Tea plantation South India are located on the Western Ghats, the eastern part of central Kerala and adjoining part of Tamil Nadu, usually at an elevation of 4300ft to 6200 ft. above sea level. The high ranges of Munnar were earlier known as Kannan Devan Hills, named after a certain Kanan Devan who had been a landlord in the Anchanad Valley on the Eastern side of the district. Tea cultivation started on the Nilgiris in 1832 on an experimental basis, and later in 1878 was taken up on the Kanan Devan Hills in Munnar. Today, tea is cultivated on 24,000 hectares of land in Munnar, Peermade and Devikulam areas with an annual yield of 50,000 metric tons.

Coffee
Coffee cultivation in India dates back to 1600 AD when Ba Abadan, a Muslim saint from the holy city of Mecca brought 7 precious coffee seeds and sowed them in the Chandragiri Hills near Chikmangalore in Karnataka. The main varieties of coffee cultivated today are Robusta and Arabica. Coffee plantations occupy 15,400 hectares in Devikulam , Peermade, Thodupuzha and Udumpanchola taluks of Idukki. The average yield per hectare is 320 metric tons.