• General Scenario and Current Trend : Agriculture sector contributes 14.5% of GSDP of the state. The GSDP of the state is growing with a rate of 7.22% but agriculture growth rate by 2.25% per annum. The total Cropped Area is 29.18 lakh ha while the Net Grown Area is 21.01 lakh ha. Gross Irrigated Area is 4.90 lakh ha and Net Irrigated Area is 3.92 lakh ha.

    The state is in high rainfall zone and soil is mostly acidic. 10% of the Net Sown Area is under rice, 35% under coconut, 3% under banana, 23% under rubber and 29% of the area is under other plantation crops. SRR has been achieved only in paddy. SRR is required to be achieved in cowpea, groundnut and til also. SMR as well as VRR have not been achieved in any of the crops.

    During 2008-09, production of rice was 60768 MT, coconut 5600 MT, banana 48,000 MT, pepper 65,000 MT, fruits 10,000 MT whereas productivity under rice was 2552 kg/ha, banana 8000 kg/ha, pepper 325 kg/ha and fruits 400 kg/ha in the state.

    3.23 lakh ha area is under fruit cultivation and 8.0 MT/ha productivity has been reported. 2.1% of banana, 3.2% of mango, 3% of papaya and 8.4% of pineapple, of the country comes from the state. 11.6 lakh ha is under vegetable cultivation and 20.8MT/ha productivity has been reported. The state is one of the leading growers of coconut, cashew-nut, tapioca and areca-nut.

    Agriculture and allied sector contributes about 16.5% to the GSDP.




  • Strength: High rainfall zone, preference of farmers towards commercial and high return crops, large coastal area, and ecology provides ideal situation for spices on upper reaches, plantation for mid-lands and rice in low lying areas.

  • Limitation: 16.5% of total Cropped Area is irrigated, about 94% of the holdings having size less than one hectare, no advantage of economy of scale, agriculture below subsistence level, adoption of technology. There is drift from agriculture as a primary means of occupation.

  • Public Investment : The state has made intervention for increasing production and productivity through CSS as well as through allocation in agriculture sector from the state plan in recent years. In 2005-06 out of Rs.4866.41 cr state plan, agriculture sector allocation was Rs.297.47 cr (6.11%). In 2006-07, out of Rs.5772.34 cr state plan agriculture allocation was Rs.531.42 cr (9.21%), in 2007-08 out of Rs.8071.35 cr State Plan the allocation was Rs.536.82 cr. (6.65%) and in 2008-09 out of Rs.9077.69 cr State Plan the allocation was Rs.632.02 cr (6.86%) was allocated for agriculture sector.

    During 2007-08, the state was provided with Rs.34.50 cr under MMA, Rs.61.47 cr. under NHM, Rs.55.40 cr under RKVY, Rs.1.25 cr. under ATMA .

    During 2008-09, Government of India released Rs.12.75 cr under MMA, Rs.1.89 cr. under NFSM, Rs. 75.17 cr under NHM, Rs.4.70 cr. under ATMA, and Rs. 30.06 cr. under RKVY.

    In last two years of the 11th Plan Period, GOI provided more than Rs.279.19 cr. for Kerala whereas state utilized Rs.1168.84 cr. in agriculture sector out of the State Plan.











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