Analysis of production and marketing of paddy in thrissur-ponnani kole wet lands

The area under paddy cultivation in Kerala has been declining consistently over the last several years. The gap between production and consumption of rice is widening every year. The Kole lands are one of the largest and highly productive wetlands in Kerala. It is the largest wetland system in India, included as a Ramsar site in 2002. The paddy produced in Kole lands is procured by Government through Civil Supplies Corporation at a fixed price. Moreover due to paucity of adequate funds, the farmers have to wait for months to receive payment from Civil Supplies Corporation after procurement. Due to the diminishing and fluctuating returns, the farmers are either giving up paddy cultivation or leaving paddy fields barren. This is a major threat to the already fragile food security and the ecological balance of Kerala. This study made an attempt to review the trends and challenges of paddy cultivation in Thrissur-Ponnani Kole lands. Shortage of labour, rising cost of production and low return on investment are some of the major problems faced by the farmers. It is being realised that only through the establishment of a market driven and farmer owned integrated value chain of paddy, the farmers can be ensured a fair price for their produce.