Idukki district, Kerala, India - Gods Own Country - Tourist and Travel Information

Agriculture

The economy of Idukki is predominantly agricultural, Cardamom, tea, tapioca, rice, pepper, rubber, coconut, sugarcane, coffee, arecanut, ginger, lemon grass and vegetables are the most important agricultural produces of the district.

Crop husbandry and animal husbandry are thus the main occupation of the people. Agriculturists and agricultural labourers constitute the bulk of the population. About ten per cent of the total population are estate labourers.

Cardamom

"Cardamom small" botanically known as "Elettaria Cardamom" is an export-oriented plantation crop, which is grown at an elevation of 600 to 1200 metres above m.s.l. under the shade of evergreen forests. It is cultivated in 56,376 hectares in Kerala of which 70 per cent is in the Idukki district. On an average Kerala contributes around 70 per cent of the national production of the 'Queen of Spices' in which also Idukki contributes the maximum share. Thanks to the persistent efforts of the Cardamom Board and the co-operation of cultivators and labourers the crop of cardamom has reached an all time high.

Tea

The tea bush is planted in 23,415 hectares. Most of the tea estates are located in Devikulam and Peerumedu taluks. The tea estates of Munnar are owned by large companies. But in Peerumedu and Vandanmedu areas there are small estates and small individual holdings. Kannan Devan in Devikulam Taluk and Malayalam Plantations in Peerumedu Taluk are the biggest tea estates in the district. The Kannan Devan Estate is now owned by the Tata Tea Company while the Malayalam Plantation is possessed by British nationals.

Tapioca

It is grown in 7246 hectares. The main problem of Tapioca growers is the difficulty in marketing their produce. The discovery that silkworm can grow on the leaves of tapioca and yield valuable silk yarn and the proposal to start a factory for manufacturing starch from tapioca may give a fillip to tapioca cultivation. At the same time rubber plantations are making considerable inroads into this sphere.

Rice

It is cultivated 3640 hectares. The rice fields of the district are basically double crop ones except in Vattavada and Kanthalloor.

Coffee

It is grown in 9389 hectares. The cultivation of coffee provides an additional income to growers of other kinds of crops.

Sandal Wood

It grows on 1600 hectares of forest land and also on titled and untitled holdings of private individuals in the Marayoor region of Devikulam Taluk. The sandal tree is declared as State property but extraction of sandal oil on commercial footing is yet to be started.

Coconut

All the yielding coconut plantations are in Thodupuzha Taluk and in Kokkayar and Peruvanthanam Panchayat of Peerumedu Taluk.

Rubber

It is rewarding crop and it is extensively cultivated Peruvanthanam and Kokkayar Panchayat of Peerumedu Taluk and Muttom, Arakulam Vannappuram, Kodikulam, Velliyamattom, Alakode and Karikode Panchayat of Thodupuzha Taluk.

Sugarcane

It is grown in Marayoor and Kanthalloor.

Irrigation

There are no major irrigation in the district. The Malankara Irrigation Dam meant to impound the tail-waters of the Idukki Project would irrigate the western portion of Thodupuzha Taluk. However, the benefits of the project would largely accure to Ernakulam and Kottayam districts. The ground water resources of the district as a whole are reported to be very poor except in certain localities.