Kerala's agriculture: Performance and Challenges

The present paper is an analytical study which discusses the achievements and challenges of Kerala's agriculture. Agriculture is the backbone for the survival of any community. Many scholars of international development regard the experience of the state of Kerala in India as distinctive and extraordinary. The state of Kerala is first in the country in human development index, literacy rate and sex ratio. Kerala's agriculture sector is unique in several ways. Agriculture and allied sectors are the most crucial sectors of the Kerala Economy as they provide livelihood to approximately two-third of the population and contribute a fourth of the SDP. Recent trend shows that trade liberalization followed by globalization adversely affected the agriculture sector of Kerala. This would have far reaching implications for Kerala agriculture and thereby for the rural population, their food security, employment and poverty etc.