THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Paddy cultivation is witnessing a steep decline in Kerala, apparently due to the increasing cost of production and deficiencies in procurement. The area under cultivation went down by 9300 hectares and rice production dipped by about 65,000 tonnes in 2021-22, according to the latest agricultural statistics from the government’s Department of Economics and Statistics.
The total area of cultivation and rice production in 2021-22 were 1.95 lakh hectares and 5.62 lakh tonnes, while the previous year’s figures stands at 2.05 lakh hectares and 6.26 lakh tonne.
Among the districts, Alappuzha, which had the second-highest cultivation, experienced a dip of 3815 hectares (9.46 per cent decline). Palakkad and Thrissur ranked first and third in cultivation, recorded a decline of 412 hectares and 287 hectares, respectively. The state’s overall year-over-year decline in cultivation and production was -4.54 per cent and -10.34 per cent, respectively.
On the other hand, coconut production increased by 15.60 per cent, despite a 0.44 per cent decline in the area of cultivation. The total production was 5535 million nuts in 2021-22, compared to the previous year’s 4788 million nuts. Malappuram topped the list with 964 million nuts produced, followed by Kozhikode with 921 million nuts. Idukki and Wayanad had the lowest production with 50 million and 64 million nuts, respectively.
In the spice and condiments category, black pepper production decreased by 3.20 per cent, from 33,591 tonnes in 2020-21 to 32,516 tonnes the following year. Turmeric production recorded a slight growth of -0.24 per cent, while ginger production increased by 6.54 per cent. In terms of fruits, banana production decreased by 82,944 tonnes, and plantain production declined by 2853 tonnes in FY 2022. Cashew production also fell short by 5048 tonnes compared to 2020-21.
Among vegetables, cucumber and bitter gourd production increased by 5615 tonnes and 1186 tonnes, respectively. However, snake gourd production fell by 1488 tonnes, and drumstick production decreased by 295 tonnes.
Despite the government’s various efforts, the area under vegetable cultivation has witnessed a sharp decline over the years. The total area under vegetable cultivation decreased by 1.80 per cent in 2020-21 and 4.78 per cent in 2021-22. Palakkad and Idukki, which were the toppers in FY 21, also experienced a decrease in the area of cultivation. Malappuram, accounting for 11.69 per cent of the state’s total cultivation, was the topper in 2021-22.