District Profile

Dakshina Kannada is one of the three coastal districts of the state with predominantly horticultural and industrial economy. Population is 21.0 lakh and average population density. It embodies a number of religious pilgrim centers and educational centers. Kannada, Tulu and Konkani are main languages. The literacy rate of the district is  88.62% highest in Karnataka.

The Total geographical area is 4771 sq.kms of which 27% is covered by forests. There are no medium or major irrigation projects. The Topography of the District is undulating. The average altitude of the district is 30 metres above Mean Sea Level. The District is characterized by high rainfall (4000 mm mostly received  during June to October) High temperature (Max-36.2oC and  Min 20.4oC) and high humidity (84.5 to 96.5%). Soils are lateritic and acidic in nature.

LOCATION & GEOGRAPHICAL AREA:

The district is a part of peninsular India located half way between Mumbai and Cape Cameron and is stretching 60 Kms. from North to South and 70 Kms. from East to West in the form of a low lying broken plateau from Western Ghats to Arabian Sea.
Geographically the district is divided into three belts

• Coastal tract, the most thickly populated region.
• Middle belt consisting of hills and fertile valleys with several gardens of areca nut, coconut and paddy fields.
• Western Ghats, the eastern boundary of the district, consisting dense evergreen forests.

Status of Agriculture in the District

The net sown area is 1.31 lakh ha and forms 28% of the geographical area (4.77 lakh ha ).  The gross cropped area stood at 1.57 lakh ha. The land holding pattern in the district indicates that small and marginal land holdings account for more than 90% of the total holding. Paddy is grown in 54633 ha.  Cropping pattern shows that nearly one-third of the gross cropped area is under food grains  and remaining under Plantation and horticultural crops like coconut, arecanut cashew etc. The area production and productivity of the major crops in the District are as follows

Profile