Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

            } else {
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-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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-Tehelka

Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. 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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;
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&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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-Tehelka

Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot; title=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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                <strong>Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-Tehelka<br /><br /><em>Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming <br /></em><br />It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.<br /><br />In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.<br /><br />With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.<br /><br />Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.<br /><br />According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.<br /><br />The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.<br /><br />However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.<br /><br />The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.<br /><br />In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.<br /><br />All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.<br /><br />Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.<br /><br />A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&rdquo; he says.<br /><br />However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&rsquo; Association.<br /><br />Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.<br /><br />Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.<br /><br />Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.<br /><br />The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&rdquo;</div><div align="justify">&nbsp;</div><div align="justify"><em>Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, <a href="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1" title="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1">http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1</a></em> <br /></div>               </font>
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-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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-Tehelka

Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. 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	&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 29155,
	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-Tehelka

Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot; title=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil..."/>
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                <strong>Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-Tehelka<br /><br /><em>Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming <br /></em><br />It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.<br /><br />In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.<br /><br />With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.<br /><br />Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.<br /><br />According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.<br /><br />The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.<br /><br />However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.<br /><br />The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.<br /><br />In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.<br /><br />All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.<br /><br />Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.<br /><br />A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&rdquo; he says.<br /><br />However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&rsquo; Association.<br /><br />Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.<br /><br />Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.<br /><br />Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.<br /><br />The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&rdquo;</div><div align="justify">&nbsp;</div><div align="justify"><em>Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, <a href="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1" title="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1">http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1</a></em> <br /></div>               </font>
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		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil&#039;,
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-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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-Tehelka

Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot; title=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil&#039;,
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-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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-Tehelka

Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Tehelka&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&amp;rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &amp;ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&amp;rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&amp;rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &amp;ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&amp;rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &amp;ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &amp;ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&amp;rdquo; he says.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &amp;ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&amp;rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&amp;rsquo; Association.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&amp;rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&amp;rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &amp;ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&amp;rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot; title=&quot;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&quot;&gt;http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil..."/>
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                <strong>Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-Tehelka<br /><br /><em>Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming <br /></em><br />It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.<br /><br />In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.<br /><br />With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.<br /><br />Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.<br /><br />According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.<br /><br />The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.<br /><br />However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.<br /><br />The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.<br /><br />In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.<br /><br />All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.<br /><br />Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.<br /><br />A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&rdquo; he says.<br /><br />However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&rsquo; Association.<br /><br />Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.<br /><br />Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.<br /><br />Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.<br /><br />The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&rdquo;</div><div align="justify">&nbsp;</div><div align="justify"><em>Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, <a href="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1" title="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1">http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1</a></em> <br /></div>               </font>
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-Tehelka<br />
<br />
<em>Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming <br />
</em><br />
It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.<br />
<br />
In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.<br />
<br />
With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.<br />
<br />
Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.<br />
<br />
According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.<br />
<br />
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.<br />
<br />
However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.<br />
<br />
The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.<br />
<br />
In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.<br />
<br />
All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.<br />
<br />
Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.<br />
<br />
A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&rdquo; he says.<br />
<br />
However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&rsquo; Association.<br />
<br />
Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.<br />
<br />
Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.<br />
<br />
The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&rdquo;
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&nbsp;
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<em>Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, <a href="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1">http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1</a></em> <br />
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-Tehelka

Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil...',
	'disp' => '<div align="justify">-Tehelka<br /><br /><em>Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming <br /></em><br />It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.<br /><br />In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.<br /><br />With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.<br /><br />Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.<br /><br />According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.<br /><br />The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.<br /><br />However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.<br /><br />The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.<br /><br />In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.<br /><br />All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.<br /><br />Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.<br /><br />A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&rdquo; he says.<br /><br />However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&rsquo; Association.<br /><br />Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.<br /><br />Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.<br /><br />Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.<br /><br />The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&rdquo;</div><div align="justify">&nbsp;</div><div align="justify"><em>Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, <a href="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1" title="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1">http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1</a></em> <br /></div>',
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	'title' => 'Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil',
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-Tehelka<br />
<br />
<em>Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming <br />
</em><br />
It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.<br />
<br />
In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.<br />
<br />
With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.<br />
<br />
Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.<br />
<br />
According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.<br />
<br />
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.<br />
<br />
However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.<br />
<br />
The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.<br />
<br />
In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.<br />
<br />
All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.<br />
<br />
Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.<br />
<br />
A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&rdquo; he says.<br />
<br />
However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&rsquo; Association.<br />
<br />
Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.<br />
<br />
Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.<br />
<br />
The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&rdquo;
</div>
<div align="justify">
&nbsp;
</div>
<div align="justify">
<em>Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, <a href="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1">http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1</a></em> <br />
</div>',
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$metaTitle = 'Agriculture | Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil'
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-Tehelka

Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming 

It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil...'
$disp = '<div align="justify">-Tehelka<br /><br /><em>Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming <br /></em><br />It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes.<br /><br />In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala&rsquo;s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move.<br /><br />With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state.<br /><br />Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala.<br /><br />According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. &ldquo;Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,&rdquo; the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala.<br /><br />The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop.<br /><br />However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state&rsquo;s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states.<br /><br />The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business.<br /><br />In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration.<br /><br />All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala.<br /><br />Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. &ldquo;There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,&rdquo; says a horticulture officer, adding, &ldquo;There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests.<br /><br />A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, &ldquo;They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,&rdquo; he says.<br /><br />However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. &ldquo;When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,&rdquo; says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers&rsquo; Association.<br /><br />Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala&rsquo;s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.<br /><br />Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim.<br /><br />Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. &ldquo;I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables&rdquo;, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu.<br /><br />The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.&rdquo;</div><div align="justify">&nbsp;</div><div align="justify"><em>Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, <a href="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1" title="http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1">http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1</a></em> <br /></div>'
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Kerala goes organic -Nisha Ponthathil

-Tehelka Tired of importing toxic vegetables from Tamil Nadu, Kerala seems to have started a movement in organic vegetable farming It seems vegetables have taken over from water in the ongoing rift between the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Having waged a relentless war over the sharing of water from the colonial Mullaperiyar dam for over three decades, the two states have now locked horns over the quality of vegetables that Tamil Nadu produces and Kerala consumes. In a rare show of solidarity, Kerala’s political parties have joined forces with the state government in alleging that 80 percent of the vegetables that come from Tamil Nadu to the state are toxic, with levels of contamination crossing the permissible limit by three to five times. While Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is encouraging people to shun vegetables from the neighbouring state and endorse home-grown veggies, CPM, the main opposition, has gone a step ahead by specially cultivating pesticide free vegetables during the Onam season and organising their retail bazaars. People of the state have responded positively to the move. With a section of food experts also joining the bandwagon, Kerala seems to have started an organic vegetable cultivation movement, triggering panic waves among the vegetable farmers of Tamil Nadu, concentrated mainly in the southern districts of the state. Tamil Nadu politicians are also jumping into the fray on behalf of their constituents. Reflecting Tamil Nadu’s anxiety over losing a traditional market for its vegetable products, Agriculture Minister R Vaidyalingam announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that vegetables being transported to Kerala have no toxic content. The minister also claimed that tests conducted on samples of 800 tonnes of vegetables did not reveal the presence of any toxic elements. In what could be perceived as a counter attack, the minister instead alleged that residues of pesticides were found in spices being brought in from Kerala. According to Vaidyalingam, of the 107 samples of cardamom taken for tests, 64 tested positive for toxic content. He further said that Tamil Nadu’s efforts to tackle the issue were visible in the 15 operational centres which conduct the testing of pesticide content in food products in the state. “Farmers in Tamil Nadu are adopting various methods to check pest attack, including organic farming. The government is also providing them assistance,” the minister claimed. He also alleged that the circulation of news about pesticide content in vegetables is deliberately aimed at creating panic among people and thereby boosting the sale of a newly launched liquid for washing vegetables as well as alternative pesticides developed by the agricultural university in Kerala. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has also come out in open defence of the vegetable farmers of the state. Categorically rejecting reports circulating in the Malayalam media, TNAU Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy claimed that the institution has been monitoring samples of vegetables on a weekly basis to look for any pesticide residue in its laboratory, which is recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. In case the samples show that pesticides have been sprayed on the vegetables, farmers are required to harvest their produce only after 10 days. The process was carried out in order to assure that no pesticide residues are present in the crop. However, Kerala is not ready to relent. Chandy has written a detailed letter to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu expressing the state’s anxiety over the issue. He has also suggested a secretary-level consultation of the two states over the issue. As per visuals telecasted by Kerala television channels, in Tamil Nadu’s vegetable farms harvested vegetables are dipped into pesticide concoctions to ensure they are not eaten away by pests during transport across states. The visuals have made quite an impact in the state. People are now sceptical about buying vegetables which have been brought in from Tamil Nadu. Even vegetable vendors are complaining of dwindling business. In order to exercise more caution, Kerala has constituted a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get licences and registration. All this has infuriated the vegetable traders and other stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, who, till now, had near total monopoly over the vegetable business in the state of Kerala. Horticulture officers contacted by TEHELKA in Tamil Nadu have admitted that farmers in the state often use pesticides by up to 5-10 times more than the permissible limit. “There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,” says a horticulture officer, adding, “There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for the immediate elimination of pests. A fertiliser quality control officer admits that farmers are also using certain chemicals which are banned for use on vegetables and fruits, “They also use residual pesticides like methyl parathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying,” he says. However, farmers defend their decision to use pesticides, saying that pest breakouts can kill their crops completely. “When farmers use only the prescribed level of pesticide, it fails to kill the pest immediately, giving it time to eat parts of the crop and multiply,” says K Kanthasamy, secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association. Amidst all the hullaballoo, what is noteworthy is Kerala’s recent achievements in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables. It was a feature film How Old Are You, starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, which inspired people to think of organic vegetable cultivation to counter Tamil Nadu’s indiscriminate spraying of pesticides. Close to follow on the scene was CPM central committee member TM Thomas Issac who almost made organic vegetable cultivation a mass movement across the state. His campaign is now getting much acclaim. Interestingly, the Tamil remake of the film 36 Vayathanile, with actor Jyothika in the lead role, has started influencing people in Tamil Nadu as well. “I started growing vegetables such as spinach and green chillies after getting inspired by a Facebook group of organic cultivators. But the film opened my eyes to the harmful effects of pesticides and it gave an extra push to my decision to grow my own vegetables”, says Debarati Halder, managing director, Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tamil Nadu. The move to cultivate home-grown, organic vegetables is a welcome change. However, even if Kerala cultivates vegetables on a large scale, it would not be able to meet the demand. It has to depend on Tamil Nadu to fill the gaps. If farmers in Tamil Nadu have to regain their market in Kerala, they will have to choose a more organic way of vegetable cultivation.”   Tehelka, 19 September, 2015, http://www.tehelka.com/2015/09/kerala-goes-organic/?singlepage=1