Almost every day, Cherolil Saji lets out a gasp prompted by a cacophony of trumpets and grunts that echo at irregular intervals, leaving his ears momentarily deafened. “Each sound is a grim reminder of our plight,” he says, reflecting on a decade-old memory when he left with his family from Kongodumala to settle in Pashukkadavu in Maruthongara grama panchayat due to the threat from wild animals.
“We had no choice, but to shift elsewhere. Our lifeline was collapsing,” Mr. Saji said, his finger pointing towards a forsaken house that once belonged to his neighbour and fellow settler-farmer, Saji Parakkal, at the foothills of Kongodumala. An old bamboo beehive, dangling in the vicinity, and two rickety wooden cots leaning against the weathered walls of the derelict house are remnants of their past.
Both the Sajis had bid farewell to Kongodumala, and sought solace in the embrace of hilly Pashukkadavu, despite the location being prone to landslips and being three kilometres away. “My house in Kongodumala had crumbled two years ago, and now, we are sure that this abandoned house will be destroyed during the monsoon,” Mr. Cherolil says.
Like what they experienced before relocation, hundreds of upland farmers in Kozhikode district are currently grappling with two significant challenges. Firstly, they face the looming threat of displacement due to the escalating menace of wild animals. Secondly, they are confronted with falling prices of their agricultural produce, including rubber, coconut, and plantains.
Around 15 families have deserted their cultivated lands and homes in search of better shelter in areas of Maruthongara and adjacent Kavilumpara panchayat.
“I had to give up my six acres of cultivated land without receiving any compensation. The abandoned land now seems to be considered as forest property. Today, I am struggling to make a living with a small patch of land,” explains Mr. Cherolil.
Leasing of land
Engaging workers in farmlands has become uneconomical for several years. For some time, farmers have resorted to leasing their land to agriculture labourers to generate income. Most of these labourers have settled in upland areas near the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary. However, combating the rampant wild animals has proven to be a tough task.
“It’s not just wild elephants; monkeys, porcupines, and wild boars also raid our cultivated fields. How long can we protect the crops with expensive electric fences and plastic nets?” asks Chadayachakkandy Nanu, who moved to Kongodumala from Nadapuram several years ago with his family.
Nanu’s son, Nidhin, who accompanies his father for leased farming work, says that their family relies mainly on the income he generates as a taxi driver in the village. “Many young people like me are forced to abandon traditional agricultural work and search for other odd jobs,” he adds.
Buffer zones
Villagers in Chempanoda, Chakkittappara, Changaroth, Perambra, Kanthalad, Koorachundu, Puthuppadi, and Kattippara are fighting for their existence. Another 150 families around Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary are facing a crisis as their fields fall within the proposed buffer regions, which encompass a one-km Ecologically Sensitive Zone around protected forests and sanctuaries. Many of these families struggle with various diseases, while others find it difficult to repay their bank loans obtained for agricultural purposes.
In the village of Elamkad in Muthukad, settler farmers are in desperate need of money and are selling off their agricultural land as separate plots. They are using the proceeds to invest in the higher education of their children. Plots have been marked at cheaper rates in several areas to attract buyers. The hope is that by sending their children abroad, they can secure a better future and improved living conditions.
“Finding buyers has become increasingly challenging. Despite having all the necessary documents to prove ownership, the issue of wild animal encroachment hinders the trade. Farmers in this area also face limited options for securing bank loans,” says Mohan Aliyambra, an elderly farmer in the village whose coconut trees were recently raided by wild tuskers.
Meanwhile, farmers also express discontent with the Rebuild Kerala initiative, which offers them the option to surrender their land affected by the wild animal menace. Many of them view the relief packages as an attempt to deceive, particularly since some lands have been classified under the proposed buffer zone. “About 100 settler families in Koorachundu, Kattippara and Changaroth villages are now unable to claim the benefits under the consolation scheme,“ M.V. Babychan, a settler farmer says.
Leaders of ‘We Farm’ and ‘Indian Farmers’ Movement’ shed light on the plight of farmers, stating that the revenue generated from the sale of food and cash crops is woefully insufficient to cover the cost of living. Nowadays, an acre of rubber plantation generates an average daily revenue of approximately ₹1,000. However, this amount must be allocated to cover tapping costs and other expenses. The scarcity of skilled rubber tappers has driven many elderly farmers to abandon the field as they struggle to manage it alone.
Moreover, Joy Kannanchira, chairman of the We Farm farmers’ movement in Kozhikode, laments the waning interest of the younger generation in farming. “The government’s anti-farmer policies, coupled with an inadequate support scheme for those who wish to remain in the sector, contribute to the decline of agricultural activities in rural areas of Kozhikode, which may become a thing of the past in a few decades, “ he laments.
Plummeting prices
Coconut growers face their own set of challenges, as plummeting prices and labour charges continue to plague them. In rural areas, farmers are forced to spend ₹45 per coconut tree for harvesting. Farmer Bijoy Jose from Kuttiyadi contemplates abandoning his coconut farm if the price of de-husked coconuts fails to exceed ₹30 in the open market. He also questions the feasibility of maintaining a profitable business when substantial amounts must be allocated for labour charges and transportation, which eat into meagre revenues.
Although rubber cultivation boasts the second largest area in the State, trailing only coconut cultivation with a 21.8% share of the gross cultivated area, settler farmers still grapple with low prices. Despite the shrinking cultivation area, production and productivity have witnessed an increase from the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Many hold onto hope that the intervention of farmers’ organisations, community leaders, and political parties may alleviate the situation.
Taking account of the grave situation, farmers in the region have voiced their demand for a fair review of the crop insurance scheme. “This genuine request will be brought to the attention of the government for potential intervention,” says K. Sajith, president of Maruthonkara panchayat where wild animal encroachment is at its peak.
Wild animal attacks have caused significant crop losses and human casualties in the districts of Kozhikode, Kannur, and Wayanad in Kerala, India.
According to recent statistics accessed by farmers, around 4,600 farmers in Kozhikode and Kannur districts have experienced crop damage over the past decade, while the number of victims in Wayanad district exceeds 23,000. The data from the Forest department reveals a total of 34,785 wild animal attacks in the State since 2011, resulting in 1,233 deaths and 6,803 injuries.
Forest department officials emphasise that they consistently take necessary measures to combat the threat posed by wild animals and address the concerns of farmers. Currently, the department is preparing to install solar-powered hanging fences along an 18-km stretch of the upland area from Poozhithode to Peruvannamuzhi, Forest Range Officer (Peruvannamuzhi), K.V. Biju says.
“The site inspection has already been completed, paving the way for the implementation of this effective solution within a year, with the support of an expert agency,” he adds.
While acknowledging the limitations faced by local self-government bodies, Mr. Sajith points out that the panchayat has proposed a temporary solution offering a 50% subsidy to protect vulnerable fields with solar and steel fences.
He asserts the local body’s position, advocating for a 100% subsidy by the State government to enable farmers to complete such fencing works. “Farmers are badly in need of support for rehabilitation. There are many rules that will have to be amended to offer them the required protection for which the local bodies have very limited roles to play,” he laments.
