Despite a shift toward a service economy, agriculture remains a vital part of Kerala's cultural and economic fabric. The state is India's leading producer of several cash crops. It accounts for a vast majority of the country's natural rubber, pepper, cardamom, and coir production. Other major crops include coconuts (which literally give the state its name, 'Land of Coconuts'), tea, coffee, cashews, and areca nuts.
Rice is the principal food crop, prominently cultivated in regions like Kuttanad and Palakkad. Furthermore, owing to its long coastline and inland water bodies, fisheries form a massive component of the agricultural sector, supplying both domestic markets and international seafood exports.