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Agriculture | Thazhakara farming a success -Sarath Babu George

Thazhakara farming a success -Sarath Babu George

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published Published on Oct 20, 2014   modified Modified on Oct 20, 2014
-The Hindu


Panchayat takes uncultivated land on lease for farming

ALAPPUZHA (Kerala): Any visitor to Thazhakara grama panchayat in Mavelikara taluk is bound to be welcomed by vast expanses of paddy fields. The local body has scripted a success story by reviving paddy cultivation and vegetable farming on a land that remained barren for around three decades.

The panchayat achieved the turnaround by identifying uncultivated land and convincing private landowners to provide such properties on lease for farming. ‘Krishikoottams' (or farming collectives) were constituted by roping in unemployed women. Having no prior farming experience, these women were imparted training by the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA). Each collective, consisting of not more than 20 women, were allotted plots that ranged from one acre to two hectares (approximately five acres). The initial investment for commencing farming had been arranged through interest-free loans obtained from two service cooperative banks in the region on submission of project reports, said agricultural officer Abhilash Karimulackal of the Thazhakara Krishi Bhavan.

He said that every worker had been registered under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), thereby ensuring daily wages for their efforts.

The number of ‘Krishikoottams' had gone up to 33 over the period of three years.

More importantly, the acreage under cultivation had grown from around 50 hectares to 677.30 hectares within a few years. The average production from the paddy fields was about 5.5 tonnes per hectare, Mr. Karimulackal said. In addition, 162 hectares were brought under vegetable cultivation led by two other farming groups. According to Ratnamma, a local resident who has been involved in vegetable cultivation, the mode of farming is entirely organic. Several varieties of vegetables, including bitter gourd, snake gourd, cowpea, amaranth, ‘nendran' plantain, colacacia, dioscorea, elephant yam, tapioca, and other tuber crops are grown in the plantations. The farmers generally received handsome returns by selling their produce at an outlet of the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Kerala (VFPCK) and other local markets at Thazhakara, she said.

Thazkakara grama panchayat president Koshy M. Koshy pointed out that the success of the initiative could be attributed to the convergence of various schemes that had limited scope when implemented separately. "Besides the MGNREGS, the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), State Horticulture Mission and the People's Plan of the panchayat have all been utilised for the benefit of the project," he said.

The project has motivated neighbouring panchayats, including Bharanikavu, Palamel, Chennithala, Thekk ekara, and Chunakkara.

The Hindu, 20 October, 2014, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala
/thazhakara-farming-a-success/article6518131.ece


The Hindu, 20 October, 2014, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/thazhakara-farming-a-success/article6518131.ece


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