Green Mussel, Perna viridis, Farming in Kerala, India – Technology Diffusion Process and Socioeconomic Impacts

Abstract

The technology diffusion process of green mussel, Perna viridis, farming in Kerala, India, was studied by analyzing the adoption pattern, socioeconomic profile of mussel farmers, differences in farming methods, profit variations, development of trade and downstream industries, and the social factors responsible for the growth of this new industry. The farming practice has been adopted by villagers from 1996, and because of its rapid growth, India has risen to one among the top 10 farmed mussel producing nations in Asia, with an annual production of 10,060 tonnes, worth $US1.79 million at farm-gate level. Three types of farm ownerships were observed: individual ownership (IND), family ownership (FAM), and ownerships by self-help groups (SHG). The adoption curves are such that there were only a few adopters initially followed by an increasing rate of adoption in the subsequent years because of the demonstration effect. The study indicated the deep-rooted ‘‘risk aversion’’ attitude widely prevalent among technology adopters. Age could not be significantly related to technology adoption, while education and occupation of the respondents significantly (P , 0.05) influenced the technology adoption process. The biggest outcome of mussel farming in Kerala was the empowerment of women with 87% of the SHG farms owned by women. The successful diffusion of mussel farming is the result of a combination of factors, chiefly, the availability of suitable water bodies; high rate of education; proximity of mussel markets and high degree of mussel consumption in the area; and a unique synergy between technology developers, promoters, and credit advancers. This development scenario can work as a role model for developing nations.