KOCHI: The Ernakulam district registered a huge growth in agriculture by extending cultivation to 1,49,638 hectares in the 2021-22 fiscal year. As per official data, organic farming in the district was extended to 7,000 hectares, helping farmers to fetch a yield of 3,46,556 tonnes of various vegetables and fruits.
Of all the crops, rubber, a cash crop, is being cultivated the most in the district, specifically on 60,170 hectares, which is 40 per cent of the total cultivation. In second place is coconut, being cultivated on 39,275 hectares. More than 17 crore coconuts were produced in the district during 2021-22.
Paddy cultivation is being conducted on 5,224 hectares. The yield was 14,627.2 tonnes in 2021-22. The district also produced 10,990 tonnes of tubers dominated by tapioca cultivation in 5,495 hectares. A total of 10.28 tonnes of pulses was produced in the district while 77,056 tonnes of bananas and 58,571 tonnes of pineapple was cultivated on 9,632 and 5,375 hectares, respectively.
Other cash crops cultivated in Ernakulam are areca nut (4,107 hectares), nutmeg (6,671 hectares) and cocoa (1,073 hectares). In 2021-22, their yield was 3,033 tonnes, 5,362 tonnes and 782 tonnes, respectively. The district also grew 52,694 tonnes of vegetables and 23,290 tonnes of fruits.