CHAPTER 3 SAMPLE DESIGN AND

LOCALE OF THE STUDY

Sample design and locale of the study

The objective of the chapter is to describe the sampling design and

analyse the major characteristics of the sample villages. The chapter is

organised into two sections. The first section discusses the sampling design.

The important features of the sample villages are presented in the second

section.

Section 1

3.1. Sampling design

The course of evolution and development of the agrarian relations and

labour markets in Travancore-Cochin and Malabar regions were different from

each other and, therefore, for the purpose of sampling, the state was divided

into two separate entities, viz., Travancore-Cochin and Malabar. For the

purpose of geographical stratification, the princely state of Cochin has been

excluded from the sample frame for three reasons: i) Even though Cochin was

a princely state like the Travancore, agrarian relations and the evolution and

development of the labour market were, to a great extent, comparable to those

of Travancore; ii) Travancore and Malabar together accounted for 94.5 per

cent of the total geographical area of the state; iii) The erstwhile state of

Cochin, under its jurisdiction, covered mostly, the present Emakulam district,

which is an industrial town in Kerala and, therefore, agriculture-dependent

population is relatively low. Table 3.1 shows the districts under Travancore

and Malabar regions and also the regional distribution of the population and

the workers depending on agriculture either as cultivators or as agricultural

labourers. Out of the 14 districts in Kerala, six districts fall under the

Travancore and seven districts under the Malabar regions. The geographical

location of districts under Travancore, Cochin and Malabar are shown in map

3. I. Map 3.2 shows the study area in Travancore and Malabar regions.

64

AREBIAN SEA

~v1 a" < 1 I I 1-' ...J ....

KERALA 1774 AD

65

66

Table 3.1. Agriculture-dependent population as proportion of total population in Travancore, Malabar and Cochin regions-2001. (in percentage)

Tra\'ancore Malabar

%of 0/o agri.

%of total agriculture- %of total de pen-

District District dent population dependent population

popul-population

ation

Thiruvananthapuram 10.16 901 Thrissur 935 6.74 Kollam 8.12 7.43 Palakkad 8.22 16.91 Pathanamthitta 3.87 5.11 Malappuram 11.40 8.89 Alapuzha

. 6.61 5.34 Kozhikode 904 3.89 Kottayam 6.14 5.64 Wayanad 2.47 6.12 ldukki 3.54 9.84 Kannur 7.58 6.34 Total 38.44 42.37 Kasargod 3.78 2.58 Cochin State Ernakulam 9.73 6.16 Total 51.83 5147 Grand total 48.21 48.53

Source: Census of Kerala, 200 I. T bl 3 2 L d I. I . T a e ow wage an 11gn wage zones m ravancore an dM I b a a ar

Rel!,ion Low wage zone High wage zone Travancore ldukki Thiruvananthapuram

Wage reporting centre in Marayoor- Rs 80 Keezharoor- Rs 130 AWl Chencherry- Rs I 70

Malabar Wayanad* Malappuram

i Wage reporting centre in Mananthavady Rs 90* Tavanoore Rs 160 AWl

Note: I. *- Wage data for Wayanad are not available. The reported wage data are related to male agricultural labourer (9 hours work) from primary survey. 2. Agricultural Wages in India

Source: Agricultural Wages in India, 2002-03

For the selection of samples, a multi-stage stratified random sampling was

used with the household being the ultimate unit in the strata. Each of the

geographical stratums was divided into high wage and low wage zones based

on the daily money wage rates of male agricultural labourers. In Travancore,

Thiruvananthapuram district represented the high wage zone and Idukki

district represented the low wage zone. In Malabar, Malappuram district

represented the high wage zone and Wayanad district was the low wage zone

(Table 3.2). For the selection of different wage zones, wage rates for male

agricultural labourers compiled by the Department of Economics and Statistics

of the state and published in Agricultural Wages in India, an annual publication

of Ministry of Agriculture, for the month of March 2002 were used (Table

3.3). From each of the wage zones, the district with the highest and the lowest

(triennium averages) rates was purposely selected from Travancore and

Malabar. From each of the district, a Grama Panchayat was randomly selected

67

and from each Grama Panchayat, two wards were selected. In the selection of

Grama Panchayat wards, town wards were excluded from the sample frame

because the agriculture-dependent population in town wards would not be

sufficient enough to supply adequate number of sample households. Moreover,

daily wage rates of agricultural and other casual labourers located in the town

ward of a Gram a Panchayat, in normal course, would be higher than the spot

Table 3.3. Money wage rates of male agricultural labourer by district-March 2002. (Rs)

SI.No. District Wage rate

I Thiruvananthapuram 140 2 Kallam 110 3 Pathanamthitta 100 4 Alapuzha 72 5 Kottayam 100 6 ldukki 60 7 Ernakulam 120 8 Thrissur 120 9 Palakkad 50

1 10 Malappuram 110 II Kozhikode 105 13 Kannur 100 14 Kasargod 50

Note: I. Data on wage rate was collected from the Department of Economics and Statistics and the same data were supplied from the Department to the Ministry of Agriculture and were published in Agricultural Wages in India

2. The Department of Economics and Statistics collects wage data from 20 centres. However. wage rates of Wayanad district are yet to be included in the list for data collection. On the primary visit to districts, we found that wage rates in Wayanad district were the lowest in the Malabar region. Secondly, unlike other parts of Kerala, the employer has oligopsonistic power, to a very great extent because plantation crops such as tea and coffee are cultivated in estates. Preliminary observation indicated that the rate in Wayanad was lower than the wage rate prevailing in Palakkad district.

3. Even though the Department of Economics and Statistics collects data from 13 districts and 20 centres, wage data are published only for ten districts. The data presented in Table 3.3 is related to the wage rates for 'Other' agricultural labourers for the month of March 2002.

Source: Agricultural Wages in India, 2003-2004. Department of Economics and Statistics. Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

wage in the interior areas of the same Grama Panchayat. Taking these aspects

into consideration, the distribution of cultivators and agricultural labourers in

each ofthe regions and Panchayats were again distributed based on the basis of

the relative share of cultivator and agricultural labour households. Thus, the

68

sample frame covered four districts, four Grama Panchayats and eight

Panchayat wards. Details ofthe sampling procedure are presented in Charts 3.1

and Chart 3.2.

Table 3.4. Land utilisation pattern in Kerala by districts -2003-04 (Area in 000 hectares)

District geogra % Net % Area % Total o;o phical share area share sown share cropped share area sown more area

than once

Thiruvananthapuram 218.60 5.63 14203 6.49 41 16 5.38 183.19 6.20

Kollam 251.84 6.48 141.40 6.46 46 09 6.08 187.49 6.35 Pathanamthitta 268.75 6.92 90.42 4.13 24.85 3.25 115.27 3.90

Alapuzha 136.06 3.50 93.82 4.28 32.68 4.27 126.50 4.28

Kottayam 219.55 5.65 171.08 7.81 43.36 5.67 214.43 7.26

ldukki 514.96 13.25 229.65 10.49 60.18 7.87 289.83 9.81

Ernakulam 235.32 606 165.81 7.57 43.97 5.75 209.78 7.10

Thrissur 299.39 7.71 141.68 6.47 54.05 7.07 195.74 6.63 Palakkad 438.98 11.30 204.29 9.38 1129 14.77 317.23 10.74 Malappuram 363.23 935 198.69 9.07 74.56 9.75 273.24 9.25 Kozhikode 233.30 6.00 159.79 730 67.59 8.84 227.38 770 Wayanad 212.56 5.47 117.38 536 87.64 11.46 205.02 6.94 Kannur 296.79 7.64 200.78 9.17 56.43 7.38 257.21 8.71 Kasargod 196.13 5.05 133.11 6 08 18.98 2.48 15209 5.51 Kerala 3885.4 100.00 2189.9 1000 764.51 100 2954 45 100

9 4 ' -Source: Agncultural StatiStiCS, 2003-2004, Department ot EconomJcs & Stat1st1cs, Tlmuvananthapuram. Mav 200)

P4

Table 3.5. Cropping pattern in Kerala -2003-04 Crop Area (in hectare) Relative share Paddy 287340 9.73

Other cereals 1,.., .... ~.).) 0.04

Pulses 5998 0.20 sugar cane 9428 0.32 Pepper 216440 7.33 Ginger 8516 0.29 Turmeric 2774 0.09 Cardamom 41332 1.40 Areca nut 102504 3.47 Tamarind 19190 0.65 Nut mug 9718 0.33 Jack 92861 3.14 Mango 85428 2.89 Banana 55906 1.89 Other Plantain 53496 1.81 Cashew 86376 2.92 Vegetables 172925 5.85 Coconut 898498 30.41 Tea 38327 1.30 Coffee 84684 2.87 Rubber 478402 16.19 Cocoa 9433 0.32 Other crops 193645 6.55 Total cropped area 2954454 100.00

Source: Agncultural Statistics, Department of Economics & Statistics, Thiruvananthapuram. May 2005. P4

69

~

2003-04.

Chart-3.1. Sample design

KERALA (300 households) I

l 1 I Travancore-Cochin ~ I Malabar I /~ /~

High- wage Zone Low-wage zone I High-wage Zone I Low-wage zone

• • • • Th iruvananthapuram ldukki Malappuram Wayanad

~ ~ ~ ~ Panchayat Panchayat PanchayatJ Panchayat

(Venganoor) (Santhanppara) (Tavanoor) (Manathavady)

~ ~. J ~ Two Wards Two wards Two wards Two wards

(3 & 4) (4 & 5) (5 &16) (4 & 7)

70

Chart- 3.2. Distribution of sample households

Distribution of sample households

93 Cultivators (31%)

Travancore- 49 cultivators (53 1~))

Malabar-44 cultivators (47%)

207 Agricultural labourers (69 1Yo)

Travancore- 93 Agricultural

labourers (45%)

71

Malabar- 114 Agricultural

labourers ( 55%)

Total sample size for the study is restricted to 300 households

representing cultivators and agricultural labourers and the samples were

distributed proportionally be~ween Travancore and Malabar (Chart 3.2). The

total population dependent on agriculture comprising agriculture labourers and

cultivator households were taken as the population base for the distribution of

samples.

In the total sample size of 300 households for the state, the relative

share of agricultural labourers was 69 percent and of cultivator households 31

percent. Accordingly, 93 households represented cultivators and 207

households represented agricultural labourers. A total sample size of 93

cultivators and 207 agricultural labourer households were distributed between

Travancore and Malabar regions based on their relative shares. From the

Travancore region, 49 cultivator households and 93 labour households and

from Malabar 44 cultivator households and 114 labour households were

selected. The relative share of cultivator households in Travancore region was

53 percent and the corresponding share for Malabar regions was 47 per cent.

A preliminary analysis of the cropping pattern in the state assumes

significance for an understanding of the relevance of the selected sample

districts and Grama Panchayats. Table 3.4 shows the land utilisation pattern

and Table 3.5 gives the cropping pattern of Kerala for the year 2003-04. It is

found that seven crops, viz., coconut (30.41 %), rubber (16.19 %), rice

(9.73%), pepper (7.33 %), vegetables (5.85 %), banana and other plantains

(3.63 %) together accounted for 65.81 per cent of the total cropped area in the

state. The cropping pattern for the state gets skewed in favour of certain crops

at the district level. A district-wise pattern in cropping for the year 2003-04 is

presented in Table 3. 6. It is found that plantation crops, viz., coffee, pepper

and tea are concentrated in Wayanad and Idukki districts while natural rubber

cultivation, which accounted for more than 16 per cent of the total cropped

area in the state was concentrated in Kottayam (23.36%), Ernakulam (II %)

and Pathanamthitta district (10 %).

72

Table 3.6. Cropping pattern by district in Kerala-2003-04 (Percentage share)

Crop TVPM Kollam Pathana Alapuz Kottay ldukki Ernaku Thrissu Palakk Malapp Kozhik Wayan Kannur Kasargod mthitta ha am lam r ad uram ode ad

Paddy 1.87 3.55 .1.83 11.17 4.00 1.12 I 0.26 11.86 36.59 6.15 1.80 4.30 3.29 2.18

Pepper 3.58 5.22 2.38 092 4.20 31.60 3.77 2.29 2.81 4.86 6.05 19.54 10.21 341

Ginger 1.07 5.07 5.52 1.37 2.02 10.62 4.30 1.46 10.59 1.73 1.59 51.57 1 .. 95 136

Cardamom 0.00 0.01 1.01 0 00 0.49 79.7R 0 00 0.00 6.70 0.17 0.05 9.98 0.31 0.89

Areca nut 1.21 0.23 1.48 2.41 1.94 3.82 5.26 8.02 5.94 20.39 11.45 8.656 13.43 15.77

Banana 4.21 2.86 4.19 0.99 5.56 2.95 10.5 4.53 18 06 1603 3.56 21.14 4.13 128

Tapioca 21.87 23.60 7.98 3.82 7.17 7.79 5.98 1.24 4.18 6.88 3.78 2.08 2.82 0.80

Plantain I 0.42 8.00 3.98 4.71 6.73 5.93 8.58 12.36 11.90 6.95 6.03 3 02 6.62 4.75

Cashew 2.59 5.10 133 4.74 0.74 1.40 1.44 4.39 5.88 11.83 4.35 1.56 32.20 22.45

Vegetables 14.51 16.38 7.51 4 03 5.79 9.53 5.23 3.17 10.93 9.20 4.94 3.35 3.78 1.65

Coconut l) 52 7.52 2.41 6.23 4.37 2.71 645 9.73 6.19 12.20 14.40 1.24 10.60 6.43

Tea 2.52 3.52 000 000 5.73 67.16 0.01 1.36 2.2 0.50 000 16.94 0.00 0.00

Coffee 0.00 0 00 0 00 0.00 14.88 14.88 000 0 00 5.49 0.00 0.00 79.62 0 00 000

Ruhhcr 5 94 7.66 l) 99 O.RO 23.36 8.02 11.69 2.X I 6.19 6.24 3.64 139 7.23 4.76

Cocoa 1.27 0.14 X.96 1.70 17.41 45 05 12.28 1.00 () 76 1.63 5.82 I 10 1.95 0.87

Note: The percentage share m column does not mdicate the share of area under each crop m the total area cropped m the distnct and therefore column total do not add upto I 00. Source: Derived from Agricultural Statistics, 2003-2004. Department otEconomics & Statistics, 2003-04, Thiruvananthapuram, May

73

Figure.3.1

ro,

Work participation rate (Male & female)

Tmnoo · Santhan PMMananthavad

Figure 3.2

lipro-2

., .. mm

~ ' '

' '

'

A district-wise profile of the cropping pattern is indicative of the fact that the

cultivation of plantation crops such as tea, coffee, cardamom and pepper are

concentrated mostly in Wayanad and Idukki. Two important indicators, which

may be used to compare the similarities as well as differences among the

sample villages, are \Vork participation rate and proportion of the agriculture­

dependent population. A striking difference is observed between high wage

zones and low wage zones. The work participation rate in the high wage zones

for males and females is lower than that of the low wage zones. The work

participation rate for females is strikingly lower in the high wage zones than in

the low wage zones (Figure 3.1). Figure 3.2 shows the differences in the

proportion of agriculture-dependent population between high and the low wage

zones. It is observed that the proportion of agriculture-dependent population is

significantly higher in low wage zones than in high wage zones.

Section 2

3.2. Characteristics of sample villages

3.2.1. Venganoor Grama Panchayat: High wage Zone in Travancore

Yenganoor Grama Panchayat is situated on the coast of the Arabian

sea in Thiruvananthapuram district and stands adjacent to the costal village of

Yizhinjam. Thiruvananthapuram, the southern-most district in Kerala and

74

capital city of the state, has an area of 2192 sq.km, which accounted for 5.63

percent of the total geographical area of the state. The district is bounded by

Kallam district in the north and Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts of

Tamilnadu state in the east and south respectively. The Western Ghats flank

the district on the east and in the west lies a 78 kilometre long coastal strip.

The midland region of the district slopes from east to west comprising low

undulating hills and valleys.

Thiruvananthapuram district has four taluks, five statutory towns and

one urban agglomeration. The district had 78 Grama Panchayats and 12

Community Development Blocks in 2003. As per the decennial population

census of 200 I, the district had a population of 3.23 mill ion with 14 76 persons

per square kilometre. The average household size of the district was 4.26

persons and the work participation rate was 32.40 in 2001. The work

participation rate for male was 51.50, which was marginally on the higher side

when compared to the state average, while the work participation rate for

female was 14.40 percent, which was on the lower side when compared to the

state average.

Thiruvananthapuram accounted for 6.20 per cent of the total cropped area

in the state in 2003-04. Important crops grown in the district are: coconut (46.8

%), rubber (15.52 %), vegetables (13.70), tapioca (5.11%), banana

(Nentravazha) and other plantains (4.37 %). Thiruvananthapuram Taluk

accounted for 30.97 per cent of the total cultivators and 36.08 per cent of the

total agricultural labourers in the district in 2001.

Venganoor Grama Panchayat had 15 wards and a total population of

33372 in 2001. The Panchayat wards sampled for the study are wards serially

numbered 3 and 4 Venganoor Grama Panchayat used to be known for its

traditional agricultural crops. The cropping pattern changed drastically during

the past few decades. The major crops cultivated are coconut, banana (Nentra

vazha), other varieties of plantains, rice and tapioca. Rice cultivation in the

village has completely been stopped during the past decade. Farmers lease out

wetland, where rice used to be grown, for cultivation of banana, tapioca,

75

vegetables and a variety of plantains. Irrigation facilities in the village are rich

with the famous Ve/layani Kayal, and 24 other natural sources of irrigation in

addition to an artificial canal of the Neyyar irrigation project, thirteen kms of

the canal meander through the village. All these sources are exploited for the

cultivation of water-intensive crops in paddy fields. However, like other parts

of Kerala, the younger generation of the cultivator households have left

farming as their mainstay and are engaged in non-farm employment. Wage

labourers who had been employed in paddy related agricultural operations

have lost employment subsequent to conversion of paddy lands . It is from

these classes of rural labour households that the market for wetland cultivation

on a rental basis, is generated. Next to farming, fishing is the important

occupation in which labourers are engaged for livelihood. Women labourers

are engaged in stone-breaking for metal despite the fact that it is not an

attractive type of employment because the piece rate prevailing for the work

does not amount to more than Rs 50 per day. Therefore, only women who have

little other employment avenues and disabled male labourers engage in such

work. Important caste groups engaged in farming in the village are Nairs,

Nadars and Ezhavas. Vegetables and banana are grown in leased in land by

Nadars and to some extent by agricultural labour households of Scheduled

castes. No secondary information is available on the cropping pattern in the

village. In the case of other villages, Development Reports provide some

statistics. No statistics on land use pattern is contained about Vanganoor

Grama Panchayat in the Development Report.

3.2.2. Santhanppara Grama Panchayat: Low wage Zone in Travancore

Santhanppara is situated in ldukki district: the largest district with an

area of 5019 sq.km accounting for 13.25 percent of the total geographical of

the state. ldukki is a mountainous place and reportedly inherited its name from

the

76

Figure.3.3.

,----------------------------------------1

Figure 3. Cropping Jlatlcrn in­Santhanppara GP

CCoflCc COthcrs OPcppcr 6"1.. 4'!1,, 15"1..

a cardamom

I

Malayalam word idukku, meaning a steep narrow gorge. The district is

flanked by Western Ghats in the east and is bounded by Thrissur district of

Kerala and Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu in the north and east and

Kottayam and Ernakulam districts in the west.

In the total cropped area in the state, Idukki commands a share of 9.80

percent and the rest of the area is covered by forest land. Important crops

grown in the district are tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom and rubber. It is clear

from Table 3.6 that the district accounted for 80 percent of the area under

cardamom, 32 per cent under pepper, 67 per cent under tea, 15 per cent under

coffee and 8 percent under rubber in 2003-04. Wayanad commands the largest

share in estate labour of the state, which is not surprising as tea and other

plantation crops occupy the lion share of the total cropped area in that district.

Tea is a major plantation crop in Idukki and important tea estates in the state

are located in Idukki district. Estate labourers are mostly of Tamil origin who

migrated to this hilly area in search of livelihood particularly during the 1930s

when a great famine broke out in Tamilnadu. Another distinguishing feature

of the district is its higher work participation rate of 43.30 percent against the

state average of 32.3 percent, in 200 I. Work participation rates for male was

58.40 and for females 28.10 against the state averages of 50.40 and 15.30 for

males and females respectively, in 200 I.

77

Idukki district has four Taluks, ten Community Development Blocks

and 54 Grama Panchayats. The sample Panchayat, Santhanppara falls in

Udumpamchola taluk and Devikulam Community Development Block. The

Grama Panchayat wards in the sample for the present study are ward 4 and 5

specific locality where sample households live are called Puppara, Paithotty

and Bodivettu Road.

Geographical area of Santhanppara Grama Panchayat is 78.71 Sq. Km.

The Grama Panchayat was formed in 1958 by dividing the Chinnakanal

Panchayat. The Panchayat shares its border with Tamilnadu and the area was

part of the erstwhile Chennai region. Puppara, Paithotty and Bodivettu Road

area are said to be part of the thick forest and jungles. Climatically, the area

was not suitable for habitation in the 18th and 19th centuries 1• The Panchayat

has ten wards and had 4405 households in 2001. During our discussions with

aged agricultural labourers and farmers in the village. we found that climatic

conditions in the area were characterised by heavy rains and severe cold for

almost eight months in a year until 30 years ago. Now that the forest has been

denuded, substantial change have occurred in the climatic conditions.

Santhanppara is situated in 4300 feet above mean sea level. The land is

mostly covered by hills and valleys. Food crops are grown mainly for domestic

consumption requirements. Important crops cultivated in the Grama Panchayat

are cardamom and coffee. There exists little information about the original

inhabitants of this area. The present inhabitants in the area are mostly in­

migrants from the border area of Tamilnadu. Perhaps they themselves could

have been the original inhabitants of the area. Migration to Santhanppara

village started on a large scale by the I 970s. The hike in land price during the

1970s attracted farmers from nearby districts and other areas to the village.

Availability of cheap land and labour were the major points of attraction for

the in-migrants. Farmers from Kottayam and other places in ldukki migrated to

Santhanpara with income from the sale of high-priced small piece of land in

1 Santhanppara Gram a Panchayat, ( 1996). Development Report. Santhanppara Grama Panchayat, P.6-l 0.

78

other parts of Kerala. Labourers hailed mostly from the border area of Tamil

nadu and farmers came from other parts of Kerala. There are many small

estates in the village which are not covered under the Plantation Labour Act.

The area under small estates ranged between 25 to 50 acres and medium

estates have an area ranging between 50 acres and 200 acres. The important

crops grown in the estates are coffee and cardamom. Estates are mostly owned

by big land lords from Tamilnadu.

Even though Panchayat level statistics on the cropping pattern are hard

to come by, the Development Report released by Santhanppara Grama

Panchayat in connection with the People's Plan Campaign in 1996 provid

some broad indicators of land use and cropping pattern. Figure 3.3 shows the

cropping pattern in Santhanppara Grama Panchayat. It may be seen that about

75 percent of the total area under cultivation in Santhanppara village is

accounted for by cardamom alone. The area under pepper and coffee are 15

percent and 6 percent respectively.

3.2.3. Tavanoore Grama Panchayat: High wage zone in the Malabar region

Tavanoore Grama Panchayat 1s located in the southern part of

Maiappuram district and the Grama Panchayat falls under Ponnani Taluk and

Ponnani Community Development Block. The total geographical area under

Tavanoore Grama Panchayat is 42.37 sq.km and the Panchayat is bounded by

Bharathapuzha river in the North and West, Anakkara and Yattamkulam

Panchayats in the East and Edappal and Ponnani Municipalities in the South.

Figure.3 .4.

Figure-.t.

Zt%

Cropping pattern

inTavanoor GP

79

DPaddy

E.! Coconut

·DAreca nut

DOthcrs

The Malappuram district is the high wage zone in the Malabar region.

The total geographical area of the district is 3550 sq.km, which accounts for

9.35 per cent of the total geographical area of the state. Malappuram district

was carved out carving out from the Kozhikode and the Palakkad districts in

1969. The district is bounded in the North by Kozhikode and Wayanad

districts of Kerala and the Nilgiri district of Tamilnadu, and on the South by

Palakkad and Thrissur district of Kerala and on the West by the Lakshadweep

Sea. The district is comprised of undulating hills with innumerable streams

that meander through hills and reach the coconut fringed sea coast. The hilly

area is covered with dense forests and extensive teak plantations.

The total population in Malappuram district was 3.63 million, which

accounted for 11.40 per cent of the total population of the state in 200 I. The

sex ratio in the district was I 062 females per I 000 male as against the state

average of I 055 females per I 000 males. However, a notable distinction that

Malappuram district claimed over other district and state averages (the state

average wa~ 32.30 %) was its low work participation rate of 24.10 percent

which registered a marginal decline in 2001 from 1991 (24.3%). The male

work participation in Malappuram was 42.80 per cent and the corresponding

figure for females was the lowest (6.60 %) among the districts. In the total

population, the agriculture dependent population in Malappuram district was

24.30 percent. Among the total workers, the relative share of cultivators was

6.5 per cent and of agricultural labourers was 17.80 per cent. Workers in

household industry accounted for 1. 9 per cent and other workers constituted

73.80 per cent of total workers.

Malappuram district has a total cropped area of 2. 73 lakh hectares. The

important crops grown in the district are coconut (40.10 %), rubber (10.91 %),

vegetables (5.82 %), areca nut (7.49%) and rice (4 %). In the total cropped

area of the state, the district accounted for 20 per cent of the total area under

areca nut, 23 per cent of banana and other plantains, 11.83 per cent of cashew

nut, 12 per cent of coconut and 6.24 per cent of rubber.

80

Tavanoore Grama Panchayat is a relatively large Panchayat with 20

Grama Panchayat wards. The Grama Panchayat had 9686 households with a

total population of 53614 in 200 I. The sex ratio in the Grama Panchayat was

1 094 females for 1 000 males in 200 1. The higher sex ratio in favour of

females could be attributed to the migration of male population to West Asian

countries in search of employment, which is considered to be a characteristic

feature particularly of the Muslim-dominated localities in Kerala. The work

participation rate in the Grama Panchayat is 49.58 percent, of which females

work participation is as low as I 0.12 per cent. Though the female work

participation rate is much lower than the state average, it is higher than the

average work participation of the district. In the total population, 16.33 per

cent belonged to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe population is absent in

the Panchayat. Out of the total workers, 79.71 percent are main workers and

20.29 per cent are marginal workers. The relative share of marginal workers

among female was as high as 37.61 percent while the share of marginal

workers among males was 16.14 percent. Agriculture dependent population as

a percentage of main worker was 20.80 percent, which was on the higher side

when compared to the district average of 16.60 percent. It is important to note

that the agriculture-dependent population in the sample Panchayat is lower

than the district average.

Agro-climatically, Tavanoore Grama Panchayat may be placed under

the coastal sandy zone. Important crops grown in the Grama Panchayat are

coconut, areca nut, cash nut and paddy. The cropping pattern of Tavanoore

Grama Panchayat is presented in figure 3.4. The cropping pattern is indicative

of the characterisation of traditional agricultural village, cultivating primarily

rice, coconut and other traditional crops. In terms of relative importance, rice

( 45% ), coconut (29%) and areca nut (I I%) are the first three important crops

cultivated in the Grama Panchayat.

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3.2.4. Mananthavady Grama Panchayat: Low wage zone in Malabar region

Mananthavady Panchayat is situated at a height of 2570 feet above

above sea level and covered with hills and valleys. The sample Grama

Panchayat is located at the northern part of Wayanad district and occupies an

area of 80.10 sq.km, accounting for 3.75 per cent of the total area of the

district. Wayanad district is situated in the northern part of Kerala. The district

is nestled amidst the majestic mountains of the Western Ghat, at a height of

700 to 2100 metres above sea level on the north-eastern part of the state. The

district is bounded by Mysore, Kodagu and Chamrajnagar districts of

Karnataka state in the east. The name Wayanad is believed to have originated

from the word, Vayal nadu, meaning the land of paddy fields. The district

was formed by carving out parts of Kozhikode and Kannur districts on

November I, 1980.

Wayanad district occupies a total geographical area of 2131 sq.km,

accounting for 5.47 per cent of the total area in Kerala. The district has three

taluks, viz., Mananthavady, Sultan Battery and Vaythiri. There is no census

town or urban agglomeration in Wayanad district. There are 48 villages, 25

Grama Panchayats, 3 Community Development Blocks and the total number of

households in the district is 166763 with a low density of population of 366

persons per sq.km. The average household size in Wayanad district is 4.68

persons.

The district has a total population of 0. 78 million. The sex ratio in the

sample village is in favour of males, which distinguished Wayanad, along with

Idukki, from other districts in Kerala. The sex ratio in Wayanad is 995 females

per 1 000 males, which is much lower than the state average.

The work participation rate in Wayanad (39.20 %) is the second highest

in the state after ldukki (43.80%). Of the agriculture-dependent population in

the state, the district accounted for 6.12 percent while the relative share of the

district in the total population was only 2.47 percent. The agricultural­

dependent population in Wayanad is 47.27 percent which is much higher than

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the state's average of 24 percent. Of the total agriculture dependent

population, 30.50 per cent are agricultural labour households and 16.77 per

cent are cultivator households. Workers in household industry constitute 1.17

per cent and other workers 51.56 per cent. Labour households hail mostly

from the Scheduled Tribe population. The major crops cultivated in Wayanad

are pepper, ginger, cardamom and areca nut,

Figure.3.5.

Figure 5. Cropping pattern in Mananthavady GP

..\% tlRuh..,- aAra.:nu!

..... -- --·- -- -------- . .:~--- ----- _ _!:_~------

banana, tea and coffee (Table 3.6). The district accounted for 79.62 per cent of

the total area under coffee cultivation in the state, which could perhaps be the

reason why farmers in the district met with the maximum casualty in the wake

ofthe price fall ofprimary commodities since 1997.

Mananthavady Gram Panchayat has 19 wards with a total population

of45477 persons ofwhich 22868 were males and 22619 were females in 2001.

The sex ratio in the Grama Panchayat is in favour of males with 989 females

per 1000 males. In the total population, 14.99 per cent belonged to Scheduled

Tribes and 3.61 per cent to Scheduled Castes. Migrants from Thodupuzha, Pala

and Muvattupuzha, came to the village in two spells, first in 1930 during the

time of the Great Depression and then after the Second World War. Migrants

constituted mostly cultivators. Farmers from the Christian community

migrated mostly from Kottayam and Thodupuzha regions, the very purpose of

their migration being acquisition of large areas of land for cultivation of cash

crops. Great famines in 1970 drove down Scheduled Caste people from

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Tamilnadu into this place in search of employment in large estates particularly

in tea estates. The Scheduled Tribe population in Mananthavady Grama

Panchayat accounted for 20.44 per cent of the total Scheduled Tribe

population in Wayanad district. The Work participation rate of the Grama

Panchayat was 39.86 percent in 200 I. The work participation rate for males

was 55.80 percent and for females, 28. I 5 percent, which were on the high side

when compared to the work participation rate for females in Wayanad district

as a whole as well in the state. Prominent sub-castes under Scheduled Tribe

population m the Mananthavady Grama Panchayat are Paniyan,

Mullahkurukan, Uralikuruman, Kattunakan, Adiyan and Kurichiyan.

In Mananthavady Grama Panchayat, there were 2582 cultivators and

3422 agricultural labourers. As a percentage of main workers, cultivators

accounted for 17.26 percent and agricultural labourers for 22.88 per cent. The

total agriculture-dependent population in Mananthavady Grama Panchayat was

40. I 4 percent which was lower than the district average.

Figure 3.5 shows the cropping pattern in Mananthavady Grama

Panchayat. In the gross cropped area, I 6.80 per cent of the land is under

wetland (part of which has been converted to paddy fields) and 58 per cent is

dry land. The area under reserve forest constituted 9.40 per cent and waste

land constituted 8.20 percent. About 4 per cent of the land area is under

government control. The major crops cultivated in Mananthavady Grama

Panchayat are coffee (22.50%), rice (10.24 %), pepper (9.98 %), tea (9.36 %),

arecanut (5.64 %), banana (4 %), coconut (4.36 %) and rubber 3.12 %).

Sample wards selected are Grama Panchayat ward numbers 4 and 8, which are

known locally as Ozhakodi and Ezham mile.

84