Tribal Agriculture and Local Government Spending in Three Grama Panchayats of Idukki District, Kerala

This study examines cropping patterns, constraints reported by tribal farming households, and the utilisation of Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) funds for agricultural development in three grama panchayats of Idukki district, Kerala. Structured interviews with 320 households selected through stratified random sampling were analysed alongside panchayat expenditure records for 2012–2022. Coffee and pepper were the most widely grown crops, while few households cultivated rice, arrowroot or wild ginger. The principal constraint differed across panchayats. In Adimaly, 76.2% of households reported inadequate government support. In Velliyamattam, 77.6% cited inadequate marketing facilities, while in Arakulam, 75.0% identified inadequate transport. All three panchayats recorded lower mean annual TSP utilisation in the production sector than in services. Production-sector utilisation averaged 25.67% in Adimaly, 51.37% in Arakulam and 69.56% in Velliyamattam, with a statistically significant overall difference across panchayats. Velliyamattam’s comparatively high utilisation alongside widespread marketing difficulties illustrates why expenditure reviews should incorporate farmers’ assessments of project priorities. The findings also provide a starting point for identifying, with growers, the traditional crop varieties they wish to sustain.