2 - Agricultural Scenario in North Malabar

Summary

North Malabar, comprising Kannur and Kasaragod districts in Kerala state, is a unique area with respect to culture and agriculture. Agriculture is the major source of livelihood to the majority of population in North Malabar. Kasaragod, which is adjacent to Karnataka state, has a rich cultural diversity exemplified by different festivals and rituals. It is a land of multilingual population. Similarly, Kannur district also inherits a rich treasure of cultural diversity. Demographically, the region has people of all religions and castes, including scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

A wide range of crops and cropping patterns exist in the region in tune with the varied agro-climatic zones. North Malabar region has an average annual rainfall to the tune of 3500 mm, but in a unimodal pattern. Although the receipt of rainfall is high, there is comparatively a long dry spell extending from the month of January to May, with very little summer showers. This situation forces the farmers in this region to adopt appropriate farming techniques. Laterite, forest loam, coastal alluvium, riverine alluvium, and hydromorphic saline are the major groups of soil found in this region. Extensive wastelands and hard laterite areas are another speciality of the region.

According to physiography, this region can be divided into lowland, midland and highland. The highland lies on the western slope of the Western Ghats. The important crops grown in this area include rubber, pepper, and coconut.