Abstract

What have Government to do with the actual processes of Agriculture? How could these Government officers expect to help us?are questions still put by ryots to Agricultural officers. As often the questions have been asked, so often the answers have been given. Instances of the methods by which Agricultural officers have been hitherto able to assist ryots in different localities, have already been quoted and can still be multiplied. The object of this paper is to furnish one particular instance of how the department has helped the ryots with the strain of Paddy known as G. E. B. 24 in Palghat Taluk. In Palghat Taluk, whose total area is about 4 lakhs of acres, paddy claims about 2 lakhs of acres. From this it is seen of what great importance paddy is to Palghat, which has been aptly described as the Granary of Malabar. Of the two lakhs of acres under paddy, about 120,000 acres will be single crop and the rest double crop area. The main paddy varieties used in the first crop season are Chemban (4) months), Chornali (5 months), Tavalakannan (5) months) and Arikiri (6) months).. The important second crop varieties are Chetteni (5 months) and Anakomban (6 months). It is important to note that Chettent alone occupies more than half the second crop area in Palghat, i.e., over 40,000 acres.

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