Cumbum Valley, also called Kambam Valley, is a valley in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu state in India near the Kerala state border. This is the most fertile valley in South India, The valley includes lands between Thekkadi Hills, Varusanadu Hills, and Kodaikanal Hills. It is one of the few places in Tamil Nadu producing grapes. Cumbum valley produces about 90,000 tonnes of muscat grapes and 10,000 tonnes of Thomson seedless grapes every year. “The paneer grapes are a variety rich in vitamins, tartaric acid and antioxidants and the farming of grapes in the Cumbum valley has been going on for hundreds of years in many villages. The valley is blessed with the perfect climatic conditions meant for grape farming so much that Cumbum is referred to as little California,” says R. Savudappan, a third-generation farmer The grapes grown in Cumbum are known for a superior taste apart from the purplish-brown color. The rich soil and water of the land are said to enhance the taste of the fruit. The state stands fourth in terms of grape cultivation in India but is first in terms of production because the farmers in Cumbum valley in the district can harvest the fruits five times in two years. However, the production goes down by 40 to 50% in the monsoon and winter seasons, mainly due to diseases like downy mildew powdery mildew and anthra canoes and mealybugs and flea beetles that attack the vines.
Cumbum Valley, also called Kambam Valley, is a valley in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu state in India near the Kerala state border. This is the most fertile valley in South India, The valley includes lands between Thekkadi Hills, Varusanadu Hills, and Kodaikanal Hills. It is one of the few places in Tamil Nadu producing grapes. Cumbum valley produces about 90,000 tonnes of muscat grapes and 10,000 tonnes of Thomson seedless grapes every year. “The paneer grapes are a variety rich in vitamins, tartaric acid and antioxidants and the farming of grapes in the Cumbum valley has been going on for hundreds of years in many villages. The valley is blessed with the perfect climatic conditions meant for grape farming so much that Cumbum is referred to as little California,” says R. Savudappan, a third-generation farmer The grapes grown in Cumbum are known for a superior taste apart from the purplish-brown color. The rich soil and water of the land are said to enhance the taste of the fruit. The state stands fourth in terms of grape cultivation in India but is first in terms of production because the farmers in Cumbum valley in the district can harvest the fruits five times in two years. However, the production goes down by 40 to 50% in the monsoon and winter seasons, mainly due to diseases like downy mildew powdery mildew and anthra canoes and mealybugs and flea beetles that attack the vines.