Homesteads in Kerala are small operational farm units where farmers grow various crops, including tree crops, alongside livestock, poultry, or fish primarily to meet basic household needs. Traditionally, homesteads in Kerala are quite small, averaging 0.22 hectares, smaller than homesteads in other parts of South and Southeast Asia. The average land ownership per rural household is also the lowest in Kerala, at 0.234 hectares, compared to states like Rajasthan where it is over 2 hectares.

1. Homesteads in Kerala -Homesteads in Kerala - The changing trendsThe changing trends
Dr.D.Sajith BabuDr.D.Sajith Babu
National Centre for Land GovernanceNational Centre for Land Governance

2. Homestead is an operational
farm unit in which a number
of crops (including tree
crops) are grown with
livestock, poultry and/or fish
production mainly for the
purpose of satisfying the
farmer's basic needs:
Nair and Sreedharan (1986)

3. SIZE COMPARISSON OF HOMESTEADS
Location Name
designated
Size / Specii
Kerala Purayidam -
Homestead
0.22 ha
Northern
Tanzania
Chagga 0.68 ha
Sri Lanka Kandyan 1.00 ha
Bangladesh Homestead 0.097 ha
North East
Thailand
Hut garden 77-100 Spp.
Fiji, Tonga,
Kiribati, Nauru
& Papua New
Guinea
Home garden 65-114 Spp.

6. The average area of land owned per
household in the rural sector was highest in
Rajasthan (2.077 ha) and lowest in Kerala
(0.234 ha)

11. Any clarifications?Any clarifications?