Dynamics of cropping pattern in Kerala after WTO agreement

Abstract

India was a member of the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) since its inception in 1945. In 1995, when GATT was replaced by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), India was among the 123 countries who signed it. Under the aegis of the WTO and its terms and conditions, significant changes have come out. The agricultural sector has also seen many changes that can be directly linked to the new policies of liberalisation introduced as a consequence of WTO. The impact of opening up the domestic economy to the international markets has seen in the change in the cropping pattern. In India, cropping patterns has been affected in two ways. One is the shift from one crop to another, such as –food grains to cash crops; the other is shift of land from agricultural to non-agricultural activities.This study examines the cropping pattern and its changes in the state of Kerala, with the following objectives. 1. To examine the trends in area, production and yield of major crops in Kerala since 1980. 2. To identify the determinants of shifts in cropping pattern. 3. To analyse the implication of WTO policies on major crops in Kerala. 4. To identify constrains experienced by farmers as a consequence of liberalisation and trade reforms.