Resource use management among coconut growers of Kerala

Abstract

The present study was conducted during 1992-’94 to assess the resource use management among coconut growers of Kerala. The data were collected with the help of a pretested structured interview schedule from randomly selected 225 respondents representing the three major geographical zones of Kerala viz., North, Central and South. The dependent variable resource use management was measured using an index developed for the purpose of the study under eight identified components namely, ‘land management’, ‘water management’, ‘management of manures’, fertilizer management’, ‘pesticide management’, ‘labour management’, ‘information management’ and ‘capital management’. The analysis revealed that all the components were positively and significantly related to resource use management. However, the maximum contribution to income was found to be from water management, fertilizer management and capital management. Analysis showed that nearly 70 per cent of the respondents were in the medium category of resource use management. Only 18.67 per cent recorded high efficiency in resource use management. Zone-wise analysis revealed that central zone farmers were more efficient in the management of water, manures, fertilizers and pesticides. In the case of land management and labour management south zone was found more efficient. While north zone showed better efficiency in information and capital management. Among the selected 15 independent variables farm size, achievement motivation, knowledge on scientific management and extension participation were found to contribute significantly to the variations in resource use management. The highest direct and indirect effect on resource use management was due to achievement motivation and economic motivation. The major constraints perceived by the farmers in resource use management were in the order of ‘high labour cost’, ‘scarcity of irrigation water’, ‘high cost of fertilizers’ and ‘poor returns from coconut cultivation due to low market price’.