Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

Rice, a staple in Kerala, is cultivated across diverse conditions in the region. Alappuzha holds the second position in terms of rice cultivation in Kerala. The district has consistently faced salinity issues stemming from saltwater intrusion, attributed to its distinctive geographical characteristics. The average annual cost of cultivation of paddy incurred by the salt water unaffected and the affected farmers was found to be ₹ 1,03,322 and ₹ 1,04,145 per hectare respectively. A significant increase in percentage share of the cost of soil ameliorants (4.70 %) was observed for salt water affected farmers. The average cost of production of paddy was ₹ 17,200 and ₹ 27,398 per tonne for salt water unaffected and affected farmers respectively. The yield of paddy realised from the affected areas was remarkably lesser than that of the unaffected areas even though the cost of cultivation was almost similar in both areas. The B-C ratio for paddy cultivation at cost C for the salinity- affected farmers stood at 0.98, indicating marginal losses to the farmer