The Hindu : Business : NABARD study on Kuttanad to be completed soon

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Tuesday, Oct 25, 2005

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NABARD study on Kuttanad to be completed soon

Staff Reporter

Improving paddy cultivation, life part of agenda

KOCHI: The National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is expected to complete a comprehensive study of the problems facing the Kuttanad region in a month's time.

The study has been a mammoth one, akin to the one done in 1972, said Chief General Manager of NABARD B.S. Shekhawat here on Monday. He said the study was commissioned by the Agriculture Department and involved inputs from agencies involved in various activities in Kuttanad.

While the primary target of the study was to look into the problems facing paddy cultivation, it had also looked at how life of people could be improved through income-generating activities suitable to the area. Mr. Shekhawat said paddy cultivation alone would not be remunerative for farmers and aquaculture acquired a central role in the life of Kuttanad. He emphasised the fact that traditionally paddy cultivation and aquaculture were mutually supportive in the region.

He said NABARD had sanctioned a Rs. 50-crore loan for strengthening infrastructure. The money could be used over three years. The Bank was also financing efforts to strengthen marketing infrastructure in the aquaculture regions.

Aquaculture held out hope for increasing fish production and raising rural employment levels because the marine fisheries sector was overcapitalised.

It was time that a chunk of the people employed in marine fisheries was weaned away through innovative schemes that could help build alternative modes of earning livelihoods, said Mr. Shekhawat.

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