Kerala welcomes Chingam; State celebrates Farmers' Day, Onam countdown begins

KOCHI: Today is Chinga Piravi, the first day of the Malayalam month of Chingam, which is said to put an end to the hardships of drought. Chinga Piravi is also considered the day to honour hardworking farmers who reap gold from the soil. A good part of Kerala's land is farmland. About 46 lakh acres of land are used for agriculture in a year. More than one crop is grown on the same land every year. The lion's share (65.7%) of the agricultural land (gross cropped area) in Kerala is cash crops like coconut and rubber. Paddy cultivation is 7.01%.

This is the official figure for 2024-25 from the State Planning Board and the Department of Economics and Statistics. Although the cultivation of food crops has decreased, as a promising sign, many youngsters are entering the sector.

Area of ​​major crops in Kerala

Crop……..Area (in acres)

Coconut........18,96,960

Rubber.........13,60,105

Paddy............4,34,720

Banana............2,76,640

Coffee...........2,09,950

Pepper.............1,92,660

Tapioca.......1,53,140

Cardamom...............96,330

Cashew................... 47,470