Regional Profiles - Southern India, & Sri Lanka

Andhra Pradesh is India's fourth largest state by area with about 27. 5 million hectare area and fifth largest by population, with more than 84 million inhabitants in 2011. Agriculture has been the chief source of income for the state's economy. Andhra Pradesh is an exporter of many agricultural products. Rice, sugarcane, cotton, chilli pepper, mango, and tobacco are the local crops. Recently, crops used for vegetable oil production such as sunflower and peanuts have gained favor.

The state of Karnataka covers an area of 19. 1 million hectare which is 5. 83 per cent of the total geographical area of India. It is the eighth largest Indian state by area. With 61. 1 million inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the ninth largest state by population, comprising of 30 districts. Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities. A total of 12. 31 million hectares of land, or 64. 6% of the state's total area, is cultivated.

Kerala is a state located in the south-west region of India on the Malabar Coast. Spread over 3. 88 million hectare with a population of 33. 3 million persons, it is bordered by Karnataka to the north and north east, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Laccadive Sea to the west. Kerala has the lowest population growth rate; 3. 44% and a density of 819 people per km2.

The State of Odisha (erstwhile Orissa) is located on the eastern coast of India at 20°09' North & 85°30' East and has a geographical area of approximately 15. 5 million hectare and net sown area of 5. 5 million hectare. Odisha is primarily an agrarian economy. Agriculture is the state's dominant sector with a contribution of nearly 30 per cent to the Net State Domestic Product (NSDP). Table 1 illustrates the current area, productivity and production statistics of major crops in Odisha.

Sri Lanka, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, has a total area of 65,610 sq. km, with 64,740 sq. km of land and 870 sq. km of water. Agriculture contributes to 12% of Sri Lankan GDP. Rice is the main staple food among Sri Lankans, grown in an estimated 10,00,000 plus ha with a record production of 4. 869 million metric tons during 2011-12. The major plantation crops like tea, rubber, and coconuts continue to figure prominently in the economy of Sri Lanka.

Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India by area and the seventh most populous state. It is the second largest state economy in India as of 2012. It covers an area of 13. 0 million hectare. As of 2001 India census, Tamil Nadu had a population of 72. 13 million persons. It has historically been an agricultural state and was India's fifth largest producer of rice among the states in 2008. Tamil Nadu accounts for 10 per cent in fruits and 6 per cent of vegetable production in India.