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The Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) is situated on the southern shore of River Kavanar. The institute was started in 1947 as the Coconut Research Station of Kumarakom. Set up with the support of the Indian Central Coconut Committee, it was meant to gratify research requirements related to coconut farming in the reclaimed land of Kuttanad. .
In 1972, it was attached to the Kerala Agricultural University and upgraded to the status of Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) under the National Agricultural Research Project (NARP). The financial assistance for the project was provided by the IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) and the ICAR (Indian Council for Agricultural Research) with a directive that the fund should be utilized for research on crops and crop systems in the area of Kuttanad.
The total area of the RARS farm at Kumarakom is about 45 hectares. Kumarkom is the lead station with five satellite stations elsewhere in Kerala. While the other stations focus on various types of farming activities, the regional centre mainly focuses on research into coconut-based farming system and crop-livestock-fish farming systems. The institute also provides assistance in location-specific, farming-related problems in the Special Zone, which includes Kuttanad. RARS also contributes to research efforts to contain diseases that affect coconuts.
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