A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF SAVING AND INVESTMENT PATTERNS ON POVERTY AMONG FISHER FOLK WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO VADANAPPILLI, THRISSUR, KERALA

Kerala has a coastline of 589.5 kilometres, which forms 10% of India's total coastline. Although, Kerala boasts of the highest quality of life in India as measured by human development indicators, the state's fishing community has largely been left out of the general development experience. For example, the literacy level, educational attainment of fisher folk is much lower than that of the general population (Department of Fisheries, 2005). Other development related indicators like lack of income- earning opportunities, poverty and deprivation, lack of access to basic services, poor health conditions amongst men and women, lack of access to health facilities, also show evidence of this neglect and marginalisation. The annual income, land ownership and housing facilities are also very low along with a very high level of indebtedness among the fishing community. Fisher folk always face a shortage of money and live on a day to day basis. They have a high rate of dependence on moneylenders and traders. They spend all their lives managing the burden of debts. In Kerala they lack a habit of saving and investing a part of their income. They spent whatever they get on their daily life. This contributes to the issue of poverty they face in their life irrespective of the income they earn. This quantitative research paper makes an attempt to identify the saving and investment patterns of fisher folk and its impact on poverty they suffer with a special focus on the fishermen communities living in Vadanappilli coastal area, Thrissur district, Kerala.