Chapter IV

Summary of Findings and Suggestions

     Scheduled Tribe Development Department in collaboration with Rubber Board has started rubber plantation schemes in lands owned by tribal families in Kerala with the twin objectives of lifting the economic status of the tribals and raising the production of natural rubber in the State. The schemes are Tribal Development Rubber Plantations Programme (TDRPP) and All Kerala Tribal Development Rubber Plantations Programme (AKTDRPP). As per TDRPP in the first phase 200 ha of land, 100 ha each in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts, was taken up for the development of rubber plantations. In the second phase the programme was extended to cover an additional area of 200 ha in Idukki district and 100 ha in Thiruvananthapuram district. The programme benefited 2123 tribal families. Under AKTDRPP it was proposed to cover an area of 1200 ha in various districts of Kerala and the programme benefited 3309 families in 1207.4 ha. It was expected that each beneficiary of the scheme would earn an average income of Rs 20000/-per annum for a period of two and a half decades. The project would also generate sufficient employment opportunities for the beneficiary tribals during the immaturity period of the plantations as well as at the stage of tapping.

     The specific objectives of the study are:

• To assess the impact of rubber plantation scheme on the socio-economic status of tribals



• To analyse its impact on employment generation of the tribals; and



• To identify the bottlenecks during the implementation of the schemes and to suggest measures for improvement.

     Scheduled Tribe Settlements of Achencoil in Kollam district and Kuttappara in Trivandrum district were selected for the study. The list of Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries of the rubber cultivation schemes in these settlements was collected from the ST Development Department. Thirty sample beneficiaries each from the two settlements were selected by employing stratified random sample method. The selected beneficiaries were personally interviewed with the help of tribal volunteers using structured questionnaire specially designed for the purpose. The data relating to socio-economic status, land holding, productivity of rubber, employment and income were collected from the tribals.

Findings

      The study revealed that in Achencoil 70 percent of the beneficiary families had 5 or less than 5 family members. In Kuttappara all the beneficiary families were nuclear and no families had above 5 members

     In Achencoil rubber plantations of the beneficiaries falls within the range of 0.40 and 0.89 hectares, while in Kuttappara the beneficiaries possessed rubber plantations within the range of 0.20 and 0.49 hectares

     Majority of the respondents belonged to middle aged group in both the settlements.

     In Kuttappara, all the beneficiaries dwell in their own houses. Two-third of them got assistance from Government to construct the house. In Achencoil, 93.3 per cent of the beneficiaries have their own houses, of which, 90 per cent received assistance from Government for the construction of houses.

     In Achencoil 87 per cent of the beneficiaries had tiled dwellings as compared to 43 per cent in Kuttappara. It may be noted that 13 per cent of the beneficiary families were having concrete dwellings in Kuttappara settlement where as no respondents have similar facility in Achencoil.

     In Achencoil houses of 83 per cent of the beneficiaries are electrified where as the corresponding percentage in Kuttappara is only 13 per cent.

     In the case of drinking water, 70 per cent owned well in Kuttappara while only 20 per cent in Achencoil.

     Sanitary conditions revealed that 93 per cent of the informants in Achencoil do not have lavatory in their housestead. However, in Kuttappara 37 per cent had lavatories.

     Radio was possessed by 37 per cent of the families in both the settlements.

     Twenty per cent of the families in Achencoil owned televisions in Kuttappara as compared to 10 per cent in Achencoil.

     Seventeen per cent in Achencoil and 13 per cent in Kuttappara subscribed newspaper.

     A common rubber roller is available only in Achencoil.

      Majority of the beneficiaries in both the settlements falls within the medium productivity range of 2050 kg/ha to 2800 kg/ha.

     In Achencoil, all beneficiaries revealed that they got enough technical assistance on tapping and allied activities, where as only 30 per cent in Kuttappara.

     In Achencoil 86.67 per cent beneficiaries under took tapping and allied activities themselves where as in Kuttappara it is only 43.33 pr cent.

     Forty per cent and 16.67 per cent of the beneficiaries respectively in Achencoil and Kuttappara leased out rubber plantations. A few of them in both the settlements had even disposed their plantations. The disposals/lease of rubber plantations has been incurred for meeting the expenditure on medical treatment or disease of members of their family or to meet the marriage expenses of their son/daughter. The average annual income per beneficiary from rubber cultivation of those not leased rubber trees was found to be 161 per cent higher than that those leased in Achencoil and 183 per cent in kuttappara.

     In both the settlements, low price of rubber leading to low profitability was stated to be the major problem.

     The rubber cultivation beneficiaries in Achencoil as an average had 173 man days of employment (part time) in a year from rubber plantations as compared to 163 days per year in Kuttappara.

     The average annual income per family of the sample beneficiary from rubber cultivation in Achencoil settlement was Rs 26716 /-. In addition 80 per cent of the sample beneficiaries engaged in the collection of Minor Forest Produce and the average annual income on this account amounted to Rs 3720 /-per family. In Kuttappara, the average annual income per family of the sample respondent from rubber cultivation was Rs 17220/- and none of them engaged in the collection of Minor Forest Produce.

     In Achencoil a Co-operative society is functioning. Ninety per cent of the beneficiaries are members of the society and 3.33 per cent have savings A/C in Nationalised Bank. In Kuttappara settlement, no Co-operative society is functioning and 3.33 per cent having savings A/C in Nationalised Bank.

Suggestions

     Beneficiaries in both the settlements are selling rubber sheets to private dealers who are procuring them at a much lower price than the prevalent market rates. To ensure fair price to the rubber cultivators, co-operative marketing system may be introduced.

     A common rubber roller as envisaged in the Project Report may be provided in Kuttappara Settlement to make rubber sheets free of cost by the beneficiaries.

     Training on tapping and allied activities may be imparted to those beneficiaries who had not yet been trained through Rubber Board.

     The tribals in both the settlements are compelled to lease out or disposed of their plantations to the non-tribals or middlemen in times of need. The latter reaps the full benefits, and gives them only a small share of the proceeds as lease amount. The Tribal Extension Officers can play a vital role in preventing this practice by educating the beneficiaries and providing necessary assistance as and when required. S.T. Development Department may issue necessary directions to the Field Officers.

     To overcome the problem of low productivity technological intervention such as integrated plant nutrient management, integrated pest and disease management are required. Transfer of technology programme has to be intensified at different levels to ensure adoption of new technology effectively.

     Household amenities in both the settlements require improvements. In Kuttappara, 40 per cent of the beneficiaries are residing in huts/thatched houses. Assistance may be give for construction of houses to those who are residing in huts/thatched houses. Steps may be taken for electrification of non-electrified houses in both the settlements. Drinking water facilities may also be provided. Since majority of beneficiaries need lavatory facilities, the same may be provided in these settlements.

     The rubber plantation scheme initiated by the S.T. Development Department in collaboration with Rubber Board in the tribal areas helped to increase the income levels of the beneficiaries. But it has to be noted that the development cost of the project were highly subsidised under SCA to TSP and this expenditure was not taken into account in the calculation of net income of the beneficiaries.