Ernakulam sees 1.49 lakh hectares under farming

Expansion of farming area included 256 hectares of fallow land

A total of 1.49 lakh hectares were brought under various crops in Ernakulam district last year.

The expansion of farming area included 256 hectares of fallow land. Organic cultivation of vegetables and other crops was expanded to 7,000 hectares during the year. Farmers harvested 3.46 lakh tonnes of vegetables and other crops.

Rubber cultivation, which is spread over 40% of the cultivated area, continued to lead, with over 60,000 hectares brought under the crop. Coconut cultivation was spread over 39,000 hectares. The district produced around 17 crore coconuts last year. Data on coconut production included only those produced on a large scale.

A total of 5,224 hectares came under paddy cultivation. Of this, 185 hectares had been lying idle before. The district also produced 14,627 tonnes of paddy during the year.

Tuber crops, including tapioca, were spread over 5,495 hectares, and tuber production was more than one lakh tonnes. Vegetable cowpea cultivation was done in 35 hectares, and a production of 10.28 tonnes was achieved. Banana cultivation was spread over 9,632 hectares and pineapple cultivation was done in 5,375 hectares. A total of 77,056 tonnes of bananas and 8,571 tonnes of pineapple were harvested.

Nutmeg cultivation was spread over 6,671 hectares. Arecanut farming was done in 4,107 hectares, and cocoa was spread over 1,073 hectares. Rubber production was in the range of 60,050 tonnes, while 33,033 tonnes of areca, 5,362 tonnes of nutmeg, and 782 tonnes of cocoa were produced.

The total production of vegetables stood at 52,694 tonnes, while 23,290 tonnes of fruits were produced. The bag of fruits was dominated by banana and pineapple. A total of 23,290 tonnes of other fruits were also produced in the district. Crops with export potential like black pepper, ginger, and turmeric were cultivated in 2,138 hectares, and the yield was to the tune of 1,227 tonnes.