Paddy farming at a crossroads in Kerala
Paddy farmers in Kerala are going through a rough patch as climate challenges, declining yields, and rising production costs make cultivation increasingly unviable. Paddy procurement by Supplyco has dropped significantly. Farmers cite delayed payments and an unchanged procurement price since 2022-23 as deterrents. While paddy farming faces hiccups, the State remains reliant on rice imports from other States, writes Sam Paul A.
On the quiet banks of the Pampa river at Thakazhi in Alappuzha district, a modest, weathered building buzzes with activity. In the heart of Kuttanad, a wetland ecosystem historically popular as Kerala’s rice bowl and spread across Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts, a group of seasoned paddy farmers have gathered to collect paddy seeds, offered free of charge by the government, for the upcoming puncha (summer/crop-II, November-April) season. The farmers, following their regular preparations, ready themselves for another season in the ever-challenging world of paddy cultivation.

“These days, there is no guarantee of recovering the money spent on paddy cultivation, let alone making a profit,” says Mathew Thomas, a veteran paddy farmer, as he loads sacks of paddy seeds into a vehicle.