Vegetable farming is getting wide popularity at present. Vegetables play a significant role in human nutrition, especially as sources of vitamins, minerals and trace elements apart from being the major suppliers of dietary fibre. Including vegetables in the daily diet have been found to reduce risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other chronic ailments. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended a daily intake of 275g of vegetable per adult per day, however the actual consumption is less than 100g only.

India is the second largest producer of vegetables in the world next to China.  However, Kerala is a consumer state as far as vegetables are concerned. Major share of the fresh vegetable supply for the state comes from neighbouring states. Promoting vegetable cultivation in the state coupled with suitable marketing mechanism will not only help to make the state self reliant in vegetable production but also ensure year round availability of quality vegetables.

Shortage of good quality seed materials, unscientific cultivation practices and improper plant protection practices followed are the major bottlenecks associated with vegetable cultivation.  Small and uneconomic holding sizes also seriously hinder commercialization of vegetables in the state. Because of the heavy pressure on land, scope for area expansion is much limited. A way out is to produce maximum from unit area by resorting to intensive and scientific cultivation practices. Encouraging homestead level cultivation of vegetables and making use of the backyards and rooftops for vegetable production could be another alternative. In this section, scientific crop management practices of major vegetables relevant to Kerala are highlighted.