History

Organisation

Citizen Charter

Developmental activities

Photo Gallery

High Value Agriculture

HISTORY

           History of the islands indicate that human settlement started  in 6^th  century.  The earliest settlers who came from Malabar coast, brought with them coconut and started cultivation.  Islands were covered  with various types of perennial  shrubs and trees and thick coverage of ground with various species of grasses.  Earlier settlers were nomadic type.   Started coconut cultivation in certain patches.  Interior part of the   island was excavated   to create water-logged condition to cultivate rice,  other cereals like  jower, sorgum , ragi,  sweet potato and banana.   Wild colacasia   and cowpea  were also cultivated.   In earlier decades, main transport between islands and mainland was   sailing  vessels called odams.  Main items transported were plated coconut leaves,  vinegar, jaggery, cowries, coconut planks (Ada),   dondhi,  dried fenari & thaluthama   (medicinal  plants).  All these items were sold in Kozhikode and Cannanore at Kerala and Mangalore at Karnataka    ports of the Indian Union  and brought   essential commodities to islands.  During monsoon season, for a period of 6 months   transportation and communication were totally cut off   between islands and mainland.  Famine was a regular occurrence  in the islands during this  period,   and people had to satisfy with coconut, fish, rhizome of wild colacasia , pseudostem of plantain,  etc.

           There are low lying lands, apparently excavated  by man, in the earliest inhabited islands, Andrott, Kalpeni, Amini, Kavaratti and Agatti.  These excavated low-lying water logged lands are made to cultivate paddy and other cereals.  At Andrott and Kalpeni  paddy was cultivated in earlier periods.  In these so called thottam areas, about 10 varieties of paddy was tried in seventies.  But though it was successful crop, due to limitations  discontinued.  Thottam areas were fully utilized by  the  farmers till the end of eighties by rotating sweet potato, cowpea and cereals.  Thereafter area has been utilized for coconut and Banana cultivation.  On heavy  pressure due to increase of population  residential flats are coming up in these areas now.

           Modern Agricultural activities were commenced in the islands in the year 1955 by posting an Agricultural Demonstrator with his head quarter at Agatti island.  Agricultural Fieldmen and Agricultural maistries were also appointed.  Developmental activities commenced with imparting training to Agri  Fieldmen and Maistries  at Agatti.   During fiftees, sugar cane was cultivated at Agatti and sugar candy were produced. During 1958, Agricultural Demonstration units were established in all inhabited islands and a separate department for Agriculture has come to existence under U T Administration.  The main activities of Agricultural Department were production of good quality coconut seedlings, demonstration of the improved cultural and manurial aspects of coconut cultivation, control of pests and diseases, establishment of vegetable gardens.  While pesticides are distributed on free of cost, fertilizers, implements, seedlings etc are distributed at reasonably reduced   rates.

           Now the department of Agriculture is a full fledged organization under Lakshadweep Administration with almost sufficient technocrats  and infrastructural  facilities.