans at lower interest rates between 3%to 8%. Dairying should also be included asa priority sector in this regard.

28.6.2 Dairy farmers should also be giveninterest subsidy by Government so thatmore farmers make a livelihood out ofdairy farming, bringing more farmers intothis enterprise.

28.7 Pol icy 201: Electr ic i ty onreduced rate than the industrial tariffshould be provided to mi lk co-operative societies for chilling of milk.

28.7.1 India even though is the largest milkproducer in the world , Our milk products arenot acceptable in the foreign markets becauseof the quality constraints. Milk is an agriculturalproduce which is highly perishable. It is necessarythat milk shall be preserved as soon as it isproduced. Hence it is essential that chilling facilityshall be provided at the milk society level, whichprocures a minimum of 500-1000 litres of milkper day. It is also essential to provide chillingfacility at milk society level on the health point ofview of the citizens, particularly children. Theprofit margin for the milk co-operatives is meagreand hence it is necessary to provided low costelectricity to the milk co-operatives for preservingthe milk produced by farmers. Hence electricityshall be supplied to milk co-operatives at lowerrates for the chilling units only under the tariff -electricity for agricultural purposes.

28.8 Policy 202: Providing Insurancecoverage to all dairy farmers and theirmilch animals28.8.1 Dairy farmers keeping crossbred cowswhich are susceptible to various diseases dueto low resistance power. Health care causeshigh financial loss to the Dairy Farmer. Inaddition to his poverty he has to bearadditional burden for this. In order to safeguard from this threat he must be providedby social security schemes. So it is requiredthat the diary farmers pouring milk to dairyco-operative societies shall be insured alongwith their animals.

28.9 Policy 203: Utilisation of unutilisedland under Local Self Government forfodder cultivation

28.9.1 The economic viability of a dairyfarming largely depends on the availability offodder grass. The Cost or production of milkin Kerala ranges from 50 to 60%. Keralaproduces only 60% of the roughage requiredfor cattle feeding. The land availability is themajor problem in the cultivation of foddergrass. For a healthy sustainable agriculture itis advisable that at least 5% of the totalcultivatable land is spared for foddercultivation where as in Kerala it is less than2%. So to reduce the feed cost of the animal,the available cultivable and unutilized landwith the State and Local self governmentshould be utilized for fodder cultivation asintercrop by individual farmers /self helpgroup. The procurement and marketing ofthese produce can be done by milk societiesor through Kudumbasree units.

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28.10 Policy 204: Providing productionincentives to dairy farmers on every litresof milk produced

28.10.1 Because of the high cost ofproduction of milk and milk products stateGovernment provides incentives to dairyfarmers for every litre of milk produced. Buttill now no incentives are given to dairyfarmers in Kerala . Compared to other statesthe cost of production of milk in Kerala ismuch costlier, like other state our state alsoshould provide adequate incentive to dairyfarmers for every litre of milk they produced.At least 10 % of the cost of production ofmilk as incentive shall be allowed to dairyfarmers who pour milk at the primary co-operative societies. This will be much morehelpful than increasing the milk price whichin turn helps the consumers also.

28.11 Policy 205: An appeal committee withexperts from Dairy Development AnimalHusbandry and pollution control boardshall be constituted to dispose of disputesregarding License and Pollution Certificatefor Dairy Farming

28.11.1The rearing of more than five cattleis stated as 'HAZARDOUS JOB' in buildingact. Farmers require license from the localself Government and as per pollutionControl Act certificate from the pollutioncontrol Board is also required. Because ofthis reasons farmers are facing difficultiesto continue the job. An appeal committeewith experts from Dairy DevelopmentAnimal Husbandry and pollution controlboard shall be constituted to dispose of suchdisputes. Biogas plants can do a betteroption for the waste disposal. Various

schemes for helping farmers to protect themfrom these acts are essential. And to reducethe dispute which may occur due to theprovisions of these acts it is recommendedthat each local body shall constitute anappeal committee for the disposal of suchdisputes.

28.12 Policy 206: Enhancement of cattlefeed subsidy rate to 25% of cattle feedcost

28.12.1Since cost of concentrate feed isincreasing day by day due to high cost ofingredients department have taken up togive cattle feed assistance to those farmerswho are pouring milk to dairy society at therate of Rs. 0.80 for1 litre of milk pouredand one kilogram of cattle feed purchased .Tthis ceiling should be removed and subsidyshall be raised to at least 25% of the cost ofcattle feed.

28.13 Policy 207: Provision for financialassistance to dairy co-operatives forrunning milk chilling plant/Bulk MilkCoolers.

28.13.1 Milk is a highly perishable farmproduce and it is the need of the dairies tomake the milk produced to reach theconsumers safely. It is necessary that milk shallbe preserved as soon as it is produced to avoidspoilage and loss to producers and producerco-operatives. Bulk milk coolers shall beinstalled at milk co-operatives handling morethan 500 litres of milk per day. A financialassistance is to be given to those milk co-operatives handling more than 500 liters ofmilk per day.

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28.14 Policy 208: Strengthening of DairyAdvisory Services and Restructuring ofDairy Department

28.14.1 Dairy Sector is undergoing rapidchange and our state may reach self-sufficiency in milk production soon. Also themilk shall reach our consumers withnutritional standards and safety in health pointof view. For this awareness among the farmersfor safe milk shall be created and also threeaxis pricing policy has to be introduced toreach the international standard in milkproduction. To improve milk production inthe state and improve the quality of milk tointernational level it is necessary to strengthenthe dairy advisory service. More field leveofficers may be appointed and thus the dairydepartment shall be reconstructed and moreextension services shall be established inPanchayats, to increase employmentoppourtunity and milk production.

28.14.2 In the dairy sector the farming activityis mostly women oriented. But hardly anywomen come out for training or organizinggood scientific knowledge about dairyfarming. Hence a women dairy promoter ifprovided at each village /Panchayat level, itwould be useful and may disseminate scientificknowledge through extension service. Everypotential dairy Panchayat shall be providedwith a woman dairy promoter.

28.15 Policy 209: Farmers having up tofive animals and farmers who market themilk through dairy co-operatives which isregistered under co-operative law shall beexempted from the registration under FoodSafety and Standards Acts

28.15.1 It is essential to protect the citizens asconsumers of milk. At the same time the interestof the diary farmers and the primary milk co-operatives shall be protected. Under this centralact every milk co-operative shall register or totake license. It is recommended that farmershaving up to five animals and farmers who marketthe milk through dairy co-operatives which isregistered under co-operative law shall beexempted from this registration.

28.15.2 The milk co-operative shall be givenfinancial assistance for renewing the societypremises conforming to food safetyrequirements. The milk co-operatives shall begiven financial assistance to make the society andthe premises to conform to the food safetyrequirements.

28.16 Policy 210: Every Primary schoolchildren upt o 5th standard shall be providedwith a glass of (200 ml) of milk daily onschooldays.

28.16.1 Maximum physical and mental growth ofchildren occurs at the age of up to 12 years. Poorchildren studying at the Government schools andaided schools may not have balanced diet at theirhome. But they are the future of our country andtherefore, their health is the concern of theGovernment. Hence financial provision shall bemade to supply 200 ml of pasteurized /boiled milkto each child in Government and aided schools upto 5th standard through local dairy cooperatives.The quality shall be ensured by the dairy departmentofficials of the respective area.

28.17 Policy 211: Where ever possible newcooperative can be registered thereby morefarmers can be promoted to take updairying.

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28.17.1 For collecting surplus milk producedin the rural areas is procured by the functioningprimary cooperative society and sent todairies for processing and marketing of milkand milk product. By strengthening all the co-operative society and good quality milk canbe collected by proper guidance. Where everpossible new cooperative can be registeredthereby more farmers can be promoted totake up dairying.

28.18 Policy 212: Crossbred calves bornout of AI Program shall be purchased andbrought up by selected farmers or a milkco-operative societies in the area under theheifer parks in every Block.

28.18.1 Ensuring enough milch animal requiredfor milk production is one of the main criteriasince calves are butchered for meet purpose. Cost of rearing a high yielding calf into a fullgrown cow is a very high and farmers usuallycull out the calves born out of ArtificialInsemination (AI) programme in of the state oftenmeet vendors. Hence it is advisable thatcrossbred calves born out of AI Program shallbe purchased and brought up by selectedfarmers or a milk co-operative societies in thearea under the heifer park. So that high yieldingcrossbred cows are available for maintaining milkproduction in the state. Cattle feed and greenfodder shall be made available to the owner ofthe park at subsidized cost. And other amenitieswill also be provided. Such parks shall be startedat least in every potential Grama Panchayat orBlock Panchayat.

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29. POLICIES FOR POULTRY DEVELOPMENT

29.1 Kerala consumes about 2.4 lakhtonnes of poultry meat every year. This alonemakes for a market of Rs 3,360 crore in size.Internal production is just 90,000 tonnes,which necessitates the dependence on outsidesources.

29.2 The market for eggs is estimated tobe about Rs 1,800 crore. Poultry meat andeggs make for a massive annual demand ofRs 5,400 crore. Lion share of this is goingoutside the state.

29.3 The requirement of egg and itsproduction are become wider and only about28% of the egg required in the state is beingproduced domestically through backyard /free range system. This system of poultryproduction is not at all suitable as the fasturbanization and shrinkage of percapita landavailability in the state are concerned. Hencealternative systems of egg production haveto be adopted. Empowering the small farmerswith micro cage layer system whereby smallnumber of birds can be reared by them inprefabricated metal cages, through intensiverearing and the egg collected, branded andmarketed.

29.4 All these operations can also becarried out through units of women jointliability groups with adequate marketingfacilities. The costly inputs such as feed hasto be sourced locally for bringing down thecost of production as well as for adoptinggood rearing practices. For this purpose theAmul model procurement and distributionoutlets as described in the Section... of theAgricultural policy can be replicated.

29.5 Policy 213: Kerala needs an action plancombining homestead and commercialproduction to achieve self-sufficiency ineggs.

29.5.1 Kerala was self sufficient in eggproduction in the 1970s. We were exportingeggs to other regions including New Delhi.Kottarakara and Chengannur railway stationswere famous as egg exporting stations. At thattime, Kerala was a role model for the country inlow-cost egg production through backyardrearing.

29.5.2 The annual internal production of eggsin the State was 150.02 crore against a demandof 450 crore. The balance eggs are sourced fromneighbouring States, especially Tamil Nadu.

29.5.3 There is a need to take up specific ruralbackyard poultry production programs to meetthe requirements of the rural consumers whileconstituting a source of subsistence income as asubsidiary occupation by taking up coloured birdunits ranging from 40-50 birds per family in theirbackyards in micro cage layer system. Such unitsrequire very little hand feeding and can give afairly handsome return. Within a span of threeyears the existing backyard poultry system willbe replaced with high input technology birds inmicro-cage layer system.

29.6 Policy 214: Considering the fact thatdemand for chicken meat registers 40 to45% growth across the state annually,broiler farming can be a main source offamily income or can provide subsidiaryincome and gainful employment to farmersthroughout the year.

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29.6.1 Poultry meat is an important source ofhigh quality proteins, minerals and vitamins tobalance the human diet. Specially developedvarieties of chicken (eg. hybrid broilers) arenow available with the traits of quick growthand high feed conversion efficiency.Depending on the farm size, broiler farmingcan be a main source of family income or canprovide subsidiary income and gainfulemployment to farmers throughout the year.

29.6.2 The state Government has toformulate different schemes under theDepartment of Animal Husbandry and KEPCofor supporting the farmers in the areas ofconstruction of broiler sheds and purchase ofequipments, cost of one day old chicks, feed,medicine and labour cost for the first cycle.Cost towards land development, fencing,water and electricity, godowns, transportvehicles, broiler dressing, processing and coldstorage facilities can also be considered forproviding financial assistance. Cost of land isto be excluded from the financial assistanceprogrammes. However, if any Governmentland is available and found suitable forfarming, that should be leased only to the JLGsformed by the approved SHGs of theDepartment.

29.6.3 Internal production of broiler poultryis to be addressed in a priority basis by thestate Government to assure quality meat tothe people of Kerala and also to assist thefarmers in the state to raise their income.

29.7 Policy 215: Promote and propagatefarming of diversified poultry speciesthrough technological development fortheir sustainable and profitableproduction.

29.7.1 The prevailing socio-agro-economicscenario of the State calls for some kind ofcafeteria approach for poultry production;scientists should develop and offer a broadspectrum of poultry alternatives to meet thedifferent local requirements. The availabilityof such diversification possibilities wouldmaximize the returns from a given level ofinputs and also minimize the risks and hazardsto the environment. In this context,importance of alternate poultry species isbeing rediscovered. Production of alternatepoultry may never rise enough to competewith commercial chicken, but these birdscould become a significant source of food forthe masses and also a source for substantialsupplement income.

29.7.2 The traditionally raised guinea fowland turkey ensure reasonable returns atinsignificant cash inputs, while quailproduction is a distinct diversification offer.Intimate understanding of the basics ofdomestication; disease control, nutrition andgenetics has helped farm production of theseavian species.

29.7.3 Such types of interventions requirepromotion from the part of the Governmentin empowering the small farmer.

29.8 Policy 216: Entry tax should be leviedon imports and domestic production beexempted for broiler chicken .

29.8.1 In order to boost up production ofinternal broiler poultry, there must beregulatory mechanism for the birds which arecoming from outside the state and thedomestic production shall be exempted fromtaxes.

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29.9 Policy 217: Turnover tax per broilerchicken farmer of the state may be fixedat Rs. 10 lakhs per annum.

29.9.1 Due to the high cost of inputs, the marginrealised by the broiler farmers are at a decreasingtrend. Hence the turn over tax per farmer shallbe raised to Rs.10.00 lakhs per annum. Onlyturn over of above Rs. 10.00 lakhs has to beput under tax regime.

29.10 Policy 218: Considering broilerfarming as an agricultural activity, theelectricity rate shall be fixed at agriculturaltariff.

29.10.1 In order to reduce the cost ofproduction, the most needy input of power is tobe provided at a cheaper rate. Now the KSEBhas lifted the concession, raising the tariff nearlyfour times which is not affordable by the poultryfarmers. Fears are there as expressed by themthat the neighbouring states would bring birdsproduced at a cheaper rate than Kerala whichwould ruin the existing farmers’ livelihood.

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30. POLICIES RELATED TO SEEDS AND PLANTINGMATERIALS

30.1 Seed is the most importantdeterminant of agricultural productionpotential, on which the efficacy of otheragriculture inputs is dependent. Seeds ofappropriate characteristics are required tomeet the demand of diverse agro-climaticconditions and intensive cropping systems.Sustained increase in agriculture productionand productivity is dependent, to a largeextent, on development of new andimproved varieties of crops and an efficientsystem for timely supply of quality seeds tofarmers.

30.2 It has become evident that in orderto achieve the food production targets ofthe future, a major effort will be requiredto enhance the seed replacement rates ofvarious crops. This would require a majorincrease in the production of quality seeds.

30.3 This seed policy deals with issuessurrounding the quality of seed andvegetative planting material, whether be itagricultural, ornamental or for forestry. Itfocuses on the development andimplementation of seed programmes inorder to avail adequate high quality seedand planting material to the farmingcommunity. The policy underscores theprinciple that both the private and publicsector offer invaluable potential toaccelerate development within theagricultural and forestry sectors. It is gearedtowards achieving increased agriculturalproductivity, food security and assuredproduction through good governance,transparency and accountability. All theseissues are spelt out in the context of the

national development objectives. The primaryobjective is to enhance availability of goodquality seed and thereby ensure householdfood security.

30.4 To meet the State’s food securityneeds, it is important to make available to thefarmers a wide range of seeds of superiorquality, in adequate quantity on a timely basis.Public Sector Seed Institutions like KSSDA,VFPCK, University seed production farmsand Departmental Farms will be encouragedto enhance production of seed towardsmeeting the objective of food and nutritionalsecurity.

30.5 Policy 219: The Government has toensure that Quality Declared PlantingMaterials (QDPMs) are produced and soldto farmers and treated as a right offarmers.

30.5.1 Ensuring that farmers have timelyaccess to seed and planting material of goodquality is one of the most important elementsof successful agricultural production anddevelopment. Despite this reality, seed andplanting material available to small-scalefarmers in the state is often of insufficientquality, which undermines potential yield andperformance of crop production.

30.5.2 The Seeds Act was enacted in 1966to ensure that farmers get good quality seeds.Quality is ensured through varietydevelopment. Seed legislation providesnotification of varieties/kinds of crops,certification, labelling of seeds, seed testing;and the Seeds (Control) Order, provides

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licensing of dealers, display of stock etc. It mustbe ensured by the Government that the seedsand planting materials supplied in the stateconforms to the provisions in the Seeds Act toensure quality.

30.5.3 The Ministry of Civil Supplies throughan order dated 24 February 1983 had declaredthe seed for sowing or planting of food crops,fruits, vegetables, cattle fodder and jute to beessential commodities in exercise of powerconferred by Section 2(a)(viii) of EssentialCommodities Act, 1955. It was followed bythe issue of Seeds (Control) Order dated 30December 1983 by the Ministry ofAgriculture, Department of Agriculture andCo-operation in exercise of powerscontained in Section 3 of EssentialCommodities Act which deals with CentralGovernment’s power to control and regulateproduction, supply and distribution ofessential commodities.

30.5.4 Utilising the provisions of these lawsor by making necessary legal provisions in theState Government laws, the Government hasto assure QDPMs to farmers.

30.5.5 In order to enhance the availabilityof quality seed and planting material, thesystem has to ensure that the non-performers in the chain of activities beeliminated, or help their better performancethrough inputs such as awareness and training.

30.6 Policy 220: The planting materialsincluding seeds produced and distributedby the Department of Agriculture, PSUsand other Government agencies shall bearbar-coded tags for assuring the quality andtraceability.

30.6.1 Bar coded tags are used for dataretrieval for ensuring the parentage andaccountability. The data regarding theprocurement of parent material, productiondetails including the farm, the officialsresponsible etc can be traced back at anypoint of its life if the tag is available withthe farmer.

30.6.2 Necessary steps are to be taken tolaunch a new software for meeting thisobjective in the Departmental Farms forissuing bar coded labels for assuring thequality and for accountability.

30.7 Policy 221: High-tech nurseries forthe production of quality planting materialare needed in large numbers andstandards for different planting materialsneeds to be put in place.

30.7.1 High tech nursery is a combinationof poly green house and agrinet house.Vegetative reproduction is used in suchnurseries to ensure genetic similarities withthe source. High tech nurseries over comethe limitations like poor control overclimatic factors, low germinationpercentage, longer duration, and high costinvolved in conventional methods of plantraising.

30.8 Policy 222: It is important toproduce quality planting material ofpepper, banana and ornamental cropsthrough clonal multiplication and in vitromicro-propagation. Sensitive diagnosticassays such as ELISA and PCR forindexing and certification of clonallypropagated and tissueculture plants haveto be used.

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30.8.1 Clonal propagation has long been usedby man, mainly for multiplying most tuber-bearingplants. Moreover, fruit trees, ornamental plantsand many flowers are propagated from cuttingsor scions. Although clonal propagation istraditionally used for plant multiplication, newtechniques are now available (including tissueculture) that take recent findings on fundamentalmechanisms involved in plant embryogenesis andorganogenesis into account.

30.8.2 Clonal propagation has been greatlyimproved through in vitro culture, which allowsmassive multiplication of plants and eradicationof viruses by meristem culture. Moreover,somatic embryogenesis can be induced for rapidmultiplication of many species.

30.8.3 It is now possible to manage differentplant multiplication strategies through sexual orvegetative reproduction. Clonal propagation canthus be obtained by the production of artificialor natural seeds through somatic embryogenesisand apomixis, respectively. These tools offer newopportunities for improving crop plants andaccelerating the release and dissemination ofimproved genotypes.

30.8.4 The banana viruses primarily spreadthrough the use of infected suckers but thesecondary spread also occurs through aphidvectors. Field spread is much faster if virus freesuckers are not used as initial planting material.An annual loss of about Rs. 40 million has beenreported due to banana viral attacks in the Keralastate alone. So the clonally propagated materialsare to be certified by ELISA and PCR methodsas virus free.

30.9 Policy 223: The production ofquality seed of major vegetable crops andseed spices should be given priority incollaboration with ICAR Institution,SAU’s and PSUs of vegetable seed industry.

30.9.1 The vegetable seed productionprogramme envisages to produce geneticallypure quality seeds and to store them in aviable condition for a reasonable period oftime, until it reaches the farmers. The seedsshould have genetic purity, uniformity insize and shape, high germination and vigour.The seeds should be free from mechanicaldamages, insect and fungal infestation andother crop and weed seeds.

30.9.2 Promising varieties of seed spicesand aromatic plants acceptable to the regionalone are to be considered for large scalemultiplication.

30.9.3 Many at times, the farmers obtainseeds from the private industry by payingexorbitant prices. This is mainly due to thefailure of the Public Sector institutions inproviding the same material at a low cost. Thishas to be addressed at the earliest.

30.10 Policy 224: The certification ofquality seed based on quality parametershould also be needed to advocate toprogressive vegetable growers and farmersengaged in production of vegetable cropsand seed spices. There is need to promotesuch farmers/vegetable growers for qualityseed production.

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30.10.1 The additional income earned throughseed production helping the farmers to startother enterprises like bee keeping,vermicomposting and dairy farming andopening avenues for further development offarming community.

30.11 Policy 225: Crop to crop seed qualitycontrol systems should be designed andestablished and Seed coating and pelletingare essentially required to protect the seedsfrom various diseases and pests as well asto enhance germination.

30.11.1 Many disease problems in a seedoperation can be traced indirectly andsometimes directly to purchased seed. This isespecially true with bacterial ring rot, althoughleaf roll and mosaic viruses are also frequentlyproblems in purchased seed.

30.11.2 One of the factors that cause reductionin germination percentage and seedlingestablishment, is seed disease. It's possible tocontrol these diseases by treating the seedbefore planting it. Coating the seed withpesticides, is one of the ways to gain this goal.Seed coating is a technique in which severalmaterial as fertilizers, nutritional elements,moisture attractive or repulsive agents, plantgrowth regulators, rhizobium inocolum,chemical & pesticide etc, add to seed byadhesive agents and cause to increase seedperformance and germination. Seed coating,leads to increase benefits in seed industry,because seeds can use all of their genetic vigor

30.11.3Seeds have to be pretreated with acoating of bio-pesticide preferably. Thiscoating will help prevent the seed from rottingin the soil before germination and help protect

the emerging seedling from a harmful"damping off" pathogen that girdles and killsyoung plants shortly after they emerge.

30.12 Policy 226: Varieties/hybrids shouldbe developed for protected cultivation andprotected production of seeds and plantingmaterials should be standardized.

30.12.1 Important aspect of protectedcultivation is crop production technology whichinvolves development of high-yielding varietiesand hybrids of crops suitable for protectedcultivation. This aspect has not yet been givendue attention in the state. The research system isto attend to it urgently and seriously in order toprovide crop hybrids/varieties bred indigenouslyfor protected cultivation. This will not only saveforeign exchange being spent on import of largequantity of seeds of hybrids and varieties forprotected cultivation but open up avenues forforeign exchange earnings by exporting seedsmeant for it. Besides, development ofvarieties, the production protocol forprotected cultivation is different than thatpractised for open field production.

30.13 Policy 227: Nurseries growing andproducing notified varieties should beexempted from taxes.

30.13.1 In order to provide seeds to farmers ata lower price, the nurseries dealing with notifiedvarieties are to be exempted from Value AddedTax (VAT).

30.14 Policy 228: Large scale integrationof conventional and innovative techniquesof micro-propagation, aeroponics, etc is theneed of hour to step up production ofdisease free planting material.

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30.14.1 Tissue culture is one of the importantnew methods of plant propagation available togrowers. The use of tissue culture technique inseed production has resulted into massproduction of plants in a very short period oftime.

30.14.2 Aeroponics is the process of growingplants in an air or mist environment withoutthe use of soil or an aggregate media.Aeroponics method of propagation is one ofthe most rapid methods of seed multiplication.Using aeroponics for cloning improves rootgrowth, survival rate, growth rate andmaturation time.

30.15 Policy 229: For better diseasediagnostics in vegetatively propagatedcrops, cheaper alternative technologies inplace of expensive chemicals should bedeveloped. Production of cheaperdiagnostic kits for use at farmers’ level isthe requirement of the day

30.15.1 Lab tests are available for most plantpathogens. Tissue isolations are commonlyused to detect fungal and bacterial plantpathogens. The planting materials received atfarmers fields are to be tested for quality interms of disease freeness. So low cost, userfriendly technologies for testing the same areto be popularised.

30.16 Policy 230: Tissue culture should notbecome a tool for spreading of diseases, anddue care and regulations need to be in place.Cost effectiveness of tissue culture plantsneeds focus of attention.

30.16.1 Plant Tissue Culture Technology offersgreat promise for the production of qualityplanting material on account of disease free andtrue to type plants produced throughmicropropagation techniques. The need for acertification programme for the tissue cultureplants is imperative since inadvertentmicropropagation of virus infected plantswill not only result in its poor performance,but also in undesirable spread of viruseswherever such plants are grown. Also,failure to use prescribed standard protocolswill result in variations in the plantsproduced. The most deleterious variants in tissueculture raised plants are those that effect yield,genetic fidelity and carry infection of viruses,and other fastidious pathogens, which aredifficult to diagnose. This is an area of greatconcern, and requires a well-structured systembe put in place to provide support to the tissueculture industry for the commercialization oftested virus free and high quality plantingmaterial.

30.17 Policy 231: There is need to developreproducible and efficient protocols forrecalcitrant plant species such as mango,cashew, and coconut.

30.17.1 Mango seems to be difficult plant materialwith respect to tissue culture response. The mainproblem in tissue culture of mango is thedevelopment of axenic cultures , phenol leaching ,browning of tissue explant , poor conversion rateof somatic embryoids and poor shoot and rootdevelopment. Various groups have demonstratedin vitro regeneration of mango through nucellarembryogenesis. However, field establishment ofmicropropagated plants of mango has not beensuccessful.

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30.18 Policy 232: Production of seedlings ofspecific varieties of coconut needs to bestrengthened for establishing gardens forpromotion of product diversification.

30.18.1 More than 80 hybrid combinations havebeen evaluated over the years in India and sofar eleven coconut hybrids were released forcommercial cultivation and establishing seedgardens.

30.19 Policy 233: Establishment of mothergardens and scion block with high densityplanting is highlighted in cashew, blackpepper and tree spices and has to bepracticed for increasing the production ofplanting material.

30.19.1 For the establishment of varietal bank,poly clonal seed gardens are to established inthe case of cashew in the state. It is a foundationfor production and making available of true totype improved cashew planting material both atresearch and farmers. Naturally cashewpropagates by seeds that result in geneticallyheterozygous progenies. Vegetative propagationcreates crop genetic uniformity hencepredictability of individual tree and orchardperformance.

30.19.2 Kerala is known for the different peppervarieties. But the labelled planting materialproduction does not concentrate on any varietalpreference. In order to produce ‘DNA bar codeassisted rooted pepper cuttings’ to prove thevarietal fidelity, establishment of varietal gardensis a must. This is to be undertaken in theDepartmental farms on an urgent basis.

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31. POLICIES RELATED TO FERTILIZERS ANDPLANT NUTRIENTS

31.1 Fertilisers replace the natural nutrientsthat are removed from fields with eachharvest. They help to bridge the gap betweenthose required for optimal crop growth andthose present in the soil.

31.2 Without adequate and timely fertilizerusage, farmers often cannot meet the foodneeds of their own families, much less to setof a rapidly growing population. To feedthemselves and the nation, farmers will needto shift from low-yielding, extensive landpractices to more intensive, high-yieldingpractices, with increased and sustained use offertilizers in most judicious manner.

31.3 Policy 234: For sustainedagricultural growth and to promotebalanced nutrient application, it isimperative that fertilizers are madeavailable to farmers at affordable prices.

31.3.1 Partial deregulation of retail prices ofP and K fertilizers (urea under control) wouldlead to imbalanced use of fertilizer nutrients.Deregulation of farm gate prices of fertilizersmight help in cutting the subsidy burden ofthe government but the resulting increase infertilizer prices would hurt the farmingcommunity in general and small and marginalfarmers in particular.

31.3.2 Of the two price policy instruments,affordable fertilizer prices and higheragricultural commodity prices, the former ismore powerful in influencing fertilizerconsumption . The high product price supportpolicy benefits the large farmers who have netmarketed surplus while low input prices

benefit all categories of farmers. It should alsobe recognized that fertilizer subsidy ultimatelybenefits consumers of farm products and notonly farmers. Therefore, in order to ensureself-sufficiency in foodgrains production in thecountry, availability of fertilizers at affordableprices to the producers is of utmostimportance.

31.3.3 Strategies and policies have to beevolved for assured and regulated supplies ofessential quantities of nutrients both frominternal and external sources as the future ofagriculture depends on them. Governmentshould formulate programmes for supplyingfertilisers at a reduced rate for the small andmarginal farmers of the state.

31.4 Policy 235: An appropriate policythat encourages balanced use of fertilizers(organic and inorganic) including micro-and secondary nutrients is a must.

31.4.1 Inefficient management of nutrientshas led to multi-nutrient deficiency in Indiansoils. In addition to macro-nutrient deficiency,there is growing deficiency of micro andsecondary nutrients in soils. Use of organicmatter including organic fertilizers is animportant instrument for improving cropproductivity but there is anecdotal evidencewhich suggests that use of organic manuresis declining in the country.

31.4.2 The latest study released by the stateplanning board shows that 88% of the soil isacidic in nature and it is deficient in manymicro-nutrients essential for a good yield. Theresult of micro-nutrition study of soil will be

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effectively used by farmers and there will becustomised distribution of fertilizers based onthe nature of soil. This will save crores ofrupees for the state exchequer and alsoincrease crop productivity.

31.5 Policy 236: The most critical issueconcerns the quality of the fertilizersprovided to the farmers, and therefore, thequality control system that ensures deliveryof good quality fertilizers must be effectiveand efficient.

31.5.1 It is clear that productivity is affectedby poor quality fertilizers to a large extent.Yet, in spite of the presence of an elaboratemechanism for quality control in India, theproblem of spurious fertilizers is rampant.The Central Fertilizer Quality ControlTesting Institute (CFQCTI), Faridabad,claims that around 70 percent of theproblems in quality control is due toadulteration or misbranding, another 20percent of the problems due to thedeliberate manufacturing of low qualityfertilizers and the remaining 10 percent dueto the difference of the content of the bagsand black marketing.

31.5.2 A major role is played by fertilizerinspectors appointed by the Central andstate governments who draw randomsamples of the fertilizers and send them tolaboratories for testing.

31.5.3 The system of quality testing in thestate is to be reinforced so that the fertiliserthat reaches farmers must be of good qualityas specified in the Fertiliser Control Order.There should be an adequate number of fulltime fertilizer inspectors as in the case of

the states like Haryana, J & K, Gujarat,Maharashtra and Orissa who play the leadrole in the entire testing process. This willensure effectiveness of the quality controlmechanism. Full Time Regular Inspectorsare to be appointed by redeployment fromthe existing agricultural officers of the state.

31.5.4 Based on the identification ofproblem fertilizers at micro level in theStates, the stress should be made on theproblem fertilizers for sampling andanalysis. Adequate training to FertiliserInspectors are required in both technical andlegal aspects of quality control for properpresentation of cases in courts of law forsuccessful convictions.

31.5.5 To instill the confidence of farmersin the fertilizers purchased by them and alsoto help the enforcement agencies insegregating the suspected stocks in the fieldfor quick follow up action, the Quick TestingKit developed by CFQC&TI, need to bepopularized at the gross root level.

31.6 Policy 237: The use of single-nutrientfertilizers provides flexibility, lower cost perunit of nutrient and the advantage ofapplying only those nutrients that areneeded and will generate an economicbenefit.

31.6.1 The new product pattern should benitrogen as Urea, Phosphate as DAP, SSP andNitrophosphate and Potash as MOP. The othergrades of NP/NPK complexes havingcommon nutrient ratio, need to be restrictedto the barest minimum with high nutrientvalue.

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31.7 Policy 238: In tune with the new subsidyregime of fertilizers, site specific nutrientmanagement needs to be promoted basedon soil testing results and Krishibhavanneeds to be made as the centre to promotethe concept and soil testing labs needs tobe equipped to take up the challenge.

31.7.1 The recent decisions by the centralgovernment on fertilizer policy have resultedin brought in major policy changes. Theseinclude for instance: (i) nutrient-basedpricing and subsidy, (ii) allowing additionalcost of fortification and coating onapproved subsidized fertilizers tomanufacturers (5-10 per cent above theMRP), (iii) paying freight subsidy for allsubsidized fertilizers on an actual basisinstead of uniform basis, and (iv) allowinghigher rate of concession to singlesuperphosphate (SSP) fertilizer to revivethe SSP industry. Considering that animbalanced use of fertilizers is seen as themain reason for a decline in the cropresponse ratio, soil test-based site-specificnutrient management is a way forward.

31.7.2 Therefore, initiatives on the settingup of adequate capacity for soil testing andfor the adoption of information technologybased systems to generate and communicatesuitable advisories based on soil test cropresponse data to farmers in the country.Unbalanced use of fertilizers may be one ofthe factors responsible for the lowproductivity of Indian agriculture.

31.8 Policy 239: The use of micro nutrientsshould be encouraged in food crop to addressthe issues of micro nutrient deficiencies insoil, cattle as well as human being.

31.8.1 The existing subsidy framework doesnot encourage the production and use ofmicronutrients, customized fertilizers, or moreefficient forms of existing fertilizers. Toincrease productivity, the need to subsidizeurea should be balanced with other concerns,such as the need to subsidize the use ofmicronutrients, better soil testing, and othertechnological improvements, and educatingfarmers about appropriate fertilizer products,dosage, and time and method of application.

31.9 Policy 240: As High Tech Farming andprecision farming are gaining momentumin the state, the specific fertilizers for theventures should find a place in theGovernment fertilizer subsidyprogrammes.

31.9.1 At present the state is enjoying thefertiliser subsidy, for the traditional fertilisers- straight, complex and mixtures- by theexisting procedures. It is necessary that, themost costly inputs such as the solublefertilisers should be made to the farmers atreduced price. So the Government should takeup this matter to avail fertiliser subsidy forsoluble fertilizers used in the High TechFarming.

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32. POLICIES RELATED TO PESTICIDES

32.1 In well managed farming systems,crop losses due to insects can often be keptto an acceptable minimum by deployingresistant varieties, conserving predators andmanaging crop nutrient levels to reduce insectreproduction. Recommended measuresagainst diseases include use of clean plantingmaterial, crop rotations to suppresspathogens, and eliminating infected hostplants. Effective weed management entailstimely manual weeding, minimized tillage andthe use of surface residues. When necessary,lower risk synthetic pesticides should be usedfor targeted control, in the right quantity andat the right time.

32.2 Crop Health Management can bepromoted through farmer field schools, localproduction of bio control agents, strictpesticide regulations, etc. With liberalizationof trade, the threat of increased risk ofintroduction of exotic pests and weeds in thecountry with the potential to cause seriouseconomic loss has to be countered effectivelyby the plant quarantine system.

32.3 Availability of safe and efficaciouspesticides and their judicious use by thefarming community is critical to a sustainedincrease in agricultural production andproductivity. Per hectare consumption ofpesticide in India is 381 g which is low ascompared to the world average of 500 g. Only25-30 percent of the total cultivated area inthe country is under pesticide cover. India'sconsumption of pesticides is only 2 percentof the total world consumption.

32.4 Policy 241: A regular watch oncomputerized Online PesticideRegistration System and take actionagainst companies and products which aremarketed in the state without properlicensing under central Insecticides Boardand strong regulatory frame work needsto be created and monitored within statefor the same.

32.4.1 A computerized online pesticideregistration system was introduced in July2008 in the Secretariat of Central InsecticidesBoard & Registration Committee (CIB&RC),Faridabad.The system enables pesticidecompanies to apply for registration ofpesticide products and receive any queryabout deficiencies online. The status of theapplication is also visible to the applicantonline. The system is designed to increaseefficiency and reduce transaction cost withgreater transparency.

32.4.2 Quality of pesticides is monitored by thecentral and state insecticide inspectors who drawsamples of insecticides from the market foranalysis in the 68 State Pesticide TestingLaboratories (SPTLs) that have a total annualcapacity of 68,110 samples in 23 States and oneUnion Territory. For the states which do not havefacilities for testing pesticides, the facilities oftesting samples are available at two RegionalPesticides Testing Laboratories (RPTLs), set upby the Central Government at Chandigarh andKanpur. In case of disputes, the samples arereferred to the Central Insecticides Laboratory(CIL), Faridabad.

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32.5 Policy 242: There is the need for anapproach in the State which would minimisethe use of hazardous pesticides.

32.5.1 The welfare of farmers should be givendue importance while charting out a policy thatminimise the use of hazardous pesticides.Necessary mechanism should be evolved tomeet the demands of the farmers that they mustbe assured of chemicals of biological origin witheffectiveness. The use of biological agents shouldbe promoted for this purpose. The state has tocontinue the restrictions imposed on thehazardous pesticides.

32.6 Policy 243: Health costs can bemitigated considerably by reducing the doseof pesticides used and the approach of theextension workers should be oriented in thatway.

32.6.1 The researchers explains that the toxicitylevel and dose of pesticides can exert a significanteffect on the health of pesticide applicators. Thiscan be effectively managed by reducing the doseof application. This can be achieved eitherthrough restricting the quantity of formulation orby increasing the dilution of the spray fluid byusing water at recommended volumes. Anextension strategy focusing on this aspect alonewould result in an improvement in the health ofpesticide applicators. Support could be providedby subsidizing the supply of protective gear, andby setting up general awareness-creationprograms.

32.7 Policy 244: Cheap, quick and non-destructive methods of detecting pesticideresidues in raw fruits and vegetables shouldbe made more popular.

32.7.1 The Kerala Agricultural University hasfound dangerous levels of pesticide residuein key vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower,vegetable cowpea, amaranthus red, small redonions, tomatoes, green chillies and curryleaves, among others. The residue includesthat of the banned Profenofos, which falls intothe yellow category (second level of pesticidesin the toxicity classification) and which hastranslaminar action.

32.7.2 Hence there is need for finding out cheapand quick residue testing mechanism. Theconsumers can use the facility of quick test andthis can act as a market force for betterproduction management among farmers. Atpresent the residue analysis can be done only byspecialised laboratories and trained personnel.KAU has to look in to this matter and technologyfor on the spot testing is to be developed byseeking international collaboration.

32.8 Policy 245: Kerala is having awell defined policy on ‘Organic Farming’and on this light, organic pesticides are tobe made freely available and the recenttechnology developed by CTCRI needs anintensified production.

32.8.1 Organic pesticides use naturalingredients to fight pests, many of which arebiodegradable and less toxic to theenvironment. Some organic pesticides, suchas diatomaceous earth, however, workmechanically to destroy pests, therebyeliminating the possibility of resistance whichthe synthetic pesticides can not do.

32.8.2 The research institutions connected withthe development of pesticides work together to

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make this research a success to provide farmerswith organic pesticides. A remarkableachievement in this matter was done by CTCRIin developing a tapioca based bio-pesticide whichwas successfully tested against pseudostemweevil of banana. A plant for the mass productionof this pesticide is to be established immediately.

32.9 Policy 246: Pesticide dealers should bemade aware of the properties of the productsthey sell and workers engaged in sprayingof pesticides should be trained and putthrough periodic and free medicalexaminations to determine their healthstatus.

32.9.1 The training provided on the subject ismostly targeted at the farmers, while the actualspray operation is conducted by the farmworkers, unsupervised. Along with this, theawareness of the direct human health impacts ofunscientific pesticide handling among the farmworkers is revealed to be very low, and doesnot match with their own experiences in thisregard. The data from micro level studies reflectsseveral cases of pesticide poisoning and resultanthealth damages.

32.9.2 The pesticide traders are to be madeaware of the toxic properties of the chemicalsthey sell. Before selling the product they shouldtell about the safety measures to the farmers andmake them aware about the toxicity of thechemical. Training programmes in safe pestcontrol mechanism may also be focussed on farmworkers, traders as well as general public.

32.10 Policy 247: The sale of pesticides andweedicides should made based on theprescription issued by a competent officerof the Department of Agriculture.

32.10.1 The State Government has oncenotified guidelines which render sale of pesticidesillegal in the State unless supported byprescriptions from agriculture officers. Theguidelines had been issued in the context ofindiscriminate use of pesticides in farms havingallegedly posed a health hazard in various partsof the State.

32.10.2 An officer of the Department ofAgriculture not below the rank of ‘AgriculturalOfficer should be required to write a prescriptionfor authorising sale of pesticides. The prescriptionshould indicate the particular crop on which thepesticide would be applied, the nature of thedisease targeted, the quantum of the pesticideneeded and its chemical name.

32.10.3 Necessary legal provision shallbe created for strict compliance from the part ofthe executives and traders. The aim here is toprotect the farmer from indiscriminate use ofpesticides and dreadful diseases like cancer.Ecologically safe agricultural managementsystem can only be achieved with combinedpolicy efforts which include adequate legalsupport, effective monitoring and voluntaryaction by the stakeholders.

32.11 Policy 248: A strong provision shouldbe created to Monitoring of PesticideResidues in food and Departmentrepresentatives should be a party of thefood safety team which is formed in theState to enact Food Safety Bill 2012.

32.11.1The State Government is to takenecessary action including intensifyingpromotion of an integrated pest managementapproach, which emphasizes a safe andjudicious use of pesticides. The AGMARK

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lab should be equipped to address the foodsafety standards and department representativeshould be part of the food safety team createdby the State Government to govern food safetyissues.

32.12 Policy 249: Crop HealthManagement Centres should be taken upwhich can also look into pest and diseasesurveillance.

32.12.1 Crop Health Management is the scienceand practice of understanding and overcomingthe succession of biotic and abiotic factors thatlimit plants from achieving their full geneticpotential as crops. Although practiced as longas agriculture itself, as a science-based concept,plant heath management is even younger thanintegrated pest management (IPM), and includesand builds upon but is not a replacement for IPM.

32.12.2 A holistic approach is neededfor the crop management and hence a Centrefor Crop Health Management is to be establishedin the State with the intention of utilising theexpertise of retired Scientists, Professors,Officers and extension functionaries for theeffective field level interventions.

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33. POLICIES FOR REVAMPING DEPARTMENTAL FARMS

33.1 The Government owned farms hasensured availability of improved plantingmaterials to farmers in the state. Through thesupply of HYV seeds and various qualityplanting materials like coconut seedlings andvegetable seeds, the departmental farms hasassisted in the raising of income of small andmedium scale farmers. It is estimated that theplanting materials produced from thedepartmental farms covers an area of morethan 5 lakh hectares per annum.

33.2 There are 61 farms including 10special farms, 10 District Agricultural Farms,33 State Seeds Farms and 8 coconut nurseriesunder the Department of Agriculture. TheState Seed Farms are being operated by therespective District Panchayats under thePanchayti Raj Act. The farms covers an areaof nearly 2100 ha.

33.3 It is imperative to form policies whichwould aid in the revamping of State ownedfarms for the production of Quality DeclaredPlanting Materials (QDPMs) as well asdemonstration of improved technologies in theagricultural sectors such as the protectedcultivation and precision farming.

33.4 Policy 250: The infrastructure facilitiesof the farms are to be improved for meetingthe objective of mass production of qualityplanting materials and seeds for the timelydistribution to farmers.

33.4.1 It was observed that, many Governmentowned farms lack proper roads to the work sites,buildings, godowns, equipment shelters, salescounters, rain shelters etc. Immediate attention

should be given for improving the infrastructurefacilities of the farms for the proper utilisation ofthe available land.

33.5 Policy 251: Mechanising theGovernment owned farms to the fullestextent (100% mechanisation) will be theonly tool to tap the efficiency of thelabourers in full.

33.5.1 Many at times the low productivity ofthe farms are attributed to the low efficiencylevel of the farm labourers. The age and healthof the labourers especially the permanentlabourers sometimes affect the efficiency level.But they are very experienced in the skilfulactivities like grafts and layers. The farmoperations which depend on human labourshould be replaced by suitable machinery andefficiency of the same is to be improved. Thereare modern technologies and equipmentsavailable like post hole diggers, bund formers,different types of planters, irrigationequipments, automated machinery systems forpacking, filling etc. Those should be adoptedat a mission mode and all the Governmentowned farms are to be 100% mechanised togive shape to ‘modern farms’. This wouldimprove the efficiency of operations anddrudgery on labourers would be the minimum.

33.5.2 Trainings are to be imparted to the farmlabourers for the machinery operation and theycan be termed as ‘Machine operators’ rather thanaddressing as farm labourers. This will add theirmorale and improve efficiency.

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33.6 Policy 252: A definite planting materialproduction plan has to be developed takingin to consideration the scheme of theGovernment and the local requirementthrough an online system every year.

33.6.1 The planting material production shouldbe carried out in a realistic manner consideringthe requirement which would arise due to theimplementation of different schemes of theDepartment and the requirement of the public.The idea behind this is that, the farms shouldproduce according to the demand for plantingmaterial only. If a system is there by whichadvance booking of the planting material can bedone, there is possibility of producing the plantingmaterial according to the demand.

33.6.2 The production plan should be inaccordance with this principle and should beadvocated while preparing the forecast ofexpenditure of every Departmental farms.

33.7 Policy 253: Demonstration of improvedtechnologies are to be done in every farm.

33.7.1 The Departmental farms should serve thepurpose of instructional function by providingdemonstration of improved technologies like openfield precision farming, fertigation, High TechFarming, hydroponics, aeroponics etc. Theymust be a place of interest for the progressivefarmers. They can visit and get their doubtsclarified by the experts.

33.8 Policy 254: Shortage of labourers infarms is to be addressed immediately bythe Government.

33.8.1 Many of the prestigious farms under theDepartment are facing the acute shortage of farm

labourers. The permanent labourers are retiringfastly, and appointments are in a slow pace. Tokeep the farm on the tracks, farm labourers area must. The assets of the farm, infrastructurefacilities, machineries etc., would be wasted iflabourers at the correct strength are notemployed. The issues regarding the appointmentare to be immediately sorted out by theGovernment. The Government should hold apolicy that, no vacancy of farm labourers wouldexist in a farm for more than two months.Necessary freedom shall be assured to theappointment authorities.

33.9 Policy 255: Since there is the need formany emergency activities including thedisposal of perishable farm produces andimmediate repair works, delegating morepowers to the sub officers would aid in themore speedy actions in Departmentalfarms.

33.9.1 The financial powers at present shall beamended and more powers are to be delegatedto the Sub Officers so that, the time delay in manycrucial transaction can be avoided. This will addto the efficiency improvement and the decisionscan be taken locally without much time delay.

33.10 Policy 256: The Orange andVegetable Farm, Nelliyampathy andHorticulture Development Farm,Malampuzha are to be elevated to theposition of Centres of Excellence.

33.10.1 The O & V Farm,Nelliyampathy is one of the prestigious farms ofthe Department. It has unique characteristics suchas the climate, very vast area of fertile land, wateravailability, different cropping pattern etc. It hasmany facilities for processing and value addition,

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high tech farming, training and growing temperatecrops. These factors calls for developing the farmas a centre of excellence in the field of high techfarming and processing of fruits and vegetables.

33.10.2 The HD Farm, Malampuzha ishaving the unique advantage of nearness to thewell known Malampuzha Gardens. It is a paceof tourist interest and has to be developedaccordingly. Further, it is having a huge collectionof ornamental plants, mango varieties, cashewprogenies etc. It would be of worth developingit in terms of the ornamental crops. This farmhas to be made as the centre having the largestnumber of ornamental plant accessions in theState. The HD Farm has to be transformed as aCentre of Excellence in Ornamental Gardening.

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34 POLICIES RELATED TO VALUE ADDITION &PROCESSING

34.1 India is today the second largestproducer of food in the world and has all thepotential of becoming number one if theemerging problems after the green, white andblue revolution are properly addressed. Theproblem of improvement in agriculture needsto be tackled from two different angles, First,to increase productivity of agriculture anddelivery system and Second, to increase thefarmer’s earning through efficient andeffective value addition.

34.2 Value addition to raw food materialin India is only 7 per cent while it is 23, 45and 188 per cent in China, Philippines and UK,respectively (as per National Food ProcessingPolicy, Draft Document, 2000). Studies alsoreveal that more than four dozen value-addedproducts are produced from derivatives ofpaddy in a small country like Japan, whichproduces only 2 per cent of the total worldproduction of paddy. We process less than 2per cent of fruits and vegetables as comparedto 30 per cent in Thailand and 80 per cent inMalaysia.

34.3 Value addition is often understood inthe context of adding value to the product. Anew dimension from the consumer point ofview is added to the existing understandingof value i.e. how a consumer perceives thevalue delivered to him through a bundle ofproduct services. This new approach of valueaddition through the consumer’s mind needsspecial attention. All the activities now mustbe seen from the consumer point of view.Keeping this approach in mind, the policiesregarding the value addition and processingof the Government are proposed.

34.4 Policy 257: Enhancing income offarmers through value addition, productdiversification, and entrepreneurshipdevelopment must be the thrust areas ofthe development Departments.

34.4.1 Very often value addition and productdiversification are easier said than donebecause of numerous constraints in microscale rural enterprises. The biggest constraintis the mindset of farmers. They lackconfidence. Lack of technological know-how,high cost of machinery, insufficient capital,absence of hassle-free credit, taxation rulesand food safety concerns create fear in theirminds.

34.4.2 The available value additiontechnologies by and large are found amenablefor either lab scale or for very large scaleproduction. Therefore, wherever necessary,technologies are to be tailored to fit into themicro-scale environment and refined to resultin quality production.

34.5 Policy 258: Creation of a food chainstarting from the farm gate to retail outletsis inevitable for farmers to earn a greatershare of the product sale revenue afteradding value to their own produce.

34.5.1 In fact, the chain should start fromagricultural research institutions andlaboratories to help farmers in scientificcultivation, particularly to produce quality rawmaterial for specific end use, proper post-harvest management, storage, transportationand marketing. There is also need forapplication of more and more mechanisation

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and automation in post-harvest management andprocessing operations; utilisation of agriwastesgenerated during onfarm processing; agro-industrial systems development; and bio-processtechnology for conversion of raw agriculturalproduce to useful products.

34.6 Policy 259: To meet the emergingchallenges, agriculture must diversify infavour of high-value enterprises and thepricing policy must be based on the qualityof the produce rather than quantity formotivating the farmer to orient hisproduction qualitatively.

34.6.1 The emphasis should be on productionof high value commodities e.g.,fruits,vegetables and milk with enhanced quality andspecific nutritional and processingcharacteristics, than increasing production perse as in the past. Pricing policies also need tobe changed, linking it with the quality of theproduce or a product is the basis for fixingper unit price, just as fat content in milk; highersugar quality/quantity in mango; better aroma,colour or cooking quality in rice and shelf lifeof fruits and vegetables.

34.7 Policy 260: Since marketing ofprocessed products is more remunerativethan raw commodities, farmer processorlinkages are needed to add value as perdemands of the consumers.

34.7.1 There is a great scope of developingsome of our traditional food items fromcereals, fruits, milk and fish. Appropriate andcost-effective packaging technology for theseitems is needed to ensure safety and prolongedshelf life. Effective linkages need to be builtbetween farmers and processors on a mutually

beneficial contractual agreement, particularlywhen a large number of small farmers are tobe involved in this type of farming.

34.8 Policy 261: Storage and handlingtechnologies and infrastructure should bedesigned in a manner that losses areminimised and the produce retains itsoriginal quality.

34.8.1 Current post-harvest handling of grainsresults in high losses and leads to deteriorationof quality. Storage and handling technologies andinfrastructure should be designed in a mannerthat losses are minimised and the produce retainsits original quality. Post-harvest care involvinggrading, storage and phyto-sanitation of theproduce should meet the needs for exportmarket.

34.9 Policy 262: The New GenerationCooperatives (NGC) model and FPOs areideal since it binds both farmers andprocessors to honour commitments andagreements.

34.9.1 This should be applied in ourcooperative enterprises. Collective farminginvolving small farmers should be promotedrather than involving a few big farmers. Smallcooperative processing units should be promotedin rural areas. These could undertake primaryprocessing, grading and cleaning of produce foradding value. The pattern of Town and VillageEnterprises (TVEs) of China, could be used, withnecessary modifications. Rural processing andvalue-addition groups should be promoted. Thiswill allow small and marginal farmers to be part-time farmers and work in rural enterprises forenhanced income and returns on their produce.

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34.10 Policy 263: There is a large potentialfor setting up of modern slaughter facilitiesand development of cold chains in meatand poultry processing sector.

34.10.1 India ranks first in world cattlepopulation, 50 per cent of buffalo population andone - sixth of total goat population of the world.There is vast scope to set up modern slaughterfacilities and cold store chains in meat and poultryprocessing sector. Compared with meat, poultryindustry has registered significant growth. Indiaranks fifth in the world and both poultry and eggprocessing units have come in a very big way inthe country. India is exporting egg powder, frozenegg yolk and albumin powder to Europe, Japanand other countries. Poultry exports are mostlyto Maldives and Oman. Indian poultry meatproducts have good markets in Japan, Malaysia,Indonesia and Singapore. Presently there are onlyfive egg powder plants in India which isconsidered insufficient in view of growing exportdemand for different kind of powder - wholeegg, yolk and albumin.

34.10.2 There is a large potential forsetting up of modern slaughter facilities anddevelopment of cold chains in meat and poultryprocessing sector in Kerala. There is norestrictions in killing and processing the animalmeat in the State. This opens up avenues for meatproduction which can be exported to other partsof the country and abroad. The market has notbeen tapped for ready to eat and semi processedmeat products in the domestic market as well asfor exports to neighbouring countries especiallyto the Middle East. Buffalo meat is surplus in thecountry and has good export potential andKerala can be a model in this regard.

34.11 Policy 264: It is high time we givethe jackfruit its due recognition. Theversatile fruit of Kerala ‘Jack’, onceKerala's life-saver in months of scarcity,has immense scope for value addition.

34.11.1 Apart from the daily menu, nowvarious institutions and non governmentalorganisations (NGO) have come up withvarious products based on the jackfruit.Fully ripened jackfruit bulbs can now beused to prepare jams, squashes, syrups,candy, fruit bars, fruit leather, ready-to-drink beverages, halwas, payasams,puddings, toffee, wine, kulfi and ice-cream.Half-ripened bulbs are processed tojackfruit powder and used for thepreparation of bakery items such as burfi.

34.11.2 The fruit has high nutritional value andis rich in calories, fibre, calcium, phosphorous,iron, and vitamins. It is used as an ingredientof baby food in certain regions. Jacalin, themajor protein in jackfruit seed, has got manyapplications in immuno-biological research.

34.11.3 Jackfruit chips are in great demandand fetch good prices in the domestic marketand abroad, especially the ‘Gulf' countries.Even the leaves of the jackfruit are saidmedicinal properties.

34.12 Policy 265: The provisions of theNational Mission on Food Processing(NMFP) has to be utilised for theevelopment of food processing sector,which in turn would help in Increase in farmproductivity thereby increase in farmers'income.

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34.12.1 It is known that, the CentralGovernment has already accorded approval andcommunicated to all States for taking uppreparatory activities / advance action by Statesfor implementation of NMFP during 12th Planand released Rs. 29.81 crore to states for takingup preparatory activities / advance action forimplementation of NMFP. The Governmentshould take a serious step towards theimplementation of NMFP in the state.

34.13 Policy 266: Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC) should bestrengthened to support the initiatives onvalue addition in the State.34.13.1 The core mission of SFAC is focussedon increasing the productivity of small andmarginal farmers, value addition and efficientlinkages between producers and markets. SFACdeals with agriculture in its wider connotation,including fisheries and horticulture. The vision ofthe SFAC is to facilitate the process byaggressively promoting agri-business projectsthrough its Project Development Facility andVenture Capital Assistance schemes, establishingforward and backward linkages with farmers,providing assured market to their producethereby generating rural employment andenhancing farmers’ income. This is seen as anew chapter in the history of agriculture wherefarmers/producers groups yield not only morefoods but more products, jobs and higherincome in the rural areas.

34.13.2 There must be serious steps from theGovernment to make SFAC a nodal agency forvalue addition and processing by providing funds,man power and policy guidelines and addressits dearth of funds.

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35. ENERGY-SMART AGRICULTURE RELATED POLICIES

35.1 High and fluctuating prices of fossil fuelsand doubts regarding their future availability meanthat agri-food systems need to shift to an"energy-smart" model to decouple food pricesfrom fluctuating and rising fossil fuel prices.

35.2 Agriculture has a dual role as anenergy user and as an energy supplier in theform of bioenergy. This energy function ofagriculture offers important rural developmentopportunities as well as one means of climatechange mitigation by substituting bioenergyfor fossil fuels.

35.3 Availability of adequate farm poweris very crucial for timely farm operations forincreasing production and productivity andhandling the crop produce to reduce losses.With the increase in intensity of cropping theturn around time is drastically reduced and itis not possible to harvest and thresh thestanding crop, on one hand, and prepare seedbed and do timely sowing operations ofsubsequent crop, on the other hand, in thelimited time available, unless adequate farmpower is available.

35.4 Similarly for precision farming, increasingarea under irrigation, conservation tillage, strawmanagement and diversification in agriculture,more power is required for water lifting andprecision placement/application of agriculturalinputs—seed, fertilizer, irrigation water, plantprotection chemicals etc and meeting therequirements of diversified agriculture.

35.5 Policy 267: The food sector bothrequires energy and can produce energy -an energy-smart approach to agricultureoffers a way to take better advantage of thisdual relationship between energy and food.

35.5.1 The agriculture sector needs to learnhow to use energy more wisely. At each stageof the food supply chain, current practices canbe adapted to become less energy intensive.

35.5.2 Such efficiency gains can often comefrom modifying at no or little cost existingfarming and processing practices. Steps thatcan be taken at the farm level include the useof more fuel efficient engines, the use ofcompost and precision fertilizers, irrigationmonitoring and targeted water delivery,adoption of no-till farming practices and theuse of less-input-dependent crop varieties andanimal breeds.

35.5.3 After food has been harvested,improved transportation and infrastructure,better insulation of food storage facilities,reductions in packaging and food waste, andmore efficient cooking devices offer thepossibility of additionally reducing energy usein the agriculture sector.

35.6 Policy 268: Using local renewableenergy resources along the entire food chaincan help improve energy access, diversifyfarm and food processing revenues, avoiddisposal of waste products, reducedependence on fossil fuels and greenhousegas emissions, and help achieve sustainabledevelopment goals.

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35.6.1 Where good solar, wind, hydro,geothermal or biomass energy resources exist,they can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels infarming, animal husbandry, dairying andaquaculture operations. They can also be usedin food storage and processing.

35.6.2 Energy-smart agriculture is an approachbased on three pillars: (i) providing energy accessfor all with a focus on rural communities; (ii)improving energy efficiency at all stages of thefood supply chain; and (iii) substituting fossil fuelswith renewable energy systems in the foodsector.

35.7 Policy 269: The government shouldpromote ̀ conservation agriculture' whichreplaces mechanical soil tillage by`biological tillage' for reducing the energyrequirement and making farmingsustainable.

35.7.1 Reduction of mechanical tillage andpromotion of soil organic matter throughpermanent soil cover is an approach toreverting soil degradation and otherenvironmental impacts of conventionalagriculture, achieving at the same time a highagricultural production level on trulysustainable basis. n this approach, cropresidues remaining on the soil surface producea layer of mulch which protects the soil fromthe physical impact of rain and wind, and alsostabilizes the soil surface layers moisturecontent and temperature. This zone becomesa habitat for a number of organisms whichmacerate the mulch, mix it with soil and assistits decomposition to humus. Agriculture withreduced mechanical tillage is only possiblewhen soil organisms take over the task oftilling the soil. This leads to other implications

regarding the use of chemical inputs sincesynthetic pesticides and mineral fertilizershave to be used in a way that does not harmsoil life. Conservation agriculture can onlywork if all agronomic factors are equally wellmanaged.

35.8 Policy 270: Huge volumes ofagricultural wastes in the form of livestockmanure, kitchen wastes, rice husks, etc., canbe converted into potential sources ofenergy and the resultant biogas can beplowed back into agricultural production andprocessing activities.

35.8.1 Biogas comes from animal manure, andis perhaps the ultimate win-win energy source,allowing farmers to produce their own electricityand reduce the water contamination, odourpollution, and global warming emissions causedby animal waste.

35.8.2 Biogas is most commonly used on thefarm where it's produced, mostly for cookingor electricity generation. Any excess electricitythus can often be sold back to the grid. Largedairy and swine operations have the greatestpotential to produce cost-effective biogas.Biogas recovery systems can handle liquid,slurry, or semisolid manure, and theseoperations can collect and store enough ofthis manure to produce large amounts ofbiogas.

35.8.3 With this objective the CentralGovernment is now operating a 100% CSSscheme on National Manure Management andBiogas production through the StateGovernment for the installation of biogasplants. However, the subsidy pattern is to bemade attractive by providing state share from

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the budget provision. This has to be given priorityas waste management is a societal need. It wasalso found that, LSGDs, other organisations etcare following different subsidy pattern for thesame. It must be made uniform for the smoothimplementation of the programme.

35.9 Policy 271: The use of wind power foragricultural production activities ispractically adaptable for residents locatedalong coastlines Kerala.

35.9.1 Kerala has a long costal line of about600 km. The shores are known for theconstant winds throughout the year. If smallwind mills for generating electric power areestablished along these regions they wouldbe useful in reducing the human energyinvolved in activities such as winnowing,pumping, etc.

35.10 Policy 272: Establishment of solar andwind hybrid power generating equipmentswherever possible will reduce the powerrequirement for agriculture to a greatextent.

35.10.1 In Kerala electricity charges foragriculture is met by the Government. Since thepower requirement is increasing day by day andso also is the price, there must be alternativeenergy generating areas.

35.11 Policy 273: An incentive is to beprovided for the farmers who runs an EnergySmart Farm for the promotion of energysmart agriculture.

35.11.1 Energy expenses are normally asignificant portion of a farm’s budget, accountingfor up to 10 percent of total costs. Accordingly,energy ranks sixth out of total productionexpenses. In addition, profit margins on farmsespecially small farms have continued to shrink,leading to an interest in minimizing expenses.Agriculture has been hit hard by recent energyprice increases. Of course, the smallest farmsfeel these effects the most.

35.11.2 Since operating margins for small farmsare typically well under 10 percent, energy costscan have an enormous impact on the economicviability of a farm. Lowering these energy costscan be achieved through the adoption of energyefficiency on the farm. Energy efficiency is thestreamlining of energy use through technologyand behaviour in a way that minimizes energyuse and cost while maximizing productivity.

35.11.3 In this context, for the promotion of‘energy smart agriculture’ an incentive maybe provided to farmers who runs his farm inthe most energy efficient way.

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36 . POLICIES RELATED TO HIGH TECH FARMING

36.1 Since the cultivated area cannot beincreased, the increased production will bepossible only by increased productivity andincreased intensity of cropping. This will call forprecision farming and timely farm operationswhich will require high capacity and precisionequipments.

36.2 Precision farming is all about employingtechnology in agriculture. It uses scientific toolsto understand the character of every plot of landand identify the suitable plant to grow on it. Itrecommends the right amount of inputs such asfertilisers and water, and delivers them in the rightmeasure using sophisticated systems. It tendscrops in highly optimised environments and hencecould cut costs, make cycles shorter, harvestsfaster and productivity and yield higher. It useslabour, one of the major factors which will decidethe fate of agriculture in the State, minimally.

36.3 Policy 274: Promotion of high-techagriculture is important as climaticextremes are affecting normal cultivation.

36.3.1 Hi-tech farming will help overcome thedifficulties posed by climate change. Crops canbe raised irrespective of external factors such asclimate. This is the main advantage of the method.Adding productivity and quality of producewould increase under scientifically createdconditions.The initial scepticism towards themethod has been replaced by trust. If the costof irrigation implements and building greenhousesis brought down, more people will take upprotected farming. The KAU should developeasy-to-use agricultural implements, andcheaper, lighter alternatives to components beingused now.

36.3.2 The high capital intensive High TechFarming is to be popuarized among farmersin such a way that the technology has to bedeveloped as a less capital intensive one andcould be adopted by the resource poor farmersto increase their net income.

36.4 Policy 275: Starting with a market studyto determine the crops that will fetch a goodprice in a particular season and go for HiTech Farming of the same would assurehuge profits to farmers.

36.4.1 Among the strategies, market studyand producing off season crops would be theeffective steps in getting huge profits to thefarmers. The objective of precision agricultureis the optimization of input use to facilitatemaximum output helping to save valuableresources like water and energy. So hugeproduction is assured. It is a modern methodof farming that takes adequate care oftechnology upgradation if marketing supportto farmers are established.

36.4.2 Branding and marketing are neededfor the success of the programme. Soadequate market study has to be ensured.

36.5 Policy 276: The produces got from polyhouses could be branded as safe to eat sincethey are produced in insect free conditionswhich eliminates the chance of usingpesticides.

36.5.1 The advantage of precision farming isthat the required quantity of water and fertilizerscould be administered under controlled

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environment so as to get maximum yield. Hybridvarieties could be used in hi-tech farms wherethe labour requirement would be lesser incomparison to conventional farms. Pest menacewould be minimal in such farms. The harvestingperiod would also be longer which would benefitthe farmer. The programme assumes importanceas the State is not able to meet even half of thedemand of vegetables.

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37. POLICIES FOR FARM INFORMATION &COMMUNICATION

37.1 Knowledge is power and agricultureis no exception. Knowledge and innovationare now widely regarded as key drivers ofeconomic growth. Access to appropriateinformation and knowledge is an overridingfactor for successful natural resourcemanagement (NRM) planning,implementation and evaluation processes, andit is known to be one of the biggestdeterminants of agricultural productivity.

37.2 As a result of increase in literacy rate,the changing agricultural scenario and fastchanging technologies which needs to bedisseminated at a faster rate for rapidagricultural development calls for publicationof farm magazines / agricultural journals.Thus, the farm / agricultural journalism isconcerned with: (i) carrying agriculturalinformation to the farming community and (ii)to get genuine problems of farmers as feedback to researchers.

37.3 The Agricultural Information Servicecomplements the extension work done by thefield staff. It conditions the farmer to adoptbetter farming methods by offering him thetechnical knowledge needed for it. Above all,it instills in him a desire towards better farmingand home living

37.4 Since Kerala is having a higher literacyrate, several farm information providingsystems are established and are running veryeffectively. The Farm Information Bureau(FIB), the Karshaka Information SystemsServices And Networking (KISSAN),different programmes through All India Radio,Door Darshan etc., are the farm information

service providers in the state. The policies forimproving the information communicationservices offered by these institutions isdiscussed in this Section.

37.5 Policy 277: The prestigious publication‘Kerala Karshakan’ has to ensure greateraccuracy and coverage regarding the newertechnologies and could be used by thefarmers for further reference.

37.5.1 The publication has improved a lot duringthese periods but some content improvement isnecessary. A reader sample survey is requiredbefore fixing the theme and contents of themagazine. This will help to get a wideracceptance from the readers for giving theinformation at the right time to the targetedreaders. The content should have a technicalnature rather than orienting towards successstories and mere popular articles. The languagedigestibility should be at its maximum since it istargeted for different sections of the society.

37.5.2 The content should be such that thispublication should be treated by farmers as areference book for future use. The overemphasis on success stories without technicalcontent and opinion based articles may loosethe reading interest of the farmers who arelooking for ways to improve their livelihood.Prime focus in content should be given forthe small farmer’s agriculture rather thanmaking wide coverage about the programmes,inaugurations and functions though they arealso inevitable components of information. Awell balanced content should be assured inthis publication and should become the referencebook for farmers and those who love farming.

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37.6 Policy 278: Establishment of ‘VirtualClass Rooms’ to link EducationalInstitutions like Agricultural Universitiesboth within and abroad for disseminationof best practices in agriculture.

37.6.1 The aim of this venture is to get bestavailable resources from the universities,ICAR Institutions, and other national andinternational research institutions to thecommon farmer living at the last mile ofconnectivity.

37.6.2 The centers should be created at leastone in block level in a potential Panchayat toenable the knowledge dissemination. Thecentre’s should equipped with books andlibrary facility, collection of videos whichdemonstrate cultivation practices, post harvesthandling practices and processing. The centreshould also provide knowledge on AnimalHusbandry, fisheries, apiary, sericulture etc.The centre should have capacity to buildcapacity on precision farming, green housecultivation, hydroponics and other moderncultivation practices. They should conductshort term classes for making them scientificcultivation practices and convert ordinaryfarmers as professionals.

37.6.3 The centres also should provideinvestment advisory on agricultural andrelated business and link with commercialbanks. The centre should have a CEO as wellas team members who are capable ofproviding various skills. The centre shouldoffer short tem vocational courses in which80% is practical and 20% theory so that theperson comes out will successfully doagriculture. The Centre should equipped with2 GBPS broad band connection to enable

interactive class rooms and digital class roomswhich connect remote Universities andresearch stations can also do interactivesessions with experts in various fields. All thestaff should be posted on contract basis duringthe pilot phase.

37.6.4 This ventures are to be implemented witha view that information flow through extensionworkers should also be designed in such a waythat the delay is minimized and hence improvetimely access to information by farmers. Theyshould be under the joint control of Krishibhavansand Veterinary Hospitals.

37.7 Policy 279: Most of the extensionservices to farmers could be automated toreduce weakness of human factors incommunicating information withminimum language, technical and socio-economic barriers.

37.7.1 Regular updates and alerts in case ofabnormal environments are communicatedeasily through specialized computerizedinformation and communication platform.Further studies need to be conducted tounderstand farmers interface for accessinginformation and knowledge usingcomputerized services in agriculture so thatfarmers enjoys the fruitful of modern ICT.

37.8 Policy 280: Support to KISSANKERALA.NET is to be extended to keepup its professional standards.

37.8.1 Karshaka Information Systems ServicesAnd Networking (KISSAN) is an integrated,multi-modal delivery of agricultural informationsystem, which provides several dynamic and

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useful information and advisory services for thefarming community across Kerala. It is one ofthe leading citizen centric e-governance projectsof the Department of Agriculture, Governmentof Kerala. The project was conceived,developed and managed by the Indian Instituteof Information Technology and Management-Kerala for the Department of Agriculture,Government of Kerala.

37.8.2 KISSAN is implemented and managedby a group of core experts in the field ofmanagement, software engineering, networkmanagement, agriculture and mediajournalism. The integration of highly skilledand dedicated human resources, flexible androbust technological solutions and flexibleenvironment, has helped KISSAN for itsvarious achievements since its inception.

37.8.3 Make Kisan Krishi Deepam theagriculture based weekly television programof KISSAN more detailed and explanatory,incorporating all stages of the subject / crop, likeAnimal Planet / Discovery / National GeographicChannels.

37.8.4 To make the services offered by thesystem a core routine activity, man power isneeded. During the beginning period there weresix posts of agricultural professionals in the cadreof Agricultural Officers. The same strength hasto be replaced with three more AgriculturalOfficers who are having the basic aptitude onmass media production.

37.8.5 The programme should be operated inthe project mode in collaboration with theIIITMK for maintaining the efficiency andsemi autonomy. Necessary budget provisionshall be earmarked for the sustenance of theaward winning programme.

37.8.6 The content needs a purely technical andprofessional approach for the popularisation ofdifferent technologies in the field.

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38. AGRICULTURAL PLANNING & BUDGETINGRELATED POLICIES

38.1 Agricultural planning involvesbalancing the protection of the agricultural andnatural environmental resources withdevelopment pressures. Agricultural policiesin the Regional Policy Plan, significant studies,information reports and an advisory committeeprovide insight into how agriculture and alliedsectors in the production front will bepreserved for the enjoyment of futuregenerations.

38.2 Policy 281: Agriculture willcontinue to be the first priority for theGovernment.

38.2.1 The Kerala Budget for 2013-14,presented to the Assembly by Finance MinisterK.M. Mani is with full of newer ideas to boostthe agricultural sector of the State. The salientfeatures like rice and rice products areexempted from tax and levies eased for itemssuch as agro-shade nets, individuals will nothave to pay agriculture income tax from nextyear, interest-free agricultural loans to smalland marginal farmers and waiver of interestdues on NABARD loans, an integratedagricultural garden scheme for small farmers,model hi-tech villages, farmers’ markets, andan integrated crop insurance are indicative thatagriculture would be the priority area of theState Government and it would be continuedin the years to come.

38.2.2 The government has to place agricultureon top priority list such that its position within thesectoral allocation could be substantially enhanced.Furthermore, such allocation when released mustbe properly monitored to ensure it is beingexpended on the purpose for which such money

has been released. Also, in furtherance of supportfor agricultural programme, the government mustendeavour to subsidise agricultural sector toencourage the farmers.

38.3 Policy 282: A separate agriculturalbudget should be presented for greater thrustand allocation of funds and schemes onagriculture.

38.3.1 By way of definition, a budget is a financialplan, which embodies estimates of proposedexpenditures for a given future period and theproposed means of financing them. It is aninstrument used by organizations to allocateexpected resources to its various activities such asdistribution, stabilization, development and growthwith a view to achieving equilibrium efficiency andeffectiveness.

38.3.2 A separate agricultural budget for Keralastate is needed because agriculture is a State subject,and the role of state government in the developmentof agriculture sector is very important. It was foundthat most of the investment currently made isfarmer’s own. This investment is substantially lessthan investments in other sectors. Besides, thefarmers do not easily get the required capitalassistance through financial institutions. So anagricultural budget is necessary for assuringsufficient investments, welfare measures andpopularising and supporting newer technologies inproduction.

38.3.3 The separate agriculture budget is aimedat providing a more focussed approach to the farmsector and in handling allied sectors of horticulture,animal husbandry, inland fisheries, dairy, foodprocessing among others.

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38.3.4 Integrated agricultural budget has to bealigned with agricultural calendar. Presently,budget approval happens in March, and actualflows to departments usually happen by June orJuly. However, preparations for agri-productionhave to be made in March to June period.Hence, financial year planning has to be alignedwith agricultural seasons.

38.3.5 Thus the Agricultural Budget hasbecome an absolute necessity.

38.4 Policy 283: While formulating theDepartmental programmes, a regional planat the watershed basis should form thebasis for planning every year.

38.4.1 A State Agricultural Plan as envisagedin the Section 14.6 of the AgriculturalDevelopment Policy must be formulatedbefore making the scheme allocations and newschemes for the financial year. A regional planhas to be chalked out with the help of thedifferent departments on a watershed basis andthat has to be brought at the State level formaking plan and budgets well in advance.

38.4.2 Watershed has become an acceptableunit of planning for optimum use andconservation of soil and water resources. Thewatershed may be of any size, but for properplanning and implementation in two to threeyears, the size of the viable watershed may beabout 1000-5000 ha.

38.4.3 Recognize watersheds as the naturalplanning and operational units for integrated ruraland agricultural development programmes forsustainable development.

38.5 Policy 284: Sufficient allocation foragriculture should be made in the LSGbudgets at least 40%, and that should bemade mandatory for assuring the farmers,the assistance they need.

38.5.1 During the sittings conducted by theCommittee in different districts, the farmersmade a vehement plea that the GramaPanchayts should mark at least 40% of theirbudget provisions for agriculture alone.Hence, the Government should take it as apolicy that, the LSG institutions shouldprovide at least 40% of their budget to theagriculture sector alone. A recent trend of notputting any funds for agriculture was also beenobserved by the Committee. However, thiswas an unhealthy practice which was to bechecked at the very moment it appeared.

38.5.2 Keeping the implementing officerunder the control of LSG institutions andputting no fund for the required sectors shouldnot be tolerated by the Government. If anysuch cases arise in future, necessary provisionhas to be created legally for withdrawing theircontrol over the ‘handed over institutions andofficials’.

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39 NEW POLICY GUIDELINES, PRINCIPLES ANDSTRATEGIES FOR THE BEST SERVICE DELIVERY

BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

39.1 The Department of Agriculture ismultifaceted. It has many responsibilities thatinclude production, agriculture support andtrying to help make sure State's farms remainefficient, capable of supporting the needs ofthe farmers which in turn supporting the wholeState for food and income, and also providingan important part of State’s economy in termsof export and domestic sales and contributeimmensely to the economic health and well-being of the State.

39.2 The Department of Agriculture hasgrown into a huge organization with dutiesthat have evolved over a long period of time.The efforts of the Department in bringing tothe public a safe, affordable food supply arecommendable.

39.3 Policy 285: The Department ofAgriculture will be modernised andrenamed as ‘Agriculture Development andFarmers’ Welfare Department’.

39.3.1 The purpose of the new policy adoptionis to provide the State Government with thenecessary guidelines, principles and strategiesto streamline and reorganize the Departmentof Agriculture to achieve greater efficiency,effectiveness, and economies in theorganization and management of the programsand activities carried out by the Department.Since the new programmes of the Govenrmentlike farmers’ pension schemes are orientedmore towards the welfare of the farmers, theDepartment needs to be renamed accordingly.The motto of the Department should be ‘nofarming is possible without the farmers’.

39.4 Policy 286: The Department ofAgriculture must continue to rely uponthe most versatile form of decentralizedGrama Panchayat level Krishibhavanoffices and staff support has to be re-organised based on work load and numberof farm families.

39.4.1 Kerala is the only State in India havinga well defined agriculture system starting fromthe Grama Panchayts. This system is supposedto be the most effective structure foragricultural extension. In fact, the Departmentmakes a presence in all the Grama Panchayatthrough Krishi Bhavans.

39.4.2 The Krishi Bhavan established atPanchayat level functions as grass root levelfunctional as well as technical facilitator agencyto farming community via schemesimplemented through local bodies and theDepartment of Agriculture. Each Krishi Bhavanis manned by technically qualified AgriculturalOfficers and supported by 2-3 AgriculturalAssistants. The staff strength has to beassessed based on the number of farm familiesand the intensity of crops grown and necessaryimprovements are to be given . This system isto be strengthened and continued for theeffective service delivery of the Departmentof Agriculture at the Grass root level.

39.5 Policy 287: Make the Department abetter place for employees to carry outtheir jobs of serving farmers will result ina more productive and satisfied workforce.

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39.5.1 The employees are to be informed andtrained in the mandated mission ofDepartment of Agriculture and provided withproper incentives to carry out their jobs ofserving farmers will result in a moreproductive and satisfied work force. Aworking partnership between employees,Government, and farmers needs to bedeveloped.

39.5.2 The soft aspects and skills of humanresource management, such as employeesatisfaction and morale, would considered tobe the most important drivers of performance.

39.5.3 The image of the Department has to beimproved in terms of the work environment andremuneration. The relatively unattractive image thatthe public service is considered to have in the stateencourages many talented students to pursue careersin the private sector which is a brain drain and doesnot reflect directly in the services offered to farmers.

39.6 Policy 288: The methods used for technologydissemination and personal approaches are tobe restructured in lieu of the changing face of theICT based tools, instruments and techniques

39.6.1 The technology and users have changedconsiderably during this decade and this needs achange in the structure and organization of theDepartment of Agriculture which is the largesttechnology provider of the state. The methodsused for technology dissemination andpersonal approaches are also to berestructured in lieu of the changing face ofthe ICT.

39.6.2 Currently the field officials such as theAgricultural Officer and his assistants areperforming two main duties- Technology

Transfer and assistance distribution. The latterinvolves money transactions and is donemanually following the procedures of aGovernment transaction. This actually takesup most of the time of these professionals andtheir expertise is being lost by concentratingon the assistance distribution and connectedrecord keeping. It would be helpful if theentire operations of office administration bedone with the help of software. The e-paymentmechanism now being followed is wellaccepted here. But a fully fledged andmandatory software like the 'SPARK' whichwould be able to do the routine office functions.The policy measures suggested in the Section 14.5of the Agricultural Development Policy is applicablehere.

39.7 Policy 289: The state level monitoring ofDecentralised planning programmes have to bemonitored by the Department of Agricultureby creating a separate wing which work handin hand with LSGD Department and KILA.

39.7.1 Now the decentralised planning is underthe full control of LSGD Department and there isno state level mechanism to monitor theprogrammes and expenditure to monitor the statelevel programmes.

39.7.2 A separate wing needs to be created underthe leadership of an additional director to work handin hand with LSG Department on monitoring andevaluation of technical programmes beingimplemented in the Grama Panchayats.

39.7.3 The District level programme shouldbe entrusted with a Deputy Director, who willhave full involvement in the programme.

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39.7.4 KILA should also avail support of facultyfrom Agriculture Department for the preparationof projects and plans related to agriculture andallied fields.

39.7.5 Project implementation atCorporations and Municipalities needs to beunder the full supervision by an Assistant Directorat District level.

39.7.6 The innovative schemes and projects,location specific projects, and special projectson agri-entrepreneurship development shouldbe encouraged and mechanism should becreated to hasten the approval speed.

39.8 Policy 290: A ‘Knowledge Centre’ atthe district level has to be constructed foreffective farm advisory services andempowering the small farmers withtechnology.

39.8.1 An important element in the FarmService Center or Knowledge Center will bethe ability to take advantage of improvedtechnology and to share data between theDepartment, farmers, the research institutionsand experts. A joint Working Group ofDepartmental higher authorities such as thePrincipal Agricultural Officers and technologyspecialists from the field offices are to workfull-time to develop the systems to supportthe Field Service Centers such as the KrishiBhavans. This Group is also aimed looking atinnovative ways to reduce the paperworkburden on the farmers, yet assure the agencyhas the help in documentation it needs to.Support program activities related to thedisbursement of funds or delivery of tangiblebenefits to the farmers. A total of 15 suchcenters are to be established in the State. In

all the 14 districts such units are to beestablished in suitable locations. One unit isproposed at the State level to co ordinate theactivities of the district level units.

39.9 Policy 291: The Department aims atestablishing effective formal liaison andcooperation with all institutions involvedin agricultural development in the State.

39.9.1 These include the Central Institutes,the Krishi Vigyan Kendras, CommodityBoards, Agricultural University, ResearchStations under KAU, different Public SectorUndertakings etc. For this purpose the dutiesof the Knowledge Centre proposed in theSection 39.8 of the Agricultural DevelopmentPolicy should also be put in line. An interfacewhere these institutions and representativesof organised agriculture discuss matters ofmutual interest is to be assured. Thiscooperation will promote the optimalutilisation of available sources and knowledge.

39.10 Policy 292: The staff pattern of theAssistant Directors' Office is to bestrengthened by providing additional manpower support depending up on the workload of the Office.

39.10.1 The role of Assistant Directors inthe Department is of the administrative,technical and co-ordinative in nature. Theexisting staff pattern of the Asst. Directors ofAgriculture is one Assistant Director and aclerk. He is the drawing officer of all theschemes of the Department of Agriculture andcontrolling officer of the Agricultural Officersof his Block. Due to multiplicity of schemesand roles the expertise of this professional isalso can not be tapped fully. So the staff

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structure of the Assistant Directors’ Officesneeds an immediate attention from the partof the Government.

39.10.2 There is practice of re-deploying theclerical staff to the LSG institutions and hasto be stopped. The Department faces acutemanpower shortage and at the same time itsstaff are being sent to other Departments.Instead of re- deploying them, they have tobe deployed at the needy Assistant DirectorsOffices. This will solve the problem ofmanpower at the Block level to a considerableextent.

39.11 Policy 293: Modernization at all levelsof the Department including administration,communication, reporting, technologytransfer, scheme administration,implementation, feedback, monitoring andmidterm correction should be the motto ofthe Government.

39.11.1Department of Agriculture is one ofthe biggest Departments under the StateGovernment. It hosts about 3118 number ofAgricultural Assistants, 1193 number ofAgricultural Officers, 289 number of AssistantDirectors, 112 number of Deputy Directors,26 number of Joint Directors and sixAdditional Directors in the Technical Cadreand 1075 number of clerical staff, 142Superintends, 16 Administrative Assistants, 16Accounts Officers and 1467 other staff. Forthe proper functioning, the Department hasto be modernised, so that the services can bedelivered at a shorter time and functionalreorganisation can be achieved.Computerisation and e-governance should begiven priority. ICT based application toolssuch as the Office Automation and ‘Paperless

Offices’ in the case of Krishibhavans asdescribed under the Section 14.5 of theAgricultural Development Policy would bemade in to reality for serving the farmingcommunity in the desired way.

39.11.2The employee records need to bemodernized and ‘Smart Card’ system shouldbe adopted for effective staff management andadministration. Entire functioning of theDepartment needs to be based on a webplatform where online reporting andadministration can be done. This willrevolutionize the entire system functioningwith respect to economy, efficiency,transparency and accuracy.

39.11.3Modernisation of the Department ofAgriculture with modern technologies inadministration and use of ICT tools as perSection 14 of the Agricultural DevelopmentPolicy must be carried out immediately at thisjuncture as the farmers and public are verymuch eager in getting the things done at theright time, in the right way and for the rightperson.

39.12 Policy 294: The auditing systemfollowed in the Department needs athorough reorientation for improving theDepartmental Quality ManagementSystem.

39.12.1 Presently there are three auditsystems in the Government to be faced by theAgricultural Officers, viz., Department levelaccounts and audit, Accountant General’saudit and Local Fund Department audit.Auditing, when effectively implemented, canarguably be considered the most importanttool in the quality system “tool box.” It is the

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primary continual monitoring process ofDepartmental Quality Management System(QMS). The output from auditing is criticalto the growth of the QMS – identification ofsystem ineffectiveness, corrective action andultimately continual improvement. But, it wasobserved by the committee that many at timesthe auditing system focusses mainly on theaccounts alone rather than finding ways toimprove QMS. However, when auditing ispoorly deployed, its ineffectiveness leads toincreased, non value-added costs, many hoursof wasted resources and an eventual,inevitable QMS breakdown. In theDepartmental front, as far as agriculture isconcerned auditing has now become acquiredthe position of a ‘necessary evil’!. Theprofessionals of the Department are now putin pressure and wasting their quality time indefending the objections raised by the teamwho looks only in to the ‘black and whites’ inthe administrative procedure.

39.12.2 The Government would hold the policythat the audit process is just as critical andimportant an activity as any other process withinthe quality management and improvements andnot just observing the procedures and accountingrules. The organisation that understands andsupports its internal audit system keeps its qualityperformance edge sharp. These auditors haveacquired the skill to identify system effectivenessrather than compliance alone. Hence the auditingsystem must be equipped with qualityprofessionals who are capable of derivingmechanisms for continual improvements andcorrections during the course of implementationof various programmes of the Government.

39.12.3 Many a time the auditing system atpresent was seen to be of a punishing type ratherthan a guiding one, the primary objective ofestablishing the same. So increase the internalaudit focus on areas that are root cause orotherwise not performing to expectation. Thepresent system is to be reorganised with theinclusion of technical staff, external experts forefficiency improvement and guidance andrepresentative of the beneficiaries.

39.12.4 Effective audit schedules are to bepublished annually, so that, the time delay inauditing can be avoided. In fact, concurrentauditing system should be made mandatory.

39.12.5 The auditing system should addressprimarily the guiding principles rather than tryingto find out the mistakes alone which could leadto efficiency deterioration. At the same time thesystem must think of alternatives such as‘Automated and Computer Assisted FinancialTransaction Tools’ for checking the fraudulencethat can happen in the account management.Fraudulence at all levels is to be eliminated byemploying efficient soft wares which carrysecurity at all levels of transaction.

39.13 Policy 295: A Department ofAgriculture Manual is to be published bythe Government immediately to provideguidance and serve as a reference toemployees which will result in the efficiencyimprovement.

39.13.1 A Departmental manual is intended bothto provide guidance and serve as a reference toemployees of the Agriculture Department. It isthe responsibility of each member of the

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Department to comply with the policies andprocedures set forth within this publication. TheDepartment of Agriculture is more than 100 yearsof age and till now no departmental manual is seenpublished. This would be treated as an immediaterequisite and manual is to be designed to equip bothemployer and employees with a means to ensurecompliance with all relevant rules and regulations.

39.14 Policy 296: The District Soil TestLaboratories under the Department ofAgriculture play an important role in the soiltest based nutrient application and they haveto be strengthened as Soil Plant HealthClinics for including the diagnostic servicesalong with routine analytical service.

39.14.1 Researchers say that the lack of awarenessabout the importance of soil and water conservationmeasures and unscientific crop managementpractices lead to an alarming decrease in the plantnutrients present in soil as well, fall in productionand increase in incidence of diseases. For theintegrated nutrient management soil testing isnecessary.

39.14.2 Steps are to be taken for strengtheningthe laboratories for exploiting their potential. Thecurrent capacity of analysing soil samples are2.88 lakh numbers and at present only 1.319lakh samples are being anlysed per year. Theman power shortage is attributed as the mainproblem and this has to be addressed at theearliest.

39.14.3 The policy envisages improving thefacilities for quality control of organic manureand of irrigation and drinking water, analysisof soil and plant samples for major and micro-nutrients, including heavy metal toxicity andto make the District Soil Testing Laboratories

as Soil Plant Health Clinics. A Plant HealthClinic can do the diagnostic services such aspest & disease identification, nutrientdeficiency diagnosis, soil problems etc. Themicrobiological works can also be undertakenby them for the proper quality monitoring ofthe bio fertilisers which are going to be a boomin the coming period in the light of organicfarming.

39.14.4 All the most modern labour and timesaving machineries, equipments and protocolsare to be provided to the Laboratories forensuring accuracy, efficiency and timelydelivery of the results.

39.14.5 Selected DSTLs (the proposed SoilPlant Health Clinics) would have the pesticideresidue testing facility for ensuring a healthy foodto the people. The suggested DSTLs areAlappuzha, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Kozhikodeand Kannur. Necessary man power supportshould be extended to all the existing units andproposed units for running these institutionssmoothly and serving the farming community withaccurate and timely results.

39.14.6 All the DSTLs (the proposed PlantHealth Clinics) are to be provided withmicronutrient analysis facility, since themicronutrient deficiency problem is widely seenin Kerala. Micro nutrients are to be applied withextreme caution because the higher concentrationmay lead to toxicity.

39.15 Policy 297: Fertiliser Quality ControlLaboratories are to be strengthened orupgraded to give accurate results inminimum time so that the farmers areassured of good quality fertilisers.

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39.15.1 In order to test the quality of the fertilizerssold in the country, at present there are 2 FQCLsworking under the control of Department ofAgriculture. Since quality testing is a statutoryrequirement under the Fertilizer Control Order(FCO), it is imperative to maintain all theinstruments and equipment and to ensure supplyof quality chemicals and glasswares for theanalysis. This requires time-to-time upgradationand replacement of the equipment. Therefore,in order to maintain the high standard of analysispotential, it is proposed to upgrade andstrengthen the existing FQCLs in the State.

39.16 Policy 298: The bio control agentsand parasites used in the biological controlof pests and diseases are to be made freelyavailable to the farmers of the State bystrengthening the State Bio- ControlLaboratory and developing the ParasiteBreeding Stations as its sub-centres for themass multiplication.

39.16.1 Mass rearing and distribution ofbiocontrol agents suited for pests of major cropsof Kerala is the mandate of the State Bio-Control Laboratory. Release of biocontrolagents help in the increase of population of naturalenemies in the field ecosystem, there bystrengthening the natural mechanism of pestcontrol, which is a major objective underIntegrated pest management system. The presentcapacity of the laboratory is 50 t of Trichodermaviride, 70 t of Pseudomonas fluorescens and39,000 cc Tricho cards annually. As the State ishaving a well defined policy on organic farmingand trying to make it 100% organic in the nearfuture, there will be a huge need for the bio controlagents. The production capacity has to beincreased to 5-6 fold for meeting this demand.

39.16.2 In this context, the need for developingsupport institutions for the mass multiplication ofthe bio-control is inevitable. The nine Parasitebreeding stations in the districts ofThiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha,Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram,Kozhikode, and Kasargod are to be reorganisedto become the regional laboratories under theState Bio-Control Lab. The mother cultures areto be distributed by the State Bio-Control to itsRegional labs for the mass multiplication.Necessary man power support and equipmentshave to be provided to these institutions tostrengthen the bio-control agent production inthe State.

39.17 Policy 299: The The Bio-technologyand Model Floriculture Centre (BMFC),Kazhakuttam functioning under theDepartment of Agriculture is to beupgraded as a Centre of Excellence withsemi - autonomous powers.

39.17.1 The Tissue culture Laboratory at BMFCis well equipped and has a production capacityof above 15 lakhs plantlets per year. The Centrecarries out the micro propagation work inBanana, Orchids, Anthuriums and Pepper. Cropimprovement work in Orchids, Anthuriums andHibiscus is also in progress and a limited numberof their planting materials are also beingproduced.

39.17.2 This is the only bio-technology centreunder the Department of Agriculture.Considering the importance of micropropagation, the laboratory has to be put in atop position. This institution has to beconverted to a Centre of Excellence in bio-technolgy and Floriculture. Thus BMFC canoffer trainings to farmers, Officers and for the

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educated youth as a part of providing thememployment and assuring the farmers the goodquality tissue cultured plantlets of banana, pepper,orchids, anthuriums, medicinal plants etc.

39.17.3 The BMFC is an institution whichrequire a special attention from the Government.For the smooth fucntioning and to have theproper equipments, chemicals, nuclear plantingmaterials, human labour etc., put in place, thiscentre should have an autonomous power likethat of State Agricultural Management andExtension Training Institute under ATMA. It ishigh that BMFC should be strengthened withautonomous powers and elevated to the positionof a ‘Centre of excellence’.

39.17.4 This centre can provide technologyoriented support to the tissue culture labs in thestate for the production of quality plantingmaterials. The present capacity of tissue cultureplantlets have to be raised to 50 lakh to one crorewithin a span of 5 years.

39.18 Policy 300: Strengthening theDepartment’s Agricultural EngineeringDivision by providing it the necessarytechnical and engineering support to carryout the smooth and expeditiousimplementation of mechanisation,popularisation of improved machinery andagricultural infrastructure projects.

39.18.1 Agricultural engineering inputs haveplayed an appreciable role in improving farmproductivity. Appropriate mechanisation not onlysaves time and labour but also cuts down cropproduction costs and reduces post-harvestlosses. It promotes sustainable use of naturalresources through machine assisted resource-conservation farming.

39.18.2 The agricultural engineering divisionshould accord priority to develop light-weightand low-cost power tools and machinery, toimprove field operations. Availability of skilledlabour to meet mechanisation of farming isalso vital. Many promising technologies andmachineries had been successfully tested bythe RTTC (Regional Testing and TrainingCentre) and they need to be demonstratedextensively for the adoption by the farmers.In this context, the RTTC needs to bestrengthened by providing modern equipmentsfor training. There is no hostel facilityassociated with RTTC, Vellayani and thatshould be provided to the Centre for impartingtrainings to make a skilled operatorpopulation.

39.18.3 Presently te responsibilities ofAgriculture Engineering Division include thepreparation of engineering designs, plans,specifications, project studies and estimates foragricultural amchinery, and product machinery,machinery testing, certification etc. They are alsotasked to manage or supervise agriculturalbuildings and structures, farm electrification andenergy systems, agricultural machineriesequipment, irrigation and soils conservationsystems and facilities, agricultural waste utilizationsystems and facilities. Apart from these the officesassociated with this division are doing trainingprogrammes and extension activities. Thereexists a huge shortage of man power in someoffices and that has to be addressed by theGovernment immediately as this is a vitalcomponent of the Department of Agriculturedealing with the most important issue ofmechanisation in the state.

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39.19 Policy 301: An adaptive researchmandate should be attributed to theDepartment of Agriculture to carry outresearch on location specific technologiesin the farmers fields.

39.19.1 At present the Department of Agricultureis conducting Farmer Field Schools (FFSs)under the ATMA programmes and CentralSector Schemes. Farmer field schools are apopular education and extension approachworldwide. Such schools use experientiallearning and a group approach to facilitatefarmers in making decisions, solving problems,and learning new techniques. The two importantcomponents such as experimental learning andlearning new techniques offer the Department thescope of conducting regional experiments for therefinement as well as the testing of the localfarmers’ practices. There exists a large bundleof Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) inthe farmer community. Under the presentsystem of research and extension there existsa complex issue of testing the new machineriesand technologies by an approved agencywhich in turn will be transferred to the Departmentfor extension. This creates a long time lag inproviding technologies to the farmers. In thiscontext there is the need to promoteDepartmental Research Programmes in farmersfields regarding newer technologies around theworld, newer machineries, ITKs etc. This willoffer a bright opportunity for the farmers to getthe technology as and when it is released andthe development of region specific technologies.

39.19.2 The farmers should be provided withincentives in the case of positive results andcompensation in the case of crop loss due tonegative results. At least 100 micro levelresearch programmes should be taken in an year.

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40. REVAMPING THE ANIMAL HUSBANDRYDEPARTMENT FOR BETTER SERVICE DELIVERY

40.1 Animal Husbandry sector accounts fornearby 40% State Domestic Product (SDP)of Agriculture & allied activities. This sectorhas ample potential to substantially enhancethe production of milk, egg and meat to meetthe domestic market demands as well as tocreate employment and income generatingopportunities for the rural poor for betterlivelihood support. Keeping in view the aboveaspects, a long term action plan and policyinitiatives are suggested for revamping theDepartment of Animal Husbandry for betterservice delivery.

40.2 It is necessary to streamline andstrengthen the Directorate of AnimalHusbandry by putting in place anorganizational structure for meeting the newchallenges in the field of livestockdevelopment and veterinary health care.

40.3 The major emphasis has been givenfor optimal utilization of Veterinariansincluding subject area specialists who areexperts in various disciplines, to meet thefunctional needs of the Department effectively.

40.4 All functions performed by theDepartment could be grouped into two groupsi.e., Technical Functions and Administrative-Fiscal Functions. Technical functions such thetreatment, breeding, feeding, management etc.are performed by the District and Panchayatlevel officers and employees throughdispensaries, hospitals, polyclinics andlaboratories, where as the Administrative andFiscal functions are carried out by the stateand district level supervisory offices.

40.5 Policy 302: It is proven beyond doubtthat to maintain the quality ofperformance and efficiency of keyactivities, staff attitude and behavior hasa major contribution and this principle isto be put in practice at the earliest.

40.5.1 The HRD section has a role to play intheir policy of recruitment, their developmentplans in terms of training, postings, transfersand promotions or their career planning. Themodifications in recruitment rules withpsychological tests and multi-skilledbehavioral assessment are specialized tasks.Therefore it is necessary to establish full-fledged HRD cell at the Directorate level.

40.5.2 Training and equipping the staff withexposure in the best institutions or centresof excellence, both within and outside thecountry should be taken up to improve theskill, attitude, aptitude and work output forcreating a quality workforce for thebetterment of the farming community.

40.5.3 The staff in regular posts also needspecialized training viz. fresh veterinary graduatesposted as extension officers have completelydifferent training needs than those posted at adispensary. Similarly, with a transfer of staff intonewer areas of operations, training should beobligatory to understand the intricacies of newposts and responsibilities. Such training plans willmotivate the staff for better performance. Thepresent training facilities within the departmentcan fulfil the induction level training needs,provided that the overall changes to this veryvital component of Human Resourcedevelopment are carried out.

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40.5.4 The staff who qualify for post graduatestudies are to be sent for post graduate coursesin Universities, Centres of Excellence, andDeemed Universities in India and abroad andCentral Institutes for sharpening the knowledgewhich will in turn add to the quality of theDepartment. Moreover, it is possible to create atask force on different issues as and whenrequired with the experts. It is to be seen that, atleast 15 officers every year shall be sent for thisprogramme.

40.6 Policy 303: The Animal HusbandryDepartment staff can be classified intogeneral staff and those having a specializedknowledge and skill, to maintain thequality of performance and efficiency ofkey activities.

40.6.1 To fulfil the department mission onquality parameters specialized staff has to bea part of the long-term policy. It isrecommended that to maintain the quality ofperformance and efficiency of key activities,the posting of specialists with requiredqualification and experience should be on toppriority. Their future development plans interms of postings, transfers and promotionshave to be planned in their specialized subjectarea by the HRD section. The recruitmentrules of such specific posts should be modified,mentioning the required qualification for theidentified posts.

40.7 Policy 304: Establishment ofDepartment level service providers at theTaluk level for better monitoring andeffective plan formulation andimplementation.

40.7.1 At present the grass root levelfunctionary in the Panchayt level is having twosets of institutions, viz., Veterinary Hospital/Dispensary and Sub Centre. The Panchayatlevel institution has no administrative controlover the Sub Centre due to the administrativecontrol exerted by the regional institutionnamely Regional Artificial InseminationCentre which is headed by an AssistantDirector. The Sub Centres of the State has amanpower of about 1400 LivestockInspectors. Due to the lack of administrativecontrol of the Panchayat level institutions thishuge man power could not be used effectivelyfor the important regional programmes.

40.7.2 Hence, the Regional AI Centresshould be restructured in to a new system ofadministration at Taluk level / Block levelwhich has administrative control over both theinstitutions. Since the Panchayat levelinstitutions are headed by Assistant Directorsalso, the proposed mechanism at the TalukLevel is to be headed by a Deputy Directorso that a miniature office of the Directorateat State level can be replicated for effectiveservice delivery and co ordination.

40.8 Policy 305: Quality should be ensuredin all Government purchases of drugs ratherthan low cost to assure the farmers gooddrugs.

40.8.1 It is recommended to form a State-leveltechnical committee of minimum 3 field-leveltechnical officers and a technical assistant of theDirectorate of Animal Husbandry to look intothe quality aspects at the time of procurement.Substandard drugs, instruments and othertechnical inputs seriously reflect on the

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effectiveness of treatment given. This technicalcommittee should scrutinize bulk purchases aswell as specialized purchases. There should amechanism to ensure the approval of ratecontracts within two months of the every financialyear. Purchases should be effected before theend of first quarter. The indents need to be inbuiltfrom the lowest working unit, considering the pastperformance and history. The product approvedfor procurement should be easily available inlocal market.

40.8.2 Since the resource poor farmer is theultimate beneficiary of all the Governmentprogrammes, while purchases regardingmedicines, vaccines, instruments, other essentialitems etc., are initiated; quality should be ensuredrather than going for the low priced items. TheGovernment should make necessary legalprovisions for doing the same.

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41. STATE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH POLICY

41.1 The Kerala Agricultural University isthe primary and the principal researchinstrumentality of the Kerala State inproviding human resources, skills andtechnology, required for the sustainabledevelopment of its agriculture, defined broadlyencompassing all production activities based on landand water, including crop production, animalhusbandry, forestry and fishery through conducting,interfacing and integrating education, research andextension in these spheres of economic endeavour.

41.2 The research contributions of KAU arewell known and appreciated by the farmingcommunity. Whether it be rice varieties like Jyothiand Uma or two hundred odd varieties of othercrops, including vegetables and spices or farmingtechnologies, the contributions of KAU areinvaluable.

41.3 Most rice varieties cultivated in the Stateincluding Uma, Jyothi and Prathyasha weredeveloped by the university over the years. It hasalso developed 56 varieties of vegetables includingbitter gourd and ladies finger. Six banana varieties,seven pepper and salinity-resistant rice varieties arethe contributions of the university. Besides Kerala,a large number of farmers in the neighbouring Statesof Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are using varietiesdeveloped by the university.

41.4 It has also been serving the State and itsfarmers through various extension activities. Smallfarm mechanisation, precision farming,improvement of productivity, value additionto agriculture produces and promoting agri-business will be the future thrust areas of theuniversity.

41.5 Policy 306: The Kerala AgriculturalUniversity has to redefine its mission,taking into consideration the present stageof agriculture scenario in the State.

41.5.1 The drastic reduction in agricultureholdings, reduced productivity and fallingincome are deterring youngsters from takingup agriculture. The ever increasing cost oflabour and acute shortage of farm workerstoo dissuade even those interested in farmingfrom the field. In the light of these facts thenew mission statement should recognise thatKerala agriculture now has expandedclientele including NGOs and the privatesector, and above all, a faster-growing middleclass population of more than 16.8 millionpeople with increased purchasing power in thestate.

41.5.2 The mission of the University must beto assure technologies to the small farmers ofthe state to deliver an income for a decentliving of which social status of them is to beimproved.

41.6 Policy 307: The debt burden of theUniversity has to be addressed by theGovernment by providing a one timegrant.

41.6.1 The present difficulties experienced bythe Agriculture University mainly due to theacquired debt of above Rs. 265 crores shouldnot be treated as an obstacle which could notbe erased out making the university self reliantresult producing and as an institution whichcould face any challenge and provides solutionto the problems faced by farmers as well as

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the State. We observe that its present financialburden though acquired due to undesirableand unfortunate reasons must not be allowedto wither one of the resource rich institutionswe have built up at a huge cost. Kerala'sfarming sector according to certain estimateis contributing physical produce worth overRupees one lakh crore. An institution likeKerala Agriculture University should betreated as a part of this great effort and itshould be made capable to help the farmersto make the returns from farming sector crosstwo lakh crores in another two decades. Theagricultural university may not be treated asa commercial organization and itscontributions must be evaluated usingdifferent norms.

41.7 Policy 308: The present practice ofproliferation of agricultural universitiesthrough creation of new universities,campuses, colleges and through bifurcationof existing universities is indeedcounterproductive and not in the interestof quality education.

41.7.1 This practice needs to be stopped at thestate level. On the other hand, there is an obviousneed for the consolidation and downsizing ofexisting institutions for efficient utilisation of limitedresources.

41.7.2 The trifurcation of the KAU into KeralaUniversity for Fisheries and Ocean Studies andthe Kerala University for Veterinary Sciences wasexpected to shed the liabilities. However, it hasonly increased the burden of the KAU. Underthe trifurcation package, it parted with some ofits holdings and staffers. While 75 staffers optedfor the Fisheries University, 160 went to theVeterinary University. However, the KAU

continues to pay the pension and otherretirement benefits to around 4,800 personsincluding those who served the fisheries andveterinary faculties of the undivided university.

41.8 Policy 309: The state government mustensure proper financial support to theagricultural university by allocating atleast 15 per cent of the total budget of thedepartments of agriculture, animalhusbandry, fishery, social forestry and anyother related to agriculture additionally.

41.8.1 Burgeoning debts, massive spending onsalary and pension of the staff and insufficientallocation from the Government are pinning theUniversity to the ground.

41.8.2 The KAU is one of the biggestemployers of the State with around 4,500persons including over 2,500 farm workers and1,800 ministerial staff in its pay rolls. Aftersplitting the annual plan fund between pensionsand salaries, precious little is left for the universityfor its projects. So the state Government shouldallocate sufficient funds for the research anddevelopment initiatives by the University for thebetterment of the farming community.

41.8.3 The State Governments should devisea mechanism to provide agricultural university alumpsum grant as core fund to be used in future,exclusively for the maintenance and renewal ofexisting infrastructural facilities on the campus.This will mitigate the effects of uncertain funding.

41.9 Policy 310: The disciplines andemerging areas must find a place in theteaching programmes of the agriculturaluniversities.

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41.9.1 With social, economic and scientificchanges, several new disciplines such as agri-business management, biotechnology,molecular taxonomy, environmental sciences,plant and animal genetic resources, intellectualproperty rights in relation to World TradeAgreement, Biodiversity Convention andother international commitments have becomeimportant. These disciplines and emergingareas must find a place in the teachingprogrammes of the agricultural university.

41.9.2 With the technological revolution, whichis recently getting a momentum through effectiveuse of genetic engineering and molecular biology,basic research is assuming pivotal importanceto provide a sound base for competitivetechnological advances. Basic sciences,therefore, need to be given adequate importanceby agricultural universities both in terms ofresource allocation and faculty involvement.

41.9.3 Social and behavioural sciencecomponents need to be given specificemphasis in view of our understanding of theinterdisciplinary character of the problems ofthe farming community.

41.10 Policy 311: A favourable environmentis to be created in the University forimproving the quality in research.

41.10.1 Success in research depends to a verylarge extent on the abilities and motivation of theindividual scientist as well as the opportunitiesafforded to him for carrying out his work withina favourable environment.

41.10.2 Continuous professional improvement ofthe available scientific talent in the university throughproviding opportunities for exposure to modern

scientific fields and also providing adequate trainingfor the research personnel will improve theefficiency.

41.10.3 Make available of adequate manpowerand infrastructure to carry out the researchworks in time.

41.10.4 The research personnel should beexempted from non-research tasks likeadministrative work so that they can concentratemore on the actual research work.

41.11 Policy 312: The research needs to beredefined based on the technologicaladvancements and farmers’ requirements.

41.11.1 One of the basic causes of farm problemis the failure of agriculture to keep abreast ofindustry in research and development. Farmers haveconcentrated on learning how to increase theiryields, leaving it up to the Government to worryabout their surpluses, while hundreds of newindustrial discoveries have pushed the farmer outof much of his market.

41.11.2 The university has to address this problemin the new perspectives that natural and organicproducts are gaining momentum in the new world.The research should be oriented in such a waythat the farmers should ultimately gain from theirproduction.

41.12 Policy 313: The University shouldfocus on the new areas of research.

41.12.1 Advancements in the newer areas like• Retention, enhancement or restoration ofsoil productivity• Responding to challenges posed by novelpests and pathogens, including exotic species

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or species expected to be a greater problembecause of changing field conditions.• Decreasing the need for water or fertilizersby improving the efficiency of applying theseinputs or developing more use-efficient crops,equipments and cropping systems• Developing automation and mechanizationto enhance the efficiency, safety, andeconomic sustainability of food productionand processing systems.• Increasing water and air environmentalquality as part of sustainable agriculturalproduction systems.• Improving agricultural and environmentalpractices at the urban-rural interface.• Decreasing the chemical or microbiologicalcontamination of food.• Improving the understanding and applicationof knowledge about functional foods aimedat improving health and nutrition.• Developing production, marketing, anddistribution systems to support emergingregional and local food systems.• Developing new or improved mechanisms(i.e., criteria or indicators) for assessingsustainability of practices, productionsystems, and/or industries.• Developing new crop varieties for shadetolerance and increased productivity such ashybrid varieties of rice.

41.13 Policy 314: The AgriculturalUniversity is to be made a goal orientedorganization and the autonomous nature ofthe institution is to be assured by makingimprovements in the general administrationfocussing only on research accomplish-ments. ICAR Model Act should be enactedsoon.

41.13.1 It was observed that there are someproblems associated with the generaladministration of the University. Sometimes theadministrative mechanism like the differentcouncils are deviating from the main functionsof the University and thus making seriousobstructions in the efficient functioning. ICARModel Act for Agricultural Universities isactually a solution for the same. The policyapproach from the part of the Governmentwould be to make the Agricultural Universitya platform of expertise rather than a mereacademic institution. For making a big leap inthe academic excellence, quality in researchand efficient extension; ICAR Model Actshould be enacted for redesigning theadministrative mechanism so that the requiredtechnical expertise is being put in place forthe efficient functioning.

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42. POLICIES FOR RESEARCH PRIORITIZATION INLIVESTOCK SECTOR

42.1 The livestock sector globally is highlydynamic. In developing countries, it isevolving in response to rapidly increasingdemand for livestock products. In developedcountries, demand for livestock products isstagnating, while many production systems areincreasing their efficiency and environmentalsustainability.

42.2 Historical changes in the demand forlivestock products have been largely drivenby human population growth, income growthand urbanization and the production responsein different livestock systems has beenassociated with science and technology as wellas increases in animal numbers. In the future,production will increasingly be affected bycompetition for natural resources, particularlyland and water, competition between food andfeed and by the need to operate in a carbon-constrained economy. Developments inbreeding, nutrition and animal health willcontinue to contribute to increasing potentialproduction and further efficiency and geneticgains.

42.3 Policy 315: If past changes indemand for livestock products have beenmet by a combination of conventionaltechniques, such as breed substitution,cross-breeding and within-breed selection,future changes are likely to be metincreasingly from new techniques.

42.3.1 The KVASU should developtechnologies for mass production of sexedsemen for use within and outside the state.This would become a major revenuegenerating technology for the KVASU.

42.3.2 The modern facilities and expertiseneeded in the breeding front has to be impartedto the University by international collaborationprogrammes.

42.3.3 Rates of genetic change achieved inbeef cattle and goat populations aresubstantially lower than what is theoreticallypossible. The technologies in the geneticimprovement sector is to be formulated by anintensive research and developmentprogramme by the University.

42.4 Policy 316: A considerable body ofwork exists associated with the dynamicsof digestion, and feed intake and animalperformance and has to be undertaken bythe KVASU.

42.4.1 A large agenda of work still remainsconcerning the robust prediction of animalgrowth, body composition, feed requirements,the outputs of waste products from the animaland production costs. Such work could go along way to help improve the efficiency oflivestock production and meeting theexpectations of consumers and the demandsof regulatory authorities. Advances ingenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics andmetabolomics will continue to contribute tothe field of animal nutrition and predictionsrelating to growth and development. Betterunderstanding of the processes involved inanimal nutrition could also contribute toimproved management of some of the trade-offs that operate at high levels of animalperformance, such as those associated withlower reproductive performance.

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42.4.2 Considerable work is under way toaddress some of the issues associated withvarious antinutritional factors. These includemethods to reduce the tannin content of treeand shrub material, the addition of essential oilsthat may be beneficial in ruminant nutrition andthe use of other additives such as enzymes thatcan lead to beneficial effects on livestockperformance.

42.5 Policy 317: The infectious disease threatwill remain diverse and dynamic, andcombating the emergence of completelyunexpected diseases will require detectionsystems that are flexible and adaptable in theface of change.

42.5.1 New diseases have emerged, such asavian influenza H5N1, which have causedconsiderable global concern about thepotential for a change in host species frompoultry to man and an emerging globalpandemic of human influenza. Thisnecessitates the development of a detectionsystem which is fast and accurate.

42.5.2 Over the long term, future diseasetrends could be heavily modified by climatechange. For some vector-borne diseases suchas malaria, trypanosomiasis and bluetongue,climate change may shift the geographicalareas where the climate is suitable for thevector, but these shifts are not generallyanticipated to be major over the next 20 years.There is evidence that climate change,especially elevated temperature, has alreadychanged the overall abundance, seasonality andspatial spread of endemic Helminths in thecountry. This has obvious implications for policy-makers and the goat and cattle rearers, and raisesthe need for improved diagnosis and early

detection of livestock parasitic disease, alongwith greatly increased awareness andpreparedness to deal with disease patterns thatare manifestly changing.

42.5.3 The future infectious disease situationis going to be different from today's , and willreflect many changes, including changes in meanclimate and climate variability, demographicchange and different technologies for combatinginfectious diseases. So the University has todevelop concurrent research strategies formeeting these challenges.

42.6 Policy 318: Compared with thebiophysical environment, the social andcultural contexts of livestock and livestockproduction are probably not that wellunderstood and an integrated researchapproach is needed on this line.

42.6.1 The research undertaken by the researchsystem sometimes becomes quality eroded andresearch oriented. It should be reoriented in sucha way that by doing the research in publicdomain, the ultimate beneficiary should be thefarmer who is producing food for all.

42.6.2 Inevitably, the cultural and social rolesof livestock will continue to change, and manyof the resultant impacts on livelihoods and foodsecurity may not be positive. Social and culturalchanges are likewise taking place everywhereand the research should contemporarily change.

42.6.3 The results thus generated has to bedisseminated to the field by the most effectiveextension methodology so that the ripe fruitof the research should become consumableto the farmer at the right time withoutdecaying.

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43.POLICIES FOR MOTIVATING FARMERS

43.1 The Awards are designed to promotea positive image of Kerala farmers and farmingfamilies, inspire and encourage career choicesand investment interest in agriculture. Theawards acknowledge farmers whodemonstrate a highly professional, innovativeand sustainable approach to agriculturalproduction, successfully increasing returnsand decreasing input costs. Those focused onthe future sustainability of their farmingenterprise and the advancement of the wideragricultural canvas will be highly recognisedfor motivating them as well as others.

43.2 The State Government introducedawards in agricultural sector during 1993 asa part of the approved policy of theGovernment. The system was a novel one andnot being found anywhere in India. But dueto a host of reasons the efficacy of the awardswas found to be in a declining mode. If theproposed growth in agriculture sector is tobe made a reality, the motivational aspectshave a decisive role. Hence the Governmentshould take strict policy initiatives fordisbursing the awards in agriculture sector tothose who really deserves it and in a timebound and impartial manner.

43.3 Policy 319: The state agriculturalawards must be distributed in the same weekalong with the ‘Farmers Day’ celebration inevery two years.

43.3.1 The agricultural awards are theprestigious awards in Kearala, which isinitiated by the Government of Kerala for the

first time in the country. The awards aim tohighlight the important role of farmers andthe good work they are already doing,providing excellent examples that others canlearn from. It is also intended to promotecooperation around the region in order tofurther the application, and promotion, ofgood cultural practices in the agriculturalsector.

43.3.2 In order to provide sufficient time forpreparing themselves for the awards, the StateAgricultural Awards are to be presented oncein two years with periodic revision in the prizemoney. It shall be distributed in the week inwhich the ‘Farmers’ Day’ is celebrated everyyear.

43.4 Policy 320: The selection criteriashould be modified and codified based onthe modern principles and assessmentshould be done impartially and flaw free.

43.4.1 The criteria for selection has to bemodified based on the modern principles. Theeffort of the farmer and the output generatedin his livelihood is to be considered whilecodifying the procedures.

43.4.2 The members of the selectioncommittee should be selected based on theirexpertise in the different components and theyshould personally be present at the time offield visits and scrutiny. At any cost the workshould not be delegated. There must beearnest effort to make it a flaw free exercise.

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44. BIOTECHNOLOGY AND GM CROPSRELATED POLICIES

44.1 For about 10,000 years , farmers havebeen improving wild plants and animalsthrough the selection and breeding of desirablecharacteristics. This breeding has resulted inthe domesticated plants and animals that arecommonly used in crop and livestockagriculture. In the twentieth century, breedingbecame more sophisticated, as the traits thatbreeders select for include increased yield,disease and pest resistance, drought resistanceand enhanced vigour. Traits are passed fromone generation to the next through genes,which are made of DNA. Recently, scientistshave learned enough to begin to identify andwork with the genes (DNA) that areresponsible for traits.

44.2 Agricultural biotechnology is acollection of scientific techniques used toimprove plants, animals and microorganisms.Based on an understanding of DNA, scientistshave developed solutions to increaseagricultural productivity. Starting from theability to identify genes that may conferadvantages on certain crops, and the abilityto work with such characteristics veryprecisely, biotechnology enhances breeders’ability to make improvements in crops andlivestock. Biotechnology enablesimprovements that are not possible withtraditional crossing of related species alone.

44.3 Government of Kerala announced itsBiotechnology Policy in 2003. The BT policyfor Kerala is designed to catalyze thedevelopment and application of BT, takingadvantage of the State’s resources andemphasizing its specific needs while meetingglobal requirements. The policy is aimed toensure the rapid exploitation of pipelinetechnologies and opportunities available in theState to products and processes and topromote the sustained build-up of an eliteknowledge cadre and knowledge base.

44.4 During 2008 Govt. of Kerala hasreconstituted both the Kerala StateBiotechnology Board and KeralaBiotechnology Commission. The KeralaBiotechnology Commission is responsible forthe implementation of the BT policy and otherguideline laid down by the BT Board.

44.5 Hence the policies regarding the BioTechnology and GM crops are not dealt indetail. However, the policies may be framedfor protecting interests of the farmer who arethe guardians of agriculture, to feed themillions. The research has to continue andenvironmental, biological, economic andsocial impacts are to be worked out beforelaunching the GM crops for field trial andwidespread adoption.

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45. POLICIES FOR EMPOWERING THEWEAKER SECTIONS

45.1 Research studies indicated that theweaker sections were at risk like tribal amongthe regions, marginal farmers among the sizegroups and women among the gender inKerala. However, complementarity ofenterprises ensured livelihood. Hence policyintervention is required to prevent furthermarginalisation.

45.2 Throughout the world, lion’s share ofunpaid work is undertaken by women andwork in the family constitutes majority of suchoccasions. Economic activities of family in thefarm or backyard are also shared by women.Role and share of women in decision making,work performance and pattern of time usehighlights gender dimensions in agriculture.

45.3 The tribal population in Kerala Stateestimated to be more than 1% of the totalpopulation is the most economically andsocially deprived class. Majority of the tribalslive in rural areas and within the forestl andsof the Western Ghats. Most of the tribal peopleare engaged in agriculture and related sector.The economy of the tribals can be treated as‘agrarian’ since the tribals depend on primaryoccupations like cultivation, livestock,hunting, fishing etc. There are also concernsabout the failure of traditional agriculturalsector of the tribals which has caused a setbackin the financial status of the people there.

45.4 Policy 321: The Government wouldsoon take urgent steps for revivingtraditional agricultural sector of tribals bya massive programme combining thetraditional knowledge and moderntechnologies.

45.4.1 Any effort towards improving the socio-economic condition of the tribal population toattain self sufficiency and self reliance shouldbegin with the proper utilization of the land baseat their disposal for developmental activities.Through the watershed studies a more realistic,comprehensive and effective soil conservationstrategy have to be devised where evernecessary to protect the lone natural resourceat the disposal of tribals – their agriculturalland.

45.4.2 There are creative ways to adapt togiven situations. Pressures on land and watercan be reduced through new practices andtechniques that boost yields, use soils andwater more sensibly, and reduce their relianceon inputs – techniques such as drip-feedirrigation, water harvesting, agroforestry,intercropping, and the use of organic manures.The intercropping methods that combine treesand other plants in a manner that takesadvantage of natural ecological niches areanother adaptation.

45.4.3 Setting up seed - grain banks at thetribal village level has been one of theimportant methods adopted by communitiesto overcome the problem of seed and grainshortages when they are required. Suchdecentralized system where tribals themselvesplan, manage and undertake all stages of foodproduction, storage, distribution andmanagement are found to be more sustainablein providing food security at local level.

45.4.4 A cluster approach in this regard isnecessary. The tribal communities are to beprompted to make suitable self managed groups

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for the effective implementation. Moderntechnologies like High tech Farming andprecision farming are to be introduced in thebarren lands and refined traditional knowledgein the traditional fields. An integrated approachwith livestock, backyard poultry and inlandfisheries along with crop husbandry is to beadopted. The approach should be to make themopen to the modern world with hand holdingsupport of the development agencies andbringing them to the main stream.

45.4.5 This entire programme is to be operatedin a project mode and a Special Officer withgood capability should be posted soon.

45.5 Policy 322: Appropriate farm tools,improved crops, integrated pestmanagement techniques, conservationagriculture, biological nitrogen fixation andother context-specific technologies shouldbe targeted for development and forenhanced access by women.

45.5.1 There is a need for effectiveempowerment of women among the membershipand leadership positions in producerorganizations, cooperatives, workers’ unions,and outgrower schemes to ensure that ruralwomen have a stronger voice and decision-making power. At the same time, it is necessaryto promote gender sensitivity withinrepresentative bodies through the training of bothmen and women representatives, as this doesnot derive automatically from women’sparticipation. A majority of routine work oflivestock rearing is done by women. Hence it isof utmost importance to bring awareness amongthem about the scientific dairy farming by givingthem on-farm trials.

45.5.2 Extension services are important fordiffusing technology and good practices, butreaching female farmers requires carefulconsideration. In some contexts, it is culturallymore acceptable for female farmers to interactwith female extension agents, and hiringfemale extension agents can be an effectivemeans of reaching female farmers. Thispreference is not universal, however, so inmany cases properly trained male extensionagents may be able to provide equally effectiveservices. Whether male or female, extensionagents must be sensitive to the realities, needsand constraints of rural women. Extensionservices for women must consider all the rolesof women; women’s needs as farmers areoften neglected in favour of programmesaimed at household responsibilities. Extensionsystems will also have to be more innovativeand flexible to account for social and culturalobstacles and for time and mobilityconstraints.

45.5.3 Appropriate farm tools, improvedcrops, integrated pest managementtechniques, conservation agriculture,biological nitrogen fixation and other context-specific technologies should also be targetedfor development and for enhanced access bywomen. Conducting baseline surveys ofhouseholds and communities before newtechnologies are introduced may help predicthow men and women will be affected by them.Greater involvement of women in agriculturalresearch and higher education could alsoenhance the development of female-friendlytechnology.

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46. POLICY FOR STREAMLINING PSUS INAGRICULTURAL SECTOR

46.1 Farming sector in Kerala has theadvantage of several public sectorundertakings formed for providing moreassistance to the farmers as well as doing agrobusiness and generate non tax revenue. Theyhave mainly two roles to perform, one as idealbusiness enterprises and other as agenciesproviding assistance to the farmers mostly inthe post harvest handling of crops andprocessing livestock wealth. 16 corporationsare functioning under the Department ofAgriculture and 5 corporations arefunctioning under the Animal HusbandryDepartment. Due to various reasons thefunctioning of these organizations have notproduced success at the desired levels whencompared to the huge investment and hopesput on them by the state and the farming andconsumer population.

46.2 Policy 323: Radical change isnecessary to make PSU’s functioning morefarmer and consumer friendly and no morePSUs are to be made in the light of FPOs.

46.3 As a policy, the state Government wouldnot not give shape to any more public sectororganizations in future, on the grounds that, theidea of Farmer Producer Companies havealready gained acceptance of Government ofIndia at the national level. Farmer producingcompanies are expected to be more farmer'friendly and beneficial to the farmers rather thangoing in for making huge profit. Even the famousco-operative organizations are accepting theconcept of farmer producers companies and itis high time to have a strict policy measure in thisarena of activities.

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Agriculture is expected to fulfil a variety offunctions. It contributes to the supply of safeand high quality food in a competitive market, tomaintain valuable cultural landscapes across theState through sustainable land management andto help rural areas to remain attractive and viable.At the same time, agriculture is undergoingfundamental changes which require farmers toadapt to new conditions and seize newopportunities.

Farmers face the challenge of providing food ina more and more open market. They areexpected to produce at competitive prices and,at the same time, to respond to societalexpectations concerning high product quality, highlevels of food safety, animal welfare, andenvironmentally sound farming practices.

Thus, the Government understand that aneconomically sustainable agricultural sector in theState depends, among others, on developing thefarmers’ capacity for adapting to new marketsituations and responding to new economic andtechnological opportunities. For this purpose theAgricultural Development Policy of the State isframed.

The role and impact of the State and relatedinstitutions and functioning of the agriculturesystems expressed principally through policies,programs, institution, services and publicinvestment in farming. Farmer is needed forsustaining the agriculture. Every nations areeagerly looking at India for the food production.The State of Kerala has all the natural resourcesmaking the name meaningful - ‘God’s OwnCountry’. It is capable to produce any productwhich is grown in India. It is being rememberedhere -

“if India is going backward in agriculture,there would not be any country in the worldto produce food for India”.

We salutethe farming communitywho strive hard toSustain Humanity..

CONCLUSION