1Division of Agricultural Economics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, India
2Centre for Environment Science and Climate Resilient Agriculture, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, India
*Corresponding author: shenazrasheed@gmail.com
Online published on 22 February, 2021.
Cropping pattern of Kerala has witnessed a shift from paddy to cash crops as elicited from Markov chain analysis in the study. Low profitability of paddy farming in the state resulted in paddy ecosystems being converted on a large scale. The resultant twin issues of falling agricultural growth and ecological disturbance prompted Government of Kerala to enact the ‘Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act’ in 2008. Structural break analysis revealed that the Act could significantly arrest reduction in paddy land area in Kerala. This reflects on the scope of public interventions in conserving important agroecosystems worldwide.