Category Archives: Agriculture

Milk and honey flow at Kulamavu

Agriculture, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

Each member in this Kudumbasree team has four cows and the unit sells 300 bottles of milk daily — in an autorickshaw.

IdukkiKERALA28feb2016

They were just homemakers and their husbands were small-scale farmers. But now their lives have changed. Each member of the 11-member team of the Thanima Kudumbasree unit at Kulamavu is now making a monthly income of Rs.20,000 by selling milk.

The Ksheera Sagaram Scheme of the Kudumbasree district mission supported by the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) gave them an opportunity to buy cows and locally distribute milk on the model of the Nature Fresh project implemented at Edavetti grama panchayat in the district.

Thanima members locally distribute the milk in bottles and the remaining milk is given to the dairy cooperative society at Arakulam.

“Each woman member has four cows and it is possible for the consumers to identify the milk supplied by each member through the number affixed to the bottles,” said Ancy Vinod, a member.

Fresh produce

They carry the milk in an autorickshaw to homes, tea shops, and hotels. “Fresh milk is locally made available in the morning and afternoon,” she said.

The self-help group president Thressiamma said they sell 300 bottles of milk every day at Kulamavu. The aim is to make available quality and fresh milk on the doorsteps, she said adding that they sell milk in 650- millilitre bottles at Rs.31 and 375-millilitre bottles at Rs.17.

They have no plans to increase the price. Instead, they want to make more value-added products available in the market. The team is also planning to buy more cows.

Expert advice

They follow scientific methods in growing the cows and took the advice of experts for building cow sheds.

The members were trained under the experts in the Government Veterinary College, Mannuthy.

The Agriculture Department also takes them for study tours to learn about model dairy farms outside the district.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Giji K. Raman / Idukki – February 28th, 2016

Seed fest a hit among farmers at Karuvanchal

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All

A view of the seed festival being organised by the Fair Trade Alliance Kerala at Karuvanchal in Kannur on Sunday.
A view of the seed festival being organised by the Fair Trade Alliance Kerala at Karuvanchal in Kannur on Sunday.

An exhibition of indigenous seeds and a collection of carefully preserved agrarian items at Kuruvanchal here is drawing farmers from the region.

The fifth Vithulsavam (seed festival) being held under the auspices of the Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK), an organisation of small holder farmers drawn from the hill areas of the State, has exhibited a large collection of seeds of agrarian crops.

The organisers of the exhibition said that 20 stalls of the FTAK displays the seeds and agrarian items. Among the seeds on display include those of 600 varieties of rice as also dozens of vegetable types and pepper.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Andy Good, founder of Equal Exchange, United Kingdom, on January 22. The exhibition will conclude on January 26. The organisers said that delegates from France, Italy, Switzerland, U.K., Peru, Mexico and Australia participated in the round table programme held on Sunday. The small farmer logo on FTAK products was also released on the occasion. A career guidance workshop and a farm quiz will be conducted on January 25, they informed.

FTAK representatives said that around 5,000 farming families in Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Kozhikode are involved in its indigenous seed preservation effort and various promotional programmes.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kannur – January 15th, 2016

Idle land now a banana farm

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Mayor V. Rajendrababu inaugurating the harvest of banana crops cultivated under the ATMA scheme at Uliyakovil in Kollam city on Monday.— Photo: C. Suresh Kumar
Mayor V. Rajendrababu inaugurating the harvest of banana crops cultivated under the ATMA scheme at Uliyakovil in Kollam city on Monday.— Photo: C. Suresh Kumar

A two-acre plot at Uliyakovil in Kollam city, which was lying idle for years with overgrown shrubbery and infested with rodents, is now a rich plantation with 1,000 banana plants ready for harvest

The harvest was formally inaugurated by Mayor V. Rajendrababu in the evening on Monday.

Owner of the plot Binoy Abraham says about 200 plants are ready for harvest and the remaining will season in the coming few days and get ready for being harvested. The entire crop is being sold locally.

But Mr. Binoy gives the credit of converting his idle plot into a farm to his employees at the printing press run by him. The idea sprouted in the mind of Pramod, a native of Neyyattinkara, who comes from a family of traditional farmers.

Kuwait-based Mr. Binoy, who nursed a deep interest in farming, agreed to the idea and assured the required financial support. Technical help came from the Agriculture Department through the Kollam Krishi Bhavan, and the plot that was earmarked for banana crop was soon included as a scheme the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA).

Soon the plot was cleared, the land made ready, and a year ago the banana saplings were planted.

Pramod and his colleagues turned farmers during their free time, and tended to the saplings and experimented with some inter crops like tapioca and vegetables.

Assistant Agricultural Officer Shaji D., who supervised the activities, says that plot soon turned out to be the biggest banana plantation in the city.

Only organic farming methods have been used and what is being harvested from there is pure organic, he says. After the harvest, the land will be made ready for the next banana crop.

A small function was held at the plot to herald the harvest and the main reason for that is to encourage people to use idle land for farming.

“It contributes towards food security,” says Mr. Binoy. The function was presided over by Principal Agricultural Officer (Kollam) Stanley Chacko.

Bishop of the Kollam diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Zachariah Mar Anthonios, former Deputy Mayor, M. Noushad, Assistant Director (Agriculture) S. Venu and, agriculture field officer R. Babu spoke.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Ignatius Pereira / Kollam – January 12th, 2016

Kuttoosan rice to be marketed

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Paddy farmers harvesting the traditional rice variety cultivated in the brackish water fields at Vellikkeel Chera in Kannur on Sunday.
Paddy farmers harvesting the traditional rice variety cultivated in the brackish water fields at Vellikkeel Chera in Kannur on Sunday.

Traditional paddy farmers who have revived the paddy-cum-shrimp cultivation in the tidal marshes near Anthur here, by cultivating a rare salinity-resistant rice seed, are planning to market the organically grown rice.

Ketharam, a self-help group of paddy farmers of Vellikkeel Chera in the Anthur municipality, has been cultivating the Kuttoosan variety of rice that was once popular in the kaipad fields (traditional brackish water paddy fields). The variant had almost become extinct after a large extent of tidal marshes was left fallow for years. It is for the fourth successive year that the group is harvesting produce on its 16-acre field, which includes the land owned by each member and cultivable land on lease.

“We have been harvesting 1,500 kg rice per acre after the revival of the kaipad cultivation under the rice-cum-shrimp scheme of under the Agency for Aquaculture Development, Kerala (ADAK),” said M. Sureshan, secretary of the group.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Mohamed Nazeer / Kannur – October 26th, 2015

Learning the Honey Business

Agriculture, Business & Economy

Participants at the programme on Beekeeping held at ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Peruvannamuzhi
Participants at the programme on Beekeeping held at ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Peruvannamuzhi

Kozhikode :

Beekeeping is a ludicrous business and a healthy profit can be gleaned if it is done after obtaining the proper training. A district level training programme on Beekeeping was organised at ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Peruvannamuzhi.

Classes on different species of honeybees, their behaviour, bee colony maintenance, significance of beekeeping, pest and disease management in Apiary (a place where bees are kept; a collection of beehives), different by-products of beekeeping etc were covered during the three day programme. Practical session on Beekeeping was also organised at District Agricultural Farm, Koothali and KVK, Peruvannamuzhi.

The trainees will be issued certificates and they are also eligible for obtaining beehives and other accessories at 40 per cent subsidy by the Horticorp.

A total of 36 trainees including rural youth and farm women from Kunnummal, Balusserry, Naduvannur, Thodannur, Chelannur and Perambra blocks of the district participated while 27 participants completed the training course successfully.

The training programme was led by K K Aiswariya, subject matter specialist (Plant Protection) of KVK.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / October 09th, 2015

Honey in all its varied sweetness

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

 HoneyKERALA11sept2015

Festival includes training for bee keepers and a session on epitherapy

The seventh edition of the honey festival got underway at VJT Hall here on Wednesday. The four-day festival provides the people of the city an opportunity to taste several varieties of honey and familiarise themselves with a plethora of honey-based products.

Hundreds of honey farmers from different parts of the State are part of the festival and are displaying their unique honey varieties. The festival is being jointly organised by the Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists (FIA), State Horticultural Mission, Kerala Agricultural University, State Biodiversity Board, and Horticorp.

The varieties range from Coorg honey and Wayanadan honey to sunflower honey, stingless bee honey and several others.

Also on sale are honey products such as honey wax, soaps and facial creams, and many products with honey as their base. Hives of stingless bees, Newton bees, honey extractors, and other honey production equipment are also on display.

A training programme is being conducted for apiculturists (bee keepers) over these four days. The training will also include a day’s session on epitherapy, the treatment of various illnesses using honey and allied products.

Mission and museum

According to C. Manojkumar, a breeder from Kannur, the annual honey festivals in the capital city have helped the apiculturists earn good profits in a short time.

“At last year’s festival, my stall had sales of around Rs.4-5 lakh. The total sale across all the stalls was well above Rs.50 lakh. This year, the government has announced that a State Honey Mission will be formed under the Horticultural Mission. Also, a honey museum on the lines of the Central Bee Research Institute is also being planned in Kannur,” says Mr. Manojkumar.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Staff Reporter / Thursday – September 10th, 2015

KUFOS to promote vannamei shrimp farming

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Nature, World Opinion

Minister for Fisheries K. Babu has said that the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) will popularise vannamei shrimp farming across the State.

In his inaugural address at the two-day training and aqua-expo on the prospects of Litopenaeus Vannamei, an exotic white shrimp, here on Thursday, Mr. Babu urged the shrimp farmers to speed up the process of ushering in a vannamei revolution in the State.

Compared to the other States in the country, we are very late to earn profits out of vannamei culture, the Minister said.

He said that KUFOS would organise training programme in each districts to spread vannamei shrimp farming.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – August 21st, 2015

Creating the Best Out of Waste

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

A man working at the paddyfield on the premises of the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant
A man working at the paddyfield on the premises of the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant

Brahmapuram  :

Several people, including  professionals, have recently turned farmers by starting their own gardens or by setting up organic farms at home.

Apart from the expenses incurred on setting up the vegetable garden, these farmers are spending large sums of money for buying the manure for the plants. The money they spend for purchasing manure ranges above Rs 30 per kg, and for the branded items, the price is over Rs 100 in the market. But a little-known fact is that the bio-manure generated from the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant is available at just Rs 6 per kilogram. The manure, named ‘City compost’, now a hit among the vegetable cultivators in the city, is also available at Rs 300 for a pack of 50 kg from Brahmapuram waste treatment plant.

“As it is generated from garbage waste, the manure has all the ingredients needed for the vegetables to grow. There is no need for adding  further ingredients as it has the contents of meat, blood, food waste and all types of other waste. The price, compared to the market rates, is also low. As we are not running it as a profit-generating enterprise, we haven’t opened any outlets in the city,” said A A Byju, who has been running the plant on contract basis for the last four years.

With organic farming become a trend in the state, the demand for the manure from the plant has skyrocketed. “Every day, on an average, around 40 tonnes of manure is made, of which 70-80 per cent is sold. Earlier, we could only sell around 10 tonnes per day and had to find space to keep it. But, from last year, there has been a huge demand from different places,” he added.

Interestingly, the demand for the manure is mainly from Tamil Nadu districts.

“Some are using the manure to prepare their product for the market. Most of them will mix the manure with their product as this is the cheapest and of the best quality. Several companies sellinng branded manure have also approached us for the item,” said Byju.

The contractor, along with his team, is also distributing the manure free of cost to some NGOs, schools, hospitals and government offices to support vegetable cultivation. The rest is also used in their farm set up at Brahmapuram plant.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Anil Kumar T / August 03rd, 2015

Mechanisation reaches Pokkali fields in Alappuzha

Agriculture, Science & Technology

AThe district now has a new machinery to replant paddy seedlings in Pokkali fields.

It is for the first time that such mechanisation process has been introduced in the scheme of Pokkali farming in the State.

The machine, costing about Rs.2 lakh, was launched by District Collector N. Padmakumar at the Koorichal Pokkali fields at Eramalloor in Cherthala on Saturday. The replanting machine was developed by the scientists of rice research centre of Kerala Agricultural University, in association with a private company.

Replanting of seedlings is a labour-intensive process and availability of workers has been one of the major challenges faced by farmers. Pokkali rice in Kerala is considered organic and has got Geographical Indication (GI) certification. Pokkali fileds stretch over the coastal areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts in the State. Pokkali farming area in Kerala has come down from 25,000 acres to 5,000 hectares within the last 15 years owing to various problems faced by farmers, Francis Kalathngal, a Pokkali farmer and convenor of coordinating committee of Pokkali farmers, told The Hindu .

Pokkali fields do not require inorganic fertilizers or irrigation facilities set up by the government. As such, the government needs to support the farmers through providing subsidy on the machine so that it could be widely used, he said. Subsidies under certain schemes such as Gram Vikas Yojna are available from the Union and State governments, but are generally not disbursed on time, he added. The machine is an innovation pioneered by the scientists of rice research station, Ernakulam, said V. Sreekumar, professor and head of the centre, told The Hindu . Three years of experimentation has proved that it could be deployed in Pokkali fields characterised by loose sand and mud. It would take only one to one and a half hours to conduct the replanting operations in one acre. The use of seeds could also be reduced by spreading the because of the optimum practices employed in replanting, he said.

Preparing the fields for the mechanized process is important, according to Mr. Kalathingal. Late arrival of monsoon is a problem confronting the farmer. Washing away the salt content in the field by the rains for a fortnight is important. The traditional way of ‘broadcasting’ for sowing the seeds involves wastage whereas mechanisation provides scope for optimum use of seeds. The distance between the plants could also be set conveniently for giving maximum harvest, he said.

It is for the first time that such mechanisation process has been introduced in the scheme of Pokkali farming in the State.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by R Ramabhadran Pillai / Lappuzha – June 22nd, 2015

Bid to spread vannamei shrimp farming

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Nature

Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), in the first phase of its efforts to spread vannamei shrimp farming in the State, will transfer farming technology to 30 farmers in Kerala.

Vannamei is an exotic white-leg shrimp, which is now widely farmed on the eastern coast of India.

A training programme for farmers selected from various parts of the State would be held at the Puthuvype fisheries station on Monday, said a press release from KUFOS here. KUFOS had started trial farming of vannamei shrimp, the first of its kind in Kerala, in March this year after getting permission from the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA), Chennai.

The university has now decided to extend farming after a review of the trial, which has been a success in the brackish water ecosystem of the State.

KUFOS Vice Chancellor B. Madhusoodana Kurup will inaugurate the training programme, and Pro-Vice Chancellor K. Padmakumar will preside.

The training programme is aimed at educating the shrimp farmers in the State about the white leg exotic shrimp, Litopenaeus Vannamei, and precautions to be taken prior to farming in Kerala’s conditions.

The selected farmers will be trained in various aspects such as management, nutritional requirement, feed management and biology, and life cycle of the species.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – May 25th, 2015