Views of the Thekkady Flower Show at Kallarackal grounds in Idukki on Sunday.— PHOTOS: GIJI K. RAMAN
The ninth Thekkady Flower Show, which opened at the Kallarackal grounds here on Saturday, showcased endemic flowering plants like mirabilis and marigold that were once common to the house gardens of Kerala.
At least 200 varieties of flower plants, in addition to the vegetable and fruits plants, have been included in the show. The show has given maximum care to include endemic flower plants as they are best suited to the climatic and topographical conditions here, said T.T. Thomas, general convenor of the organising committee. He said the flower show has tried to renew interest in cultivation of vegetables and flowers on terraces.
The advantages of growing plants in grow bags are that they can be done even in small places.
Even a small family can maintain at least 10 vegetable bags that will ensure availability of pesticide-free vegetables, he said.
The flower show also has arts and cultural programmes in the evening with focus on folk, temple and tribal art forms. Seminars which highlight measures for waste control, energy saving, water protection and small entrepreneurial activities for housewives will be held. Mr Thomas said that on the inaugural day itself, over 3,000 people visited the show. An important feature is that a large number of tourists are visiting the venue, he said. The flower show is being organised by the Thekkady Agri Horticulture Society.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by A Correspondent / Kumili – April 06th, 2015
Vamanapuram block panchayat president Baby Sulekha leading members of the Vamanapuram block in a procession kicking off ‘Mazhaneermahima’, a project which aims to carry out rainwater harvesting of pre-monsoon showers
Thiruvananthapuram :
Can rainwater harvesting of mango showers solve drinking water crisis this summer? The panchayats in Vamanapuram Block are attempting to do it, with ‘Mazhaneermahima’. The slogan of the rainwater harvesting project is ‘Let’s welcome the monsoon by harvesting rainwater.’
On Sunday, the project was kicked off with a ‘Mazhaneermahima Vilambara Yatra’, a procession from Vamanapuram block. ‘Mazhaneermahima’ is implemented as part of the Integrated Watershed Management Programme. The project lasts till May 21. In the first phase of the project, notices spreading awareness on water conservation and rainwater management were distributed in the houses in Nellanadu, Manikkal, Vamanapuram, Pullambara, Pangode and Kallara panchayats.
A group of people will visit 300-odd households in each panchayat to spread awareness.
Sunday’s event was inaugurated by Vamanapuram Block Panchayat president Baby Sulekha. Block secretary Sarina A Rahman, vice-president G Purushottaman Nair and various panchayat presidents in Vamanapuram block were present at ‘Mazhaneermahima Vilambara Yatra’.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / April 06th, 2015
Nirupama, the much acclaimed character portrayed by actor Manju Warrier in her comeback movieHow Old Are You , has been an inspiration for many women. Here is a real life heroine, who has proved that with hard work and willpower one can face any difficult challenge.
On International Women’s Day, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Thrissur (KVK), with the support of Mathilakom panchayat will honour Beena Sahadevan, who has become a role model for rural women.
Beena is being honoured for her efforts and determination with which she has beaten numerous odds in her life and reaped success in farming.
She took up farming five years ago after her husband, who was working in the Middle East, fell sick. The family had no source of income. She started growing organic vegetables in her 33-cent plot, in addition to homesteads of five neighbours. She has now three cows, about 50 goats, more than 150 poultry birds, including 50 ducks and fishes in three ponds of neighbours.
Now, she makes enough income to take care of her husband and for other expenses, including the education of her daughters. She also makes garments besides taking up occasional catering assignments.
Officials of the Agriculture Department and the Thrissur Krishi Vigyan Kendra have supported her efforts. She also got training in seedling production, quality seed production and other planting material production from Dr. Jalaja S. Menon of Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
The programme to be held at Mathilakam block panchayat auditorium will be inaugurated by V.S. Sunilkumar, MLA. More than 300 women, who are involved in farming in the nearby panchayats, will attend the function.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by Mini Muringatheri / Thrissur – March 08th, 2015
‘Anti-cancer’ vegetable Broccoli is being cultivated in West Kodikulam, a sleepy village near Thodupuzha, by a small-time farmer named Jose.
The news of Jose Vattakkadu becoming the first farmer to successfully cultivate the crop in the district has thrilled people in the neighbourhood. “People are thronging my 15-cent farm in large numbers to have a glimpse of it,” Jose told ‘Express.’
“Broccoli is a great source of indole-3-carbinol, which boosts DNA repair in cells, and blocks the growth of cancer cells. The vegetable grows only between the months of October and March, and at least two crops can be cultivated during this period,” he said.
Jose has successfully cultivated 100 broccolis, each weighing over one kg. However, some of them wilted away. “The vegetable costs about Rs 200 per kg in supermarkets. As I was thrilled about growing it, I distributed them among neighbours and relatives,” he said.
Another farmer, 70-year-old Jose Cheruparambil who lives in West Kodikulam, said he was planning to start broccoli farming in October this year.
“At present, I have only 50 cents of land, in which I am already growing beans, cauliflower, cabbage and other vegetables. I am looking for land on lease so that I can take up broccoli farming in a big way. It is said to be costing about Rs 250 per kg in metros. If I get Rs 100 per kg in Thodupuzha it will be a good price,” he said.
The Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Kerala (VFPCK) had made an unsuccessful attempt to cultivate broccoli at Erattayar near Kattappana. Jose, who cultivates vegetables, tapioca and plantain on his 50-cent land and 75 cents of leased land, is planning to continue with broccoli farming provided he gets seeds from the government. “Ten grams of seeds cost `2,000, which is too much. Using ten grams of seeds, about 2000 broccolis could be grown,” Jose, who is a member of VFPCK, said. “Once harvested, the crop sprouts from the roots of the earlier plant. Therefore, there is no need to sow seeds every time. My experience has encouraged others to take up broccoli farming. But, the government should come forward to provide the seeds free,” he said, adding that many people were not aware of the medicinal value of broccoli and its role in fighting cancer. Once awareness is created in this regard, there would be tremendous demand for the product.
VFPCK assistant manager Litty Thomas, who has been assigned to proliferate broccoli farming in the district, said that it was encouraging that broccoli could be grown in Idukki. “The VFPCK will hold discussions with regard to extending help to more farmers in the district for growing broccoli,” she said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by P .B. Jaysankar / March 09th, 2015
The need for proper branding and planning of marketing strategies has been highlighted by the speakers at the State level workshop on “Prospects and possibilities of njavara rice farming”.
Expert moots branding unique variety of Kerala rice
The need for proper branding and planning of marketing strategies has been highlighted by the speakers at the State level workshop on “Prospects and possibilities of njavara rice farming”.
The workshop organised by the Centre for IP Protection under the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) took note of the mismatch between the high demand for quality njavara rice on one hand and the difficulty faced by genuine njavara farmers in selling their produce on the other.
KAU Registrar P.V. Balachandran, in his inaugural address, stressed the need to validate scientific data on the medicinal value of njavara to convince the international society. “Even though njavara has been traditionally used for treatment of multiple maladies and there are reports on its capability to thwart cancer, it has to be validated with scientific data. Medicinal rice is the unique product of Kerala. Ensuring universal acceptance, proper marketing strategies and product diversification are the best options for sustaining njavara rice farming,” he said. T.R. Gopalakrishnan, Director of Research, in his presidential address, called for collaboration between the KAU and the Ayurvedic research institutions to identify the genetic elements responsible for the medicinal properties of native varieties like njavara and pokkali.
“An action plan to encourage cultivation of these varieties and spread awareness of their qualitative superiority and value should be evolved,” he said.
Dr. Ramankutty Warrier, chief medical officer, Vydyarathnam Ayurveda Foundation, Thycattussery, explained the medical applications of njavara rice.
Dr.Warrier detailed the different treatments using njavara and the properties of which were exploited in dealing with different diseases. Njavara should always be grown organically, he said.
Technical sessions on “GI status of njavara”, “Cultivation practices of njavara” and “Marketing possibilities of njavara” were held as part of the workshop. It was attended by farmers, traders and industrialists from different parts of the State.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Thrissur – March 12th, 2015
An expert demonstrates how to prepare organic fertilizers during a training programme organised by the National Horticulture Mission on the CWRDM campus at Kunnamangalam in the city. / The Hindu
Along with vegetables, spices also need to be cultivated organically, say experts.
Spreading awareness among people about the importance of producing toxin-free spices through organic cultivation was the main thrust of a training programme in homestead water management and organic spice cultivation organised by the National Horticulture Mission in collaboration with the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) on its campus at Kunnamangalam here.
Around 60 housewives, who are members of the farmers club aided by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), participated in the two-day training programme, which was inaugurated by the Kunnamangalam MLA P.T.A. Raheem on Monday.
Water resources
In various sessions, scientists as well as experts from the centre and the Agricultural Department spoke on how to go about managing the available water resources in a common household for the cultivation of essential spices including ginger, turmeric and pepper.
E. Abdul Hameed, Technical officer of CWRDM, talked about the things to be done while cultivating spices in the backyard.
While CWRDM scientist Dinesh Kumar spoke about the role of spices in the protection of health, K.R Prasannakumar, another expert from the centre, spoke on the role of soil fertility and use of organic fertilizers for spices cultivation.
P. Vikraman, former Principal Agricultural Officer, demonstrated on how to prepare organic fertilizers and pesticides.
The scientists also clarified various doubts raised by the participants during the programme.
One kg of ginger and turmeric rhizomes each as well as five saplings of pepper were distributed free to the participants at the end of the session. CWRDM executive director N.B. Narasimha Prasad presided over the function. CWRDM Training Education and Extension Division (TEED) head Kamalam Joseph and NABARD District Development manager K.P. Padmakumar among others spoke. Details about organic spices cultivation can be had from the organisers. Ph: 9447276177.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Jabir Musthari / Kozhikode – March 04th, 2015
It is 9 pm. Outside their house at Panathady in Kasaragod district in Kerala, Aleyamma and her husband Siby are hurriedly placing beehives inside a van. Later, they climb in and the van sets out towards the Coorg district in Karnataka, which is only 30 km away. Once there, they quickly place the hives in three-foot-high stands, below trees, at a distance of three metres. “We have to do this before the sun comes up,” says Aleyamma. “Because at sunbreak, the bees would want to come out in search of nectar and pollen. And if we keep the hives shut they will die of asphyxiation.”
Aleyamma is a breeder who practices migratory beekeeping. Once the honey is harvested at all the hives placed near her house from January to March, she sets off to Coorg and does bee farming there. “Somehow, the quality of the honey is far better there,” she says.
But there is a reason for that. In Kerala, the major source of nectar is from the leaves of the rubber tree. “This is called unifloral honey,” says Dr Stephen Devanesan, principal scientist, All India Coordinated Research Project on Honeybees and Pollinators, Kerala Agricultural University. “But in Coorg, the hives are placed in forests where there is diverse flora. So, the quality of this multi-floral honey is much better.”
However, the collection of honey is not an easy process. First the bees have to be warded off using smoke. Then the honeycombs are removed from the hive. With the help of a honey extractor, the honey is taken out of the cells and stored in containers. All this has to happen in less than an hour, before the bees start stinging the person.
“In the beginning, the stings used to hurt a lot and there would be swelling as well,” says Aleyamma. “But now, though there is pain, there is no swelling. This is my bread and butter, so I have learnt to tolerate the aches,” she adds.
The biggest problem with honey is that it crystallises and ferments. To avoid this, Aleyamma uses the double-boiling method. In this technique, she pours water into a large container. Then she places a smaller bowl, which contains honey, inside it, resting on three bricks. The bottom container is heated, so that the temperature inside the smaller bowl reaches 45 degrees centigrade. Then the honey is taken out, and put through a sieve, to get rid of wax particles, dust and pollen. Following this, it is reheated to 65 degrees centigrade for about 10 minutes. “After the honey cools, it is filtered,” says Aleyamma. “Once this is done, the honey will last for years, without going bad.”
Interestingly, Aleyamma is the only woman beekeeper in Kerala. Last year, she produced 40 tonne of honey, thanks to the 5,000 colonies of Indian and Italian bees that she has.
And thanks to this high productivity, Aleyamma was recently conferred the Stephen Memorial Award for the best beekeeper of 2014 by state Agriculture Minister KP Mohanan. This award has been instituted by the Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists.
To get a high productivity, Aleyamma depends a lot on the Tamil workers, who are experts at bee collection. “They are sincere, hard-working and not afraid of being stung,” she says.
Aleyamma also credits her success to a workshop which she attended. This was conducted by Devanesan, along with Dr K Prathapan, director of the State Horticulture Mission. Devanesan says: “I have imparted training to Aleyamma and other breeders on how to maintain the health of the bees, manage colonies, and do high-tech apiculture. Today, they are all doing well.”
Like most good things in life, Aleyamma came to bee breeding by accident. When she got married and went to stay at her in-laws’ home in Thodupuzha, she saw beehives for the first time in the backyard. In the mid-1990s, she and Siby decided to move to north Kerala to improve their economic prospects. They tried pepper farming and rubber cultivation.
“It did not do well,” she says. “That was when I thought about bee farming. And now, here I am, the only woman in Kerala doing this work.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Shevlin Sebastian / February 28th, 2015
Paving the way for a fillip in ‘polyhouse’ cucumber cultivation, the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has developed a seedless hybrid cucumber variety, ideal for polyhouse cultivation.
This is the first such hybrid developed by a public sector research team in South India, according to reports on Friday.
At present, multinationals have monopolised in ‘parthenocarpic’ variety of cucumber hybrids used in poly house farming which have the ability of producing fruits without pollination.
Farmers have to depend now on corporate sector for such variety of hybrids, and they have to pay in the range of Rs 5 to 7 per seed. The development of parthenocarpic hybrid by KAU offers availability of indigenously developed hybrid seeds to Kerala farmers.
Field tests in university farms have proved that a 10-cent polyhouse can yield five tons of fruits in three months. Dark green fruits, weighing 220 gm with a length of 24 cm and 15 cm width, can be stored up to one week at room temperature without any loss in quality.
The Southern Zone Research Extension Advisory Council of KAU, held at College of Agriculture, Vellayani, recommended this hybrid for multi-locational testing across selected polyhouses in all districts, said Dr Pradeepkumar T, associate professor, Department of Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, who led the research team.
The team, according to reports, developed the hybrid variety by inculcating parthenocarpic trait into plant types with only female flowers through complex breeding programme.
The team had also developed earlier seedless hybrids of watermelon successfully. It has now followed with the technique of F1 hybrid seed production in parthenocarpic cucumber.
The state government has accorded high priority to polyhouse cultivation in the state by providing subsidy for polyhouse construction in 1000-odd panchayats.
Polyhouse cultivation requires specific cultivars in each crop, and farmers now depend on the seed produced from Korea, Thailand, imported and marketed by multinational companies.
KAU vice-chancellor Dr P Rajendran said cucumber is an ideal vegetable variety for polyhouse cultivation as the fruit is harvested in immature stage. The vertical height of the polyhouse structure can also be exploited for producing more number of fruiting nodes.
F1 hybrids have a very important role in boosting vegetable production in the state. Development of parthenocarpic cucumber is a great beginning in this direction. Time bound action for making available this technology to farming community is the next step, he said.
Normal cucumber types produce both male and female flowers and require pollination for fruit development, said Dr T R Gopalkrishnan, KAU director of Research. Development of fruit without pollination is a tricky trait in cucumber and naturally seedless fruits in this hybrid make the commercial production of seeds a cumbersome task, he added.
Seeds of the new hybrid cucumber are expected to reach the farming community within a year.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / February 28th, 2015
HIGHLIGHT: Several inward sloping terraces have been constructed in the farm to conserve water. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The farm of a young farmer, Mr. Joji P. Daniel, in Chittarickal village, West Eleri panchayat in Kasaragod district of Kerala is like a school for enthusiastic young farmers and agricultural students since they get exposed to a range of intense and diversified farming activities.
His family owns about 9.5 acres and in four acres coconut trees (250 trees), 150 coconut seedlings, 150 nutmeg grafts, 200 banana plants and 400 tuber crops like elephant foot yam, colocasia and tapioca are grown.
Regular income
In another two acres about 800 arecanut trees are grown with cocoa and pepper as intercrops. About 450 rubber trees are planted in another three acres which ensures a regular income.
In the remaining 50 cents of land he cultivates different types of vegetables such as bitter gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, vegetable cowpea, tomato, chilli, amaranthus and little gourd.
Besides being used for household consumption, the vegetables are sold on alternate days for about four months in a year.
The farmer regularly attends farmers’ meetings at the Central Plantation and Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) Kasaragod to get acquainted with latest technologies for sustainable farming.
He promptly follows good agricultural practices like crop rotation, incorporation of leguminous plants for improving soil fertility, organic recycling of farm waste, mulching etc. In the coconut based integrated farming system, he maintains two cows and one heifer, poultry birds and also freshwater fishes like Tilapia and Carp varieties.
Fodder grass variety, Co-3 is cultivated in the interspaces of coconut gardens to reduce the cost of animal feed. Around 15 stingless bee colonies established in the farm ensures enhanced pollination of crops and nutritional security.
Common practice
“The highlight of his farm is that adequate soil and water conservation measures are adopted throughout the farm with around 300 rain pits and inward sloping terraces. Coconut husk burial is a common practice adopted in trenches made between rows of coconut palms for moisture retention,” says Dr. George V.Thomas, Director of the Institute.
Due to proper adoption of soil and water conservation measures, the coconut yield has increased from around 90 nuts to 130 nuts per tree in a year. He has constructed three farm ponds of 15 lakh litre storage capacity and a roof top water harvesting structure of 10, 000 litre capacity.
During peak summer there is no shortage of water in his farm whereas the neighbouring areas are hit by drought as prolonged dry spells are generally experienced in the district.
Waste recycled
In his farm all crop residues are recycled to highly valued vermicompost. A biogas plant is also set up for fuel and slurry for manure purpose.
“His technique of grafting nutmeg plants after attaining sufficient growth was found to be highly successful. Generally more than 50 per cent of plants raised from nutmeg seeds are male plants.
“Grafting was done on such plants, which proved to be fast growing and started yielding from 2-3 years after planting. In fifth year of planting the average production is 200-300 fruits per plant with an average yield of 2 kg mace per plant,” explains Dr.T.S. Manoj Kumar Programme Coordinator.
The farmer is not only known for his passion, devotion and dedication towards farming but also for his innovative ideas for getting maximum returns of more than 10 lakh annually from his farm.
During heavy rainfall, bud rot disease is a major problem in coconut palms in the district. During 2008-2009, disease spread was very severe.
Mr. Joji, on behalf of a coconut cluster club formed by his group took necessary action for timely intervention in about 30 hectares guided by CPCRI specialists.
Several awards
He is the recipient of several awards like Karshaka Sree, block level best coconut farmer award, best coconut farmer award by CPCRI and Regional agricultural research station, Pilicode and is also the first recipient of the Karshaka Mithra award announced by the Government of Kerala in 2014.
“It is time for the farming community to move towards safe farming by way of maximum utilization of organic inputs and minimal or zero usage of chemical inputs. But it is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure proper branding and fair price for such safe products,” he says.
For further details please contact Mr. Joji P.Daniel, Pullancheri House, Paramba Post, Parappa (Via), Kattamkavala, Kasaragod Mobile:09447880525 and Dr.T.S. Manoj Kumar Programme Coordinator, Chowki, Kudlu Post Office, Kasaragod, Kerala 671 124 email: cpcrikvk1@yahoo.com, Mob:09400334940 Phone:04994 232993.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> S&T> Science / by M.J. Prabu / January 29th, 2015
Union Minister for Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh, will inaugurate the 51st Asia Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) session at Hotel Crowne Plaza here on February 2. The meeting will review the global coconut situation and hold deliberations on specific issues in the sector. It will evolve appropriate policy decisions with a view to making inroads into the development of trade in coconut and coconut products between the member countries, a press release issued by the Coconut Development Board said.
The APCC is an intergovernmental organisation under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). The organisation has 18 coconut-producing member countries.The APCC member countries account for 90 per cent of the world’s coconut production and export of coconut products, the release said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – January 29th, 2015
