Homestead farms in Northern Kerala - Their basic characteristics and socio-economic status
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Date
2007-08
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Publisher
Indian Society for Plantation Crops
Abstract
A study on the crop diversity, farming practices followed, availability of credit and marketing facilities, constraints faced and economics of cultivation in homestead farms was undertaken in 815 homestead farms of four northern districts of Kerala (Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikkode and Malappuram) during August-October, 2002, using an interview schedule and Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques. The results indicated that the size of homestead fanns ranged from 0.04 ha to 2.40 ha with an average of 0.54 ha and coconut based cropping system was the most predominant system followed by majority of farmers (98.0 per cent). In general, only a small percentage of farmers (6.5) were found to adopt various package of practices for crop production. Family labour alone was used in 56.0 per cent of the homestead farms, whereas in around 17.0 per cent of farms, only hired labour was used to carry out some kind of cultural operation. The sale of farm commodities was mostly through middlemen (68.4 per cent) thus making the marketing system most unprofitable. As the size of homestead farms increases, there is an increase in the investment made and the profit obtained on account of cultivation of more inter crops and inclusion of other enterprises. The net profit of small and medium sized homestead farms (< 0.5 ha and 0.51 to 1.0 ha) ranged fmm Rs. 4,815 to Rs. 8,050 and from Rs. 8,650 to Rs. 11,500 in the case of Malappuram and Kozhikkode dishicts, respectively. The trend in the case of large homestead farms p1.0 ha) was different, wherein the net profit ranged from Rs. 14,650 in b u rdi strict to Rs. 18,975 in Malappuram district. High cost of cultivation, low availability of labour, lack of credit facility and availability of technical information, non-availabilityof inputs in time as well as storage and marketing facilities for commodities, non-availability of quality planting materials etc are the major constraints experienced by the fanners for successful maintenance of homestead farms.
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Keywords
Homestead farms, farmer participatory approach, crop diversity, constraints
Citation
Journal of Plantation Crops. 2007, 35 (2) : 106-110