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KERALA -in regional language, KERALAM

Agriculture

Kerala is an Agrarian economy. Cash crops, Coconuts, rubber, tea and coffee, pepper and cardamom, cashew, areca nut, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and the like, give the agriculture of Kerala a distinct flavour. It is coconuts which bring the people their principal source of earning in agriculture. Nearly 70% of Indian output of coconuts is provided by Kerala. Cashew is an important cash crop of the state. The state has facilities for converting raw cashew into the dried fruit, salted or plain. Cardamom is another cash crop which gives Kerala a distinctive place in Indian export.

Alappuzha, one the district of Kerala known as the 'rice bowl of the state', has a predominant position in the production of rice (kuttanad Taluk),. Tapioca is another important crop of the state, cultivated mainly in dry land. It is a food of Kerala state, next to rice.

Coconut Trees in Kerala

The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a very important part of the landscape, traditional lifestyle and economy of Kerala, as you will see when you travel to Kerala with Kerala Backwater. Every part of the coconut tree is used in some way. The many uses of the fruit have been described above. The trunk of the coconut tree is used for its wood to make beams in traditional houses and the coconut palm's leaves are used to thatch houses and weave mats, baskets and other useful household items. The husk of the coconut is used to produce coir, which is woven into ropes, doormats and furnishing material. The curved shell of the coconut is used to make spoons and ladles. Every part of the coconut tree is put to some use. Coconuts in Kerala, are more than just a beautiful part of the landscape or an essential element in Kerala cuisine. Coconut trees are essential to the traditional lifestyle and livelihood of the people of Kerala.

Rubber tapping in Kerala

The rubber plant is not a native plant of India. Dutch colonialists who also cultivated rubber in their plantations in Indonesia introduced the rubber plant to Kerala, India, because of its similar tropical climate. The Rubber plant (its botanical name is Havea brasiliensis) produces sticky, white latex that is collected and processed to produce natural rubber. A rubber plant has to grow for about seven years before it can be tapped on a regular basis. A rubber tree can be productive for over 20 years. Rubber trees are characterized by their straight trunks and smooth green leaves. The rubber is harvested by rubber tappers who make a long curving cut on the outer bark of the trunk of the rubber tree. The latex from within the tree seeps to the surface of the cut and trickles down the cut into a container, tied to the tree by the rubber tapper. Every morning the rubber tapper empties the cup tied to each tree, in the area of the plantation that he works in. After a few days he will make another cut just above or below the first cut, thus extracting more latex from the rubber tree. Eventually after about 20 years the rubber tree will stop producing latex, upon which a new tree is planted in its place.

Tea cultivation in Kerala

The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) was introduced to India by the British during colonial times. The bush has shiny green leaves with pointed ends and have a pleasant aroma. Take a deep breath as you walk through a tea plantation in Kerala and you can feel the fragrance of tea invigorate you. Tea bushes will grow to tree height in the wild. On plantations however tea bushes are maintained at waist height so the leaves can be plucked easily. Tea picking is carried out by hand, usually by groups of women. Their agile fingers pick only the bud and first two leaves of each shoot and place them in a basket slung behind their backs. The women often sing as they work to help them sustain a rhythm as they move along the rows of tea bushes. The tea leaves are processed after plucking and sorted into categories based on fermentations and other processing treatments. The three broad classifications of tea are - Green Tea, Oolong Tea and Black Tea. more...

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