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 a mixed crop along with pepper. Pepper is grown largely along with coffee in the northeastern parts of the district (70.150 ha), especially in Pulpally and Mullankolly areas. Coffee in Wayanad (70,150) 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 coconut (8826 ha.), Arecanut (5722ha), Tea (5728 ha.) and Rubber (2954 ha.).  Vanilla cultivation in assuming importance in the district.

Paddy   is cultivated in 19308 hectares. 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 0.68ha. A variety of crops including annuals and perennials are grown in these small holdings. The crops include coconut, arecanut, pepper, vegetables, tubercrops, drumstick, papaya, etc.and fruit trees like mango and jack.

The crop patterns/crop combinations prevalent in this district are not based on any scientific norms. Therefore scientific cropping patterns suitable for the agro-ecological situation is to be recommended.

Marketing of agricultural 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 per cent 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 societies, commission agents and exporters. Being an export-oriented commodity, pepper prices show frequent fluctuations depending on the international prices prevailing for the commodity from time to time. Ginger is mainly marketed as green ginger. Cardamom is sold at auction centers. The traders are licensed by the Spices Board and they participate in the different marketing centers for auction. Rubber is a controlled commodity and is mainly marketed in the form of smoked rubber sheets. A large numbers 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 the commodity.

Wayanad has 25 agricultural units known as Krishi Bhavans. Each unit is under the charge of an Agricultural Officer  and 2 or 3 Agricultural Assistants. There is also farm of the Tribal Development  Department known as Cheengeri Extension Scheme,Ambalavayal and it is managed by the Agricultural Department. The office of the Agricultural Extension Schemes, Ambalavayal and it is managed by the Agricultural Department. The office of the Principal Agricultural Officer is located at Kalpetta  which co-ordinates the schemes.

IRRIGATION

 There is no major irrigation project in this district.

Karapuzha Project

Karapuzha Project is the First Irrigation project taken up in Wayanad District. Wayanad with an average elevation of 780 m above sea level, lying on the eastern slope of Western Ghats is inhabited by several hill tribes and settlers from different parts of the State.  Bulk of the population is in rural and is engaged in agricultural activities. With a view to irrigate more and more area under paddy cultivation to overcome the deficiency in food grain production, the possibilities of implementing a few major irrigation projects had been investigated in Wayanad area, out of which the Karapuzha Project was found to be the most feasible one and was taken up for execution during the 5th five Year Plan.

The project is to construct an Earth Dam at Vazhavatta in Vythiri Taluk. This is purely an Irrigation Project, which envisages the construction of storage reservoir and canal system to irrigate a net ayacut of 5221 hectares for two crops. An independent division called "Karapuzha Project Division" stated functioning from February 1977, onwards with headquarters at Kalpetta for the execution of the project. The partial commissioning of the project was to take place in 1984-85. This was not materialised in view of meager placement of funds from 1980-1981 onwards. The target fixed for the commissioning of the project is March 2004, provided adequate provision for fund is made available.

In addition to the originally envisaged scope of the Project, new proposal for 0.5 to 0.75 MW of power Generation and drinking water supply for adjoining towns like Kalpetta and for tourism are under consideration of the concerned departments, for which preliminary investigation has already been conducted.

The revised project report by incorporating all the update design changes and by adopting the 1999 Schedule of the rate has been prepared for an amount of Rs. 253/- crores.