Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

Crop Variety
Trikkulam
Desam
Parappanangadi Munniyur Thenhippalam Nannambra
Sugar Palmyra - 2-0 4-0 17-13 24-0
Drugs and Areca nut 141-73 12-0
250-0 384-0
174-0
narcotics Betel
vines
-
1-0
10-0 25-0
62-0
Fruits and Vegetables 40-0 -
65-0 15-0
4-0
vegetables Plantains 35-20 12-0
140-0 111-85 24-0
Jack 158-33 12-0
84-40 462-57 201-0
Mangoes 25-26 12-0
60-0 269-0
135-0
Others -
-
20-0 28-0
Miscellaneous Babul and -
2-70
-
-
-
non-food casuarinas
crops Bamboos
and
thatching
grass
-
-
-
20-0
5-0
Others 136-59 25-81
32-50 93-4
20-0
Total area Single
crop
Double
crop
2118-41
37-52
874-91
-
2314-47
24-32
Source: Resettlement statistics, 1935: Kerala State Archives, Calicut
3327-49
449-0
2120-45
342-82
The above table shows that apart from staple products like paddy, Coconut and areca
nut, a variety of other crops like, pepper, ginger, betelvine, various pulses, sama and ragi
were grown in different parts of the region. The testimonies given by the people also
show that people were sensitive to the variations of the terrain and the soil in the choice
of the crop. This is shown by the choice of paddy in the alluvial Trikkulam and the
preference of paramba products in Munniyur and Thenhippalam, where red loam soil
predominates. Nannambra where alluvial soil and red loam are evenly distributed, show a
similar distribution in the choice of the crops also. The coastal Parappanangadi
predominates in coastal production, and there are also a number of miscellaneous non-
food trees and shrubs found in the coastal area. The interesting feature is the growth of
Palmyra that produces sugar, and more importantly toddy. The evidence shows that the
area remained essentially multi-cropping, with a general edge for paramba products on
which a large number of small farmers depended on. This corresponds with the results of