Wayanad Tourist Information

Agriculture

This high altitude district is characterised by the cultivation of perennial plantation crops and spices. The major plantation crops include coffee, tea, pepper, cardamom and rubber. Coffee based farming system is a notable feature of Wayanad. Coffee is grown both as pure crop and as mixed crop along with pepper. Pepper is grown largely along with coffee in the north eastern parts of the district, especially in Pulpally and Mullankolly areas. Coffee in Wayanad (66,999 ha.) shares 33.65 per cent of the total cropped area in the district and 78 per cent of the coffee area in the state. Other major crops are rubber(63,015 ha.), coconut(59,452 ha.), cardamom (38,348 ha.), tea (31,792 ha.) cassava and ginger. A recent increase in the area under coconut cultivation is noticed in the lower elevations. Paddy is cultivated in 22,772 hectares of land. The rice fields of Wayanad are in the valleys formed by hillocks and in majority of paddy lands, only a single crop is harvested. Ginger cultivation in Wayanad has also substantially increased in recent times and the ginger produced is mainly marketed in the form of green ginger. Homestead farming assumes importance in this district. The average size of holdings are 0.68 ha. A variety of crops including annuals and perennials are grown in these small holdings. The crops include coconut, arecanut, pepper, vegetables, tuber crops, drumstick, papaya, etc. and fruit trees like mango and jack. The crop patterns/crop combinations prevelant in this district are not based on any scientific norms. Therefore scientific cropping patterns suitable for the agroecological situation is to be recommended. Main Crops Cardamom, Coffee, Pepper, Tea, and of late, Vanilla.

Marketing of Agriculture Produce

The marketing of coffee was fully regulated by the Coffee Board till 1992 and the entire coffee grown in the district had to be pooled to the Board.But in the Coffee Policy of 1995 96 , the Government exempted small scale growers possessing land less than 10 hectares from the obligation of pooling.Those growers with more than 10 hectares of coffee plantation were obliged to provide 60 percent of their produces to the Coffee Board.But Government of India recently announced the abolition of the pooling system for coffee altogether from 14th September 1996 and coffee growers are now free to market either in the domestic market or export.

Pepper is marketed mainly as dried berries. The different agencies engaged in the marketing of the produce are hill produce merchants , marketing socities, commission agents and exporters.Being an export oriented commodity, pepper prices show frequent fluctuations depending on the international prices prevailing for the commodity from timt to time.Ginger is mainly marketed as green ginger.Cardamom is sold at auction centres.The traders are licensed by the Spices Board and they participate in the different marketing centers for auction.Rubber is a controled commodityand is mainly marketed in the form of smoked rubber sheets.A large number of private dealers as well as the primary rubber marketing societies under the Rubber Marketing Federation , operate at the village level for the purchase and sale of Commodity.

Almost every crops such as Coffee, Pepper, Ginger, Cocoa, Arecanut, Tea, Rubber, Vanilla etc are grown here. Wayanadan Pepper is famous in the world of Spices. Now a days, there is an alarming decrease in the area of Paddy cultivation. Plantains are grown extensively in every parts of the district. Regional Agricultural Research Station at Ambalavayal plays an important role in helping agriculturists.

Sughandagiri Cardamom project, Vythiri and Priyadarsini Tea Estates at Mananthavady are experimental projects managed by the Government for the rehabilitation of tribals.

Cultivation

Vanilla can be grown successfully as an intercrop in Tea/Coffee estates and coconut & arecanut plantations. Vanilla is a climbing plant and needs 50% shade. It can be trained to grow on main crops like areca or shade trees. Vanilla can also be cultivated as a monocrop either by training onto shade plants, or on artificial supports like concrete/metal poles and shade provided by black synthetic shade nets giving 50% shade.

Yield And Economics

The economic returns of Vanilla cultivation are very attractive. About 600 to 1000 plants per acre can be planted when cultivated as inter crop and upto 2000 plants per acre can be cultivated as monocrop. Each plant is expected to yield an average of about 1.5 Kg/acre per year with a plant density of 1000 plants per acre. The yield of Vanilla starts from third year and goes on increasing till the seventh or the eight year. The yielding life of Vanilla plants is about 18 years.

Demand For Vanilla

Vanilla is widely used by flavouring industries, confectioneries, ice creams, baked products, food flavouring extracts etc. The demand in international market is increasing at a rate of 7 to 10%, and if taken up by Indian and Chinese markets, demand would further increase many folds in domestic and export markets.

Black Pepper

Pepper is one of the oldest and best known spices in the world. Indigenous to India, pepper is popularly known as the "King of Spices" From time immemorial India has always reigned supreme in the production and export of this most renowned spice in the world.

Cardamom

One of the most flavourful spices in the world, Indian cardamom is called the" Queen of the Spices". Indian cardamom enjoys a premium preference in the world and is relished for its distinct enriching properties. Cardamom is the dried fruit of a herbaceous perennial, with branched subterranean rhizomes.

Ginger

One of the earliest oriental spice known in Europe, ginger has been cultivated in India both as a fresh vegetable & marketed as a dried spice since time immemorial. Ginger is the underground rhizome of a plant with Lancelot leaves and spikes of yellow flowers, born on stems covered by bracts. Dried ginger is obtained by peeling off the outer skin of the rhizome and drying in the sun after cleaning. Bleached ginger is obtained by coating the dried ginger with a solution of lime. The uncoated variety is called ‘unbleached ginger’. Propagation of ginger is by portions of rhizome with one or two buds.

Turmeric

Turmeric, the dried rhizome of a herbaceous perennial, is indigenous to Southeast Asia. The primary rhizomes , round in shape are called ‘bulbs’, while the thin, long secondary rhizomes are called ’fingers’. After harvest, the rhizomes are cleaned, boiled, dried an d polished. Turmeric is closely related to ginger and is sometimes called Indian saffron due to its brilliant yellow colour. The propagation of turmeric is by rhizomes.

Vanilla

Vanilla is one of the few contribution of the western world to the world of spices. It was introduced in India during the 19th century. Today 90 percent of the world production comes from the Magasay republic. The other major producers are Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Uganda, Sarwala and the Comoro islands. Vanilla beans are the fruits of a climbing orchid. The beans are harvested before fully ripe, fermented and cured. Natural vanilla acquires the characteristic flavour while natural green beans are cured. Propagation is by cutting.

More About Vanilla Product

Vanilla is a tropical climbing orchid, which is cultivated for its pleasant flavour. The flavouring material is obtained from dried, cured, mature fruits commercially known as "beans" that resemble pods. Among the 50 species described, Vanilla planifolia is most preferred and is widely cultivated.