Kerala's toddy heartland Chittur runs dry as production falls sharply

Palakkad: Chittur in Palakkad, Kerala's largest toddy-producing region, is facing a severe toddy shortage as prolonged dry weather has drastically reduced production. Coconut trees that earlier yielded up to two litres of toddy are now producing less than half a litre. Toddy tappers who used to collect around 45 litres a day are now struggling to harvest even 20 litres.

Toddy shops in 12 districts, except Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, primarily depend on supplies from Chittur. The region previously dispatched around 2.5 lakh litres of toddy daily to various districts, but farmers say production has now fallen below one lakh litres a day, forcing a sharp cut in supplies.

Farmers says that the decline is mainly due to inadequate rainfall, which has disrupted irrigation and monsoon maintenance in nearly 80% of the region's 1,100 coconut groves. Water scarcity has also prevented the emergence of new coconut flower clusters, further affecting toddy production.

Toddy shop owners say the shortage has severely impacted business, with the available stock often selling out before 9 a.m. Under Excise Department inter-district permit rules, at least 50 coconut trees must be tapped for a toddy shop to operate. However, farmers say only plantations with borewell facilities can continue tapping on a limited scale. There are also concerns that the shortage could encourage the production and sale of illicit toddy.

With incomes falling, many toddy tappers from other districts have stopped work and returned home. Kerala-based tappers earn ₹33 per litre of toddy collected, while workers from Tamil Nadu receive ₹20 per litre.

Rainfall Deficit Exceeds 80%

Chittur region, known for its extensive toddy-producing coconut plantations, has recorded a rainfall deficit of over 80%. According to the Irrigation Design and Research Bureau (IDRB) under the Water Resources Department, the area received only 13.2% of the expected rainfall this season. Nearby regions such as Kollengode (12.7%) and Nenmara (11.2%) also recorded extremely low rainfall. Across Palakkad district, only 16.2% of the expected rainfall was received during the period, against the normal expectation of 186.8%.