The Agriculture Department’s Performance Budget document for the 2024-25 fiscal period highlighted the need for targeted measures and strict enforcement of the Kerala Paddy and Wetlands Conservation Act to reverse the long-term decline in rice production and paddy area in Kerala.
A document tabled by the finance department in the current session of the assembly calls for a “coordinated approach” involving local government institutions and the water resources department to stop further shrinking of paddy land. The suggestions and recommendations in the document assume significance in the context of the ongoing row over a letter from the Union government asking Kerala to stop providing additional paddy bonuses. In fact, the Performance Budget document recommends “tax credits or subsidies linked to cultivation” to encourage the conservation of rice land in Kerala.
Among other things, the document urges the Ministry of Agriculture to explore the possibility of setting up village-level monitoring committees, a digital land monitoring system and land banking mechanisms. “Rice area in Kerala has declined drastically from 8.75 lakh hectares in 1970-71 to 1.8 lakh hectares in 2023-24, accompanied by a sharp decline in production. In this context, the agriculture department needs to adopt a comprehensive strategy for rice recovery that will focus on soil conservation, scientific farming practices and timely farm operations at the district level.”
Another recommendation
Other recommendations include “special intervention packages” for Kuttanad and Palakkad and the lands of Kole and Pokkali (historically the centers of rice production in Kerala), a focus on mechanization, programs to support farmers’ incomes, reduce production costs and encourage youth participation. The Ministry of Agriculture has also been called upon to coordinate with the Revenue and local authorities to ensure strict enforcement of the Rice Lands and Wetlands Act, given the already visible effects of urbanization and real estate pressure on wetlands and rice fields.
In Kerala, the area under paddy and production fell from 3.47 lakh hectares and 7.51 lakh tonnes in 2000-01 to 1.76 lakh hectares and 5.30 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. While rice production at the national level rose from 275.6 million tonnes in 1955-56 to 1,490.74 million tonnes in 2024-25, Kerala’s production fell from 8.69 million tonnes to 5.30 million tonnes in the same period, data released by government agencies shows. On the other hand, rice productivity (kg/hectare) in Kerala increased from 2,827 kg in 2013–14 to 3,117 kg in 2022–23 but declined to 3,006 kg in 2024–25.
Published – 11 Feb 2026 19:04 IST