The Kerala government is preparing to introduce a bill to legalize lease farming in the state, with the goal of improving land utilization and encouraging agricultural startups. The bill will enable farmers to access financial benefits, such as loans and insurance, and promote modern farming techniques. It is based on the Andhra Pradesh Tenant Farmers Rights Act of 2019.
Lease farming allows landowners to lease their land to those who may not own land, with the lessee paying the landowner for the right to farm the land for a specified period. This bill aims to provide a legal framework for lease farming in Kerala, nine years after NITI Aayog issued a model land lease act in 2016.
Currently, the state has 1,03,334 hectares of fallow land, with 49,420 hectares permanently unproductive and 53,914 hectares classified as ‘current fallow’ or recently unused.