Agriculture forms the livelihood of the majority in the  district. It is also the main factor influencing the economy. Food crops as well as cash crops are cultivated here. Paddy and Tapioca are the main food crops while rubber, coconut and pepper are the main cash crops. Annual crops like plantain and pine apple, seasonal crops like ginger, tubers, vegetables and a wide range of perennial crops like jack fruit, mango etc., are also grown.       Paddy is the most important food crop. The area paddy cultivation (96-97) is 25213 hectares and 78462 tons of paddy is produced - an average of 2918 kg/ha. Though the area under paddy cultivation is decreasing, the production and productivity is increasing. 20000 tons of paddy produced in the district is procured and distributed by 18 Co-operative Societies.

Next to paddy is tapioca. It is cultivated in 9976 hectares and 304589 tons of tapioca is produced per annum - an average of 30532 kg./ha.

         Vegetable cultivation is under taken in 3144 hectares. Cultivation in 365 hectares is belong done by 'Haritha' Societies.

         Rubber is the major cash crop. It is grown in 109,582 hectares - the largest area under rubber cultivation in the State and its production is going up gradually. Here, 120946 tons of Rubber is produced per annum- productivity being 1104 kg./ha. Meenachil and Kanjirappally taluks top in rubber cultivation. A big Rubber centre, Kottayam has been chosen as the head quarters of the Indian Rubber Board.

        Coconut, another important cash crop has a total area of 39603 hectares under cultivation. Production is 177 million and productivity 4469 per kg /ha. Production is being raised by adopting modern farming methods, enhancing irrigation facilities and distributing quality seedlings.

       Pepper, tea, coffee, ginger, arecanut, pulses, plantains, pine apple, sugarcane, cocoa etc., are also cultivated in the district. The area under cultivation ( in hectares) and production ( in ton) is given below respectively. Average production kg./he. is in brackets.

       Pulses 1371-1184 (864), Sugarcane 160-1158 (7238), Pepper 8219-1325 (161), Ginger 277-788 (2845), Turmeric 193-469 (2430), Nutmeg 472-122 (1258), Banana 1713-27088(15813), Plantain 3818-33986 (8902), Pineapple 549-3412 (6215), Cashew 700-200 (786), Cocoa 2278-1182 (518), Arecanut 1041-136, Coffee 824, Tea  1947-140, Cardamom 345-33.

       Krishi Bhavan is functioning in all the 74 Grama Panchayats and four Municipalities. The District Agricultural Farm and Regional Agricultural Training Centre are situated in Kozha, near Kuravilangad. State Seed Farm was set up in Kozha and Valachira. In Ettumanoor, there is a soil Testing Laboratory and Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory. State Ag Mark Grading Laboratory is functioning in Kottayam. A Parasite Breeding Centre is also attached to the laboratory. The Headquarters of Oil Palm India Ltd., and the Plantation Corporation of Kerala Ltd., is in Kottayam.

Irrigated Area*

Crop   Area  Paddy  13617 Tubers 14 Vegetables 342 Coconut 165 Arecanut 21 Nutmeg 314 Condiments 123 Banana 76 Leaves 9 Cane 137 Others 704 Total 15522

* in Hectore



Rubber Board

        The Indian Rubber Board, constituted under the Rubber Production and Marketing Act 1947, has its headquarters at Kottayam. The Board has been implementing various schemes since 1957 , for expansion and modernization of rubber plantation industry in India. The Board gives aid to farmers as cash incentives, plant insurance schemes, agricultural materials including crop seedlings and promotion of fencing and irrigation facilities. In 1998-99, the Board has given financial assistance of 190 lakh for new/replanting, 150 lakh for schemes related to increasing productivity, 35 lakh for plantation workers welfare activities and 17.32 lakh for other schemes.


       The Board has five regional offices. As part of advisory and extension services, the Board runs two tapping training centers. There are 492 Rubber Producers, Societies.  The Board gives technical and financial assistance to eight Rubberwood processing factories functioning in the district under the auspices of the Co-operative Societies under Rubber Producers Societies. Construction work of the 20 crore Rubber and Rubber wood Development Training Centre at Manganam is in progress. Apart from rubber wood processing and crump rubber factories, a laboratory for assessing the quality of rubber and training demonstration facilities is also being set up here.

      Another important institution associated with the Board is the Rubber Research Institute of India (R.R.I.I) which has eight categorical divisions of detailed study and research. The Institute is situated at Puthupally, eight kms. east of Kottayam town. The training wing attached to the institute, organises training programmes on various subjects for agriculturists and industrial entrepreneurs. A laboratory for testing soil and leaf is functioning in this institute. Regional laboratories were also set up in Kanjirappally and Pala.