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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Efforts to revive Kerala’s saline water rice farming-V Sanjeev Kumar

Efforts to revive Kerala’s saline water rice farming-V Sanjeev Kumar

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published Published on May 16, 2014   modified Modified on May 16, 2014
-The Hindu Business Line
 

Pokkali cultivation gets help from Krishi Vigyan Kendra and fisheries research body

KOCHI: Kerala's Pokkali farming, a unique saline tolerant rice variety that is facing extinction, could be on a revival path if efforts of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Ernakulam) under the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute bear fruit.

This old and traditional method of cultivation has been reduced to less than 1,000 hectares in the coastal areas of Ernakulam and in some parts of Thrissur and Alappuzha from 25,000 hectares a quarter century ago.

It is a typical farming system in which paddy and shrimp cultures are alternatively carried out in the same field. The farming is organic in nature and no chemicals are used as farmers have to cultivate for export-oriented shrimps next season. Paddy is cultivated from June to early November.

Shinoj Subramanian, Programme Coordinator, and Vikas P.A., a KVK specialist in the subject, said that Pokkali farmers faced problems from white spot virus disease in shrimps, high labour costs, lack of suitable machinery, climate change, low productivity of traditional rice varieties and pollution.

Taking into account all these factors, KVK has decided to involve itself in resolving the issues connected with its farming practice by extending adequate support by supplying machineries for field preparation and harvesting.

It will also launch Pokkali varieties that yield more. To augment income from the unit area, KVK will also initiate steps to assure a premium market for Pokkali products, the officials said.

The productivity of Pokkali paddy is now in the range of 1.5 tonne/hectare for local varieties and only 2.5 tonnes for improved varieties. This is against the productivity of 5.2 tonnes/hectare for hybrid paddy varieties commonly cultivated elsewhere.

KVK has also introduced a new package of practice to augment income from unit area of Pokkali field by integrating high density cage culture of high value candidate fin fishes (Pearl Spot and Mullet) along with shrimp without disturbing the paddy farming.

The fixed cost for cage culture in a one hectare of field works out to be 88,000. Since the assets can be used for five years, the fixed cost per year would be 17,600. Initial investment will be provided as loan to farmers through financial institutions with KVK providing technical assistance.


The Hindu Business Line, 14 May, 2014, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/efforts-to-revive-keralas-saline-water-rice-farming/article6009193.ece


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