The area under paddy and production fell in 2021-22 in Kerala compared to the previous fiscal, a trend visible in the case of several other important food crops as well, reveals the State-level Agricultural Statistics for 2021-22 published by the Department of Economics and Statistics.
Kerala had 1,95,734.15 hectares under paddy in 2021-22, a 4.54% decrease from 2020-21. “The production of rice decreased to 5,62,097 tonnes from 6,26,888 tonnes the previous year, which shows a decrease of 10.34%,” the annual report, published in August, noted.
Rice yield also fell from 3,091 kg per hectare to 2,872 kg per hectare. Both wetland and dryland paddy cultivation fell in 2021-22. While wetland paddy area fell by 7,914.62 hectares, dryland paddy area fell from 3,175.46 hectares to 1,783.77 hectares. The report also presents another set of data which amply reveals the dismaying trend in paddy cultivation over the years. ‘‘The area of paddy cultivation decreased by 77.66% during the year 2021-22 as compared to that of year 1975-76,’‘ it says.
