Impact of Agricultural Credit in the.Agricultural Development of Kuttanad

Abstract

Introduction of agrarian reforms and introduction of new technology increased dependence on casual labourers. High labour absorption in the subsistence agriculture and increased price of input resulted in high cost of cultivation. Price of paddy did not rise correspondingly. As a result subsistence economy's future is bleak. The purpose of the _study is to examine these arguments and related issues with the help of empirical evidence from Kuttanad. The credit schemes are designed to help farmers to earn higher incomes by larger output brought either by an increase in area or by an improvement in yield rates or both. It is difficult to isolate the impact of agricultural credit on agricultural development. Because agricultural development is the combined effect of all inputs. The specific .criteria selected for analysing the impact of agricultural icredit are how increased supply of credit would bring changes ‘in capital formation, agrarian relations, informal lending and its cost and the changes in area, output, introduction of new technology, income, savings and employment of farm households.