Rice fields in Alappuzha, Kerala

Paddy cultivation in Kerala has witnessed a steady decline since the 1980s. The sharp fall in the area under paddy cultivation as well as in the quantity of rice produced in the State has had important implications for Kerala's economic, ecological and social development. Over the last five years, however, there have been commendable signs of a revival in rice production in Kerala. A new sense of purpose and enthusiasm is visible now among paddy cultivators in Palakkad, a region that is referred to as the "rice bowl" of Kerala. This field report, which is based partly on interviews with farmers, government officials and leaders of mass organizations in Palakkad, is an account of some of the long-term challenges facing paddy cultivation in Kerala. It also attempts to review the policy initiatives of the State and local Governments over the last few years that have helped revive rice cultivation in Kerala. Rice is the staple food of the people of Kerala, and, traditionally, the cultivation of rice has occupied pride of place in the agrarian economy of the State. The lush green of paddy fields is one of the most captivating features of Kerala's landscape. The area under paddy cultivation increased substantially during the first fifteen years after the State's formation – from 7,60,000 hectares in 1955–56 to 8,80,000 hectares in 1970–71. In 1965–66, rice accounted for the highest share of gross cropped area in Kerala (32 per cent of the total). There was, however, a steady decline in the area under rice cultivation from the 1980s onwards – from 8,50,000 hectares in 1980–81 to 5,60,000 hectares in 1990–91, 3,20,000 hectares in 2001–02 and 2,30,000 hectares in 2007–08. Today, rice occupies only the third position among Kerala's agricultural crops with respect to area under cultivation, and it is far behind coconut and rubber. Source : http://www.ras.org.in/paddy_cultivation_in_kerala This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The Wilderness Films India collection comprises of 50, 000+ hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, HDV and XDCAM. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world... Please subscribe to our channel wildfilmsindia on Youtube for a steady stream of videos from across India. Also, visit and enjoy your journey across India at www.clipahoy.com , India's first video-based social networking experience! Reach us at rupindang @ gmail . com and admin@wildfilmsindia.com