The Hindu

Mangalore, Jun 22: Kharif operations in the district have begun on a dismal note following the delayed onset of the monsoon. By this time of the season, the first phase of operations should have been over. However, owing to the delay in the monsoon, only 22,000 hectares of land have been cultivated as against 33,000 hectares in the last season.

The main crop of the kharif season in the district is paddy. Senior farmers in the district recall that just 35 years ago, paddy was being cultivated on nearly 65,000 hectares of land in the district. However, this area of land has declined rapidly over the years. Today, according to the Agriculture Department, only 35,000 hectares of land are available for the cultivation of paddy crops. Agricultural land is now increasingly being used for horticulture, plantations, and floriculture.
Reasons

There are several reasons for this change. The main reason is the non-availability of labour for paddy cultivation. Senior farmer Ramesh Shetty of Miyaru in Buntwal taluk says that the Bunt community, which is predominantly a farming people, has been experiencing a migration of its youth to different jobs and white-collar jobs elsewhere in the country.

They have become successful hoteliers, businessmen and professionals in different fields.

Likewise, there has been a great lateral movement even among the present generation of the labour class, whereby many are migrating in search of jobs to the cities, and some are even seeking to pursue higher education.

Other reasons for the change in the use of agricultural land include the high cost of inputs for paddy cultivation and smaller holdings that become uneconomical for cultivation.

The district, in accordance with the new agricultural policy of the State, has increased its coverage of kharif area by 4.5 per cent both in terms of land as well as its target for yield for the current season. Four taluks in Dakshina Kannada district, namely Mangalore, Puttur, Buntwal and Belthangady, have a moderate to high concentration of agricultural land. In Sullia, however, the area of agricultural land on which kharif crops are being cultivated has dwindled to a mere 485 hectares, as the taluk has converted most of its agricultural land into horticultural and commercial plantations, mainly of areca and rubber respectively.

The Agriculture Department aims to cultivate kharif crops on 35,000 hectares of land in the district this year. The district has also begun preparations to double its paddy production in the next ten years according to the new farm policy of the Government.