MSc

Cluster approach in integrated coconut management is a programme implemented by the Coconut Development Board in which a contiguous area extending up to 25 hectares is registered as a cluster. Landholdings ranging from five cents to four acres, accommodating one to 200 palms are included in the cluster and the scheme envisages a financial assistance up to Rs 7000 per acre for two consecutive years. The programme was implemented on a pilot basis in the year 2005-06 in four clusters of Alappuzha district viz. Kanjikuzhy, Pattanakkadu, Uzhuva and Muthukulam. The study was intended to assess the trend in area, production and productivity of coconut in Kerala as well as Alappuzha district and to assess the changes in coconut crop status and income status of farmer groups.

Simple random sampling technique was adopted for the selection of respondent farmers from all the four clusters viz. Kanjikuzhy, Pattanakkadu, Uzhuva and Muthukulam. From each cluster, 40 farmers were selected at random, making a total sample size of 160. After collection of data, the selected sample was post stratified into two classes based on the cultivable area. Class I included farmers having cultivable area up to 50 cents and Class II accommodated the farmers having cultivable area above 50 cents. For analyzing the trend in area, production and productivity of coconut in Kerala and Alappuzha district, data from 1975-76 to 2005-06 and 1983-84 to 2005-06 respectively were collected from the records of Coconut Development Board. Data for Alappuzha district were collected from 1983-84 onwards, prior to which Pathanamthitta was a part of Alappuzha.

For studying the trend in area, production and productivity, the whole period was divided into sub-periods: Pre-WTO period (1975-76 to 1994-95) and Post-WTO period (1995-96 to 2005-06). In the case of Alappuzha district, the Pre-WTO period extended from 1983-84 onwards. Growth rates were estimated by using exponential model for the whole period and kinked exponential model for the sub-periods. In Kerala, the growth rate of production (2.7 per cent) showed a positive and increasing trend and was equally contributed by area (1.37 per cent) and productivity (1.38 per cent) during the whole period. In Pre-WTO period, growth in production (1.86 per cent) was attributed to expansion in area (1.18 per cent), even when the growth in productivity (0.82 per cent) was stagnant, whereas in Post-WTO period, the effect of productivity (2.17 per cent) was more pronounced, compared to growth in area (1.04 per cent) which resulted in a commendable growth in production (3.15 per cent). In case of Alappuzha district, growth in production (1.1 per cent) was more or less equally contributed by expansion of area (0.48 per cent) and growth in productivity (0.63 per cent) for the whole period. The increasing trend of production in Pre-WTO period was mainly due to expansion in area (1.68 per cent) even when the growth rate of productivity (-0.36 per cent) showed a negative trend whereas in Post-WTO period, the growth in production (0.54 per cent) was stagnant, which was mainly due to the decline in area (-1.12 per cent).

Shift in cropping pattern and cropping intensity were studied and it was found that the area under coconut increased in absolute terms though it showed a decline in relative terms during the post-project period when compared to the pre-project period which was due to the more proportion of area brought under intercrops cultivation. Cropping intensity also showed a slight increase in the post-project period compared to earlier and the increase was from 108 to 109 per cent for the overall sample. After the project implementation, gross expenses showed an increase of about 23 percent due to the increased cultivation of intercrops and scientific management practices followed in the coconut gardens. Yield of coconut showed a slight increase. It is expected in a perennial crop like coconut when more time is required for getting stabilized yield. Gross returns also showed an increase of 17.9 percent, due to the increase in crop productivity as well as additional returns realized from cultivation of intercrops and also due to the increased selling of tender nuts and seed nuts. During the project period, the Coconut Development Board spent an amount of Rs 14.32 lakhs towards the implementation of the programme. It could generate Rs 17.49 lakhs worth additional benefit to the society through enhanced productivity and additional income generation alone. There were indirect impacts like additional employment generation and commissioning of ancillary units, which could not be quantified. Once these indirect benefits are also accounted, the social gains could be much higher.

The major constraints experienced in the programme were lack of marketing facilities and unavailability of skilled labour for harvesting and plant protection.