Due to the highly porous, nutrient-poor coralline soil and lack of freshwater rivers, traditional terrestrial farming is severely limited. Agriculture on Kalpeni is almost entirely monolithic, dominated by the cultivation of coconuts.
Coconuts serve as the primary cash crop, providing copra (dried coconut kernel used for oil extraction), coir, and materials for traditional housing and boat building. Small household gardens may grow minor vegetables, papayas, and bananas for subsistence, but all major food staples, including rice, wheat, and pulses, must be imported from the Indian mainland. Livestock is largely limited to poultry and a few goats.
