Consequences of conversion of marginal homesteads for planting rubber in Kottayam district

Abstract

A study was conducted in Kottayam district to find out the causes and consequences with respect to the nature, extent and conversion (composite index developed from nature and extent) of marginal homesteads for planting rubber. The respondents included 200 convertors and 100 non-convertors. The study revealed that outmigration of hired labour, availability of hired labour, farming experience and perception about attributes of rubber cultivation could explain the maximum discrimination between convertors and non-convertors. Among the eighteen independent variables selected, availability of family labour and number of crops emerged as the most important factors influencing conversion. Gross cropped area and number of crops could explain the maximum variability of conversion. Net area under rubber was the factor which exerted maximum influence on other variables effecting conversion. The most important consequences of conversion expressed by convertors were outmigration of hired labour, outmigration of family labour, soil loss (erosion) based on magnitude and decrease in water availability, increase in social status and decrease in water table based on directionality. Community based land use strategy which involved production and sharing of farm produce among groups of individual homesteads based on similarity of topography, soil type, water resource dependence, local needs may become inevitable to sustain and maintain the diverse requirements of local communities in place of conversion of homesteads to monocrops like rubber alone. Rubber could only become a part of such land use systems.