In this video, the Centre for Public Policy Research, Kochi, presents key insights from its research on land leasing restrictions in Kerala and their impact on agricultural productivity, land use, and farmer livelihoods.

Kerala’s land reforms—anchored in the Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963—are widely regarded as among the most progressive in India. By abolishing feudal landlordism and granting ownership rights to tenants, they fundamentally reshaped agrarian relations and improved social equity.

However, more than six decades later, the agricultural landscape has changed significantly. Demographic shifts, rising costs, and evolving market conditions have altered how land is used and cultivated. Within this new context, restrictions on land leasing—particularly the prohibition of formal tenancy—have emerged as a critical constraint.

This video explores:

• The historical significance and present-day implications of Kerala’s land reform framework
• Legal restrictions on leasing and their unintended consequences
• The rise of informal leasing arrangements and associated risks for farmers
• Increasing fallow land, fragmentation of holdings, and stagnating productivity
• Challenges related to access to credit, investment, and long-term farm planning
• Comparative lessons from states such as Haryana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh

The video highlights how the absence of legally recognised leasing discourages both landowners and cultivators—creating insecurity, limiting access to credit, and reducing incentives for long-term investment. At the same time, Kerala faces rising fallow land, increasing cultivation costs, and growing food dependency.

It calls for a balanced reform approach that builds on past land reforms while enabling secure, transparent, and time-bound leasing. Such measures can bring idle land back into use, improve productivity, and support a new generation of farmers—aligning equity with efficiency in Kerala’s agricultural future.

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