Visitors take a look at the mangoes displayed at the Kerala Mango Festival in the city on Thursday. / Photo: K.K. Mustafah / The Hindu
Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., the festival will conclude on June 29.
The event is anything but “mango-licious.” The heady aroma of ripe mangoes and the fruit slices offered to tickle the taste buds proved irresistible to Kochiites who visited the second edition of the Kerala Mango Festival held here on Thursday.
The four-day long event under way at the St. Michaels Church Hall in Chembumukku exhibits over 1, 500 varieties of the king of fruits. One can have the pick of mangoes in various shapes and sizes with colours ranging from red and peach to golden and green. Apart for the quintessential varieties in Kerala and other States, the event features mango varieties from various foreign countries including Brazil, Thailand, Australia and Pakistan. Also on display at the festival are some of the rare varieties of mangoes including Angurdhana, the smallest mango weighing just 2 grams and the 2-kilogram Mabali mango.
Organised by the Greenvalley public School in Kothamangalam, the event aims at providing the public with an opportunity to get a look and feel of the king of all fruits. ‘The objective is to give the public an idea about the different mango varieties and thereby help elevate its status from a mere seasonal produce,” said Pradeep Kuriakose, festival director.
The organisers also said mangoes displayed at the festival were farm fresh. They had taken care to ensure that no artificially ripened mangoes were brought to the festival venue.
Besides providing an opportunity to see the exotic varieties, the event also promises to be a fun package with events, including mango eating competition and other cultural programmes.
Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., the festival will conclude on June 29.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Staff Reporter / Kochi – June 27th, 2014
The biodiversity-rich Western Ghats have sprung yet another botanical surprise. A two-member team of researchers from the Calicut University has discovered a rare flowering plant species belonging to the Araceae family from the Western Ghats.
Researchers, K M Manudev, a PhD student of the botany department and his guide Santhosh Nampy, came upon the plant belonging to the Arisaema genus (commonly known as Cobra Lilly for its flowers resembling snakes ready to strike) during their scientific expedition to Oosimala Top in Valparai on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.
The work was undertaken as part of a three-year project on revision of Arisaema in India. They have named the new plant species ‘Arisaema madhuanum’ after their teacher and mentor, P V Madhusoodanan, former professor and head of the department and presently professor emeritus at the Malabar Botanical Garden, Kozhikode.
The plant was found in the margins of evergreen forests situated at an elevation of 1,300 metres above sea level. The discovery has been published in the latest issue of the Edinburgh Journal of Botany, published by the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
According to the report, Arisaema madhuanum, is a dioecious, perennial herb around 115cm tall. It differs from the other species in the same genus (Arisaema) in having a male spadix with subulate neuters, a wide-mouthed spathe tube and by the erect to arching limb with a narrow base.
The researchers found a cluster of 31 plants in the locality including two fruiting plants. The female plants were robust and larger than male plants. The flowering and fruiting has been observed during the onset of monsoon.
Manudev said that the plant like other Arisaema species has the potential to be developed as an ornamental plant due to its unique and intriguing flowers, with some varieties highly priced in European countries.
Nampy said that the discovery has once again highlighted the need for the protection and regeneration of the biological treasure trove of the Ghats. ”
The rare species found in undisturbed shola forests and that too above 1300 metres elevation could face habitat loss due to climate changes and human interference.
Of the total of 48 species of Arisaema found in India, 21 species are found only in the Western Ghats,” he said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / K R Rajeev, TNN / June 18th, 2014
Niravu farmers rely on traditional methods to keep pests away. Frontyard of Babu’s house, packed with creepers. / Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup / The Hindu
A look at life in Niravu, a resident’s association in Vengeri, that swears by its organic produce
Walls are sparse here. Hop, jump, climb up, slide down and one has crossed umpteen plots, a few houses and many gardens; not prim, puny ones, but gardens where grass is unruly, foliage thick and free. Niravu in Vengeri may well be the most well-known resident’s association in Kozhikode. It is our flagship – for organic farming and community living. The media sets aside many column space for its initiatives, ministers throng it, to inaugurate, applaud and proclaim it as a model worth emulating. It is a tax-paying resident’s association with a membership fee of Rs.10.
Amidst the fuss and the media attention, life goes on quietly here. What continues is the hamlet’s quiet determination to keep working, unmindful of distraction. People are comfortable with the attention and are keen to teach, but their beliefs are firm-footed. From a community that grew vegetables it needed; executed stringent methods for plastic disposal and ventured into entrepreneurship that was eco-friendly, Niravu, and, consequently, ward 10 which houses it and the neighbourhood it belongs to, is dreaming big. Niravu is set to take its locally produced vegetables to a larger market. Steps for it began with the launch of an official website – www.niravu.com. Supported by NABARD, the Niravu farmer’s club will take their surplus vegetables to the market by Onam. The association has taken a building on rent at Tali where Niravu LED lights are already on sale.
New step
Niravu’s decision to be a market presence is another small step in a long journey. “We do not believe in sudden leaps, but small steps,” says Babu Parambath, project coordinator. The residents meanwhile, 117 households to be precise, of which 85 are actively into kitchen gardens, are getting ready to produce a larger volume of vegetables. Till now, they took home what they grew, gave neighbours and loyal customers the rest. As part of its new initiative, Niravu will also collect vegetables from farmers whose produce has been verified and confirmed to be organic. Rules are stringent, says Babu, “Every vegetable at the shop will have a slip with the farmer’s name and place. So customers can get the produce tested too.” Niravu’s vegetables have already been given a zero-pesticide certificate by the Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram.
On a regular working day, it is largely quiet in the Niravu locality. “About 50 per cent of the families are double income ones,” says Babu. The obvious query is immediately answered. “We devote just half an hour each morning and evening to the plants. Except for potato and onion, I don’t buy any other vegetables,” he says. Most households boast a small patch and one sees the last remnants of a recent harvest. At Babu’s house, long beans and bitter gourd creepers make a canopy. On it hang, stray, lonely vegetables, left to ripe. Each season is an experiment and at Babu’s house, under a rain sheet, is an army of mud pots in which spinach seeds are sown. “We are planning more rain sheets in the community,” he says.
According to Babu, the new initiative plans at generating income with vegetables. “We believe a family will earn anything between Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 10,000 a month,” he says. It helps that most families have their strengths. Though at Babu’s house one finds an assortment – long beans, bitter gourd, spinach, bush pepper, ginger and more – his specialty, he says, is tomatoes. For Ramlath next door, it is fat bitter gourds. For Reeja Sathyan, little away, it is coloccasia. For Aruna, the homemaker, it is broad beans, and for Geeta Devadas, the one-and-a-half-feet long egg plant.
A few hundred metres away, at Asha Gopalakrishnan’s house is a cowshed, where a Kasargod dwarf, a gift from the Jaiva Karshaka Sangham, rests. It is from here that the organic nourishment for the plants – dung and urine – is collected. Outside the shed, is a small collection of large cans filled with cow’s urine. “Not a drop is wasted,” says a proud Babu. While the urine is given to neighbours for free, a basket of cow dung comes at Rs. 50. “The money goes for maintenance; they need to keep the cow’s surroundings clean”. In turn, the cow grazes in the vast spread of green, munching pesticide-free grass.
The community farmers mostly rely on traditional methods to keep pests away. A popular one is a mixture of cow’s urine and garlic juice. The best pest control methods evolved on default. Ramlath’s plump bitter gourds were a result of a can without a lid. While others sprayed their garlic mixture, she kept the large can with the mixture covered by a mosquito net under the gourd creeper following instructions to keep it in the shade. With the strong garlic smell never leaving the surroundings, pests were always at bay and her gourds healthy and large.
With the vegetables in place, seeds are what Niravu is turning its attention to. Geeta brings out small, polythene bags and paper parcels with an array of egg plant seeds. The ripe vegetables collected from neighbours are diligently deseeded and seeds sold for approximately Rs. 20 a pouch. The collected revenue is distributed among those who supplied ripe vegetables. “Last time, at an exhibition, we sold seeds worth Rs. 12,500 in two days,” says Babu. “Here, we have no ego,” Babu explains the spirit behind Niravu. There are no fixed dates for the 21- member executive committee to meet. “Whenever a need arises – once, twice or thrice a week — we meet at somebody’s sit-out and discuss and take decisions over tea. It helps that no posts in the committee are permanent. The president and secretary are chosen for a year. If their performance is exemplary, they get one more. All our roles are well-defined. We are clear in our minds about how to go ahead,” says Babu.
The Niravu Story
Niravu’s story is of the commitment of a few individuals and the support of generous government and quasi-government bodies and educational institutions. It began with what is now a well-documented survey, of the 1,824 houses in Vengeri ward in 2006. It was found that of the seven cancer patients in the ward five were women. “More number of women, cancer patients set us thinking. Doctors remarked that women were more in contact with pesticide-laden vegetables. Each time they washed and cleaned them, traces of pesticides entered their blood stream through little cuts and scratches on their hands,” says Babu.
Thereon began a community’s attempt to reclaim a way of life they had abandoned. Senior citizens who had long left agricultural work were called back to guide youngsters with their traditional wisdom on agriculture. Though Niravu, the informal community, was around since 2006, it became a residential association in 2009. To get their first patch of vegetable garden, the residents ventured out wide and far. All those who married into and out of Vengeri searched for seeds in their new and old neighbourhoods. Many vegetables found its way back to the Vengeri gardens, so too four varieties that were not known to have grown here before – square beans, elephant-trunk okra, medicinal ash gourd and the one-and-a-half-feet long egg plant, now commonly known as Vengeri brinjal. At Niravu, now about 30 acres of land is set aside for organic cultivation. Spare patches of land are devoted to paddy. Niravu and Vengeri first ventured beyond vegetables, when they were lead by their councillor K.C. Anil Kumar to harvest paddy in a 12-acre out-of-use land. The naysayers were many, warning them about the impossibility of paddy without fertilisers, labour crunch and non-availability of seeds. But the councillor stood firm, unearthed old seeds from distant relatives and went to sow the seeds, recollects Babu. Labour came in from the girls of Providence Women’s College who got the land ready for paddy. “Seeing them, our own children couldn’t stay away. Old timers polished their old sickles and joined in,” says Babu. Niravu could always garner attention and support. District administration officials and cultural representatives have always espoused Niravu’s cause, making themselves present at all functions. It was so when they sowed and reaped their first harvest, so too when they found a novel way to oppose protesting Bt Brinjal — by growing one lakh saplings of their indigenous variety. In 2013, the agriculture department supplied to 27 families that cultivated vegetables on over two cents of land with requisites – buckets, spade, drums etc. The CWRDM pitched in with workshops: one on water and soil conservation and another on organic farming. Niravu’s Jalasree and Jaivasree project were commended by the Department of Environment and Climate Change. At Niravu, they moved beyond farming. They have a system in place to dispose plastic waste. Four times a year, cleaned plastic and bottles, segregated and stored, are deposited at a designated place and taken to the recycling plant at West Hill.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by P. Anima / Kozhikode – June 13th, 2014
Living the life of an ascetic is not that easy. But for P Gopalakrishna Swami, who started the Jyothipeetom Ashram on the Thirichittapara hilltop at Thannimoodu near Nedumangadu, life has been a series of challenges for the last 33 years. One may not find anything to be excited about the ascetic in him but his hard work in developing the rocky hilltop into a garden of rare species of trees would leave anyone wonderstruck with admiration for the 78-year-old man.
The real wonder remains with his selection of rare species of trees and medicinal plants. ‘Athi’, ‘Ithi’, ‘Kunthirikkam’, ‘Veppu’, ‘Aryaveppu’, ‘Njara’, Bamboo, ‘Karpooram’, ‘Sampranimaram’, ‘Njaval’, ‘Elanji’, ‘Erukku’, ‘Plassu’, ‘Vellanochi’, ‘Kadukka’, ‘Nelli’, ‘Pulinchi’, ‘Garudakodi’, ‘Parpadakamaram’, ‘Nagagandhi’, ‘Punna’ are some of the exotic species forming the lush green cover on a major part of the rock. Sandalwood, red sandalwood, ‘Neelakadampu’, ‘Arassu’, ‘Kallarassu’, ‘Kattikodi’ (the plantwhich dilutes water), ‘Kallal’ and even foreign plants like African cherry and ‘Rudrakasha’ have been grown at the site. Scores of other medicinal and fruit trees offer food to the monkeys that inhabit the area and keep the tree-lover company. “I purchased one acre of land on the hilltop and a pond was made to store rainwater. Over 150 loads of rock were used to level one side of the terrain and two to five feet of earth was spread over the entire area to prepare the ground,” he recollects. Around 16 years ago, a Hanuman temple was also constructed at the site.
As the rocky hilltop was not conducive to growing even common garden plants, his effort was to develop a layer of earth on the rock surface to allow the tree saplings to sprout roots and hold firm against the whistling winds on the hilltop.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by N V Ravindranathan Nair / June 05th, 2014
S Sarma MLA inaugurating the land preparation machine suitable for Pokkali wetlands at a function organised by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra near Edavanakkad, Kochi, on Tuesday | express
Kochi :
The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of CMFRI here has launched a land preparation machine suitable for pokkali wetlands.
Inaugurating the launch ceremony near Edavanakkad on Tuesday, S Sharma MLA said that mechanisation of pokkali fields is the need of the hour for the existence of this traditional organic farming system.
According to the KVK, the machine will be great for sustainable pokkali farming, as skilled labourers are not available in many places and this will reduce the expense.
The field capacity of the mini tiller is 1.5 acres in eight hours at a cost of `2,500.
Whereas 15 labourers are required to cover this much area in the same time for a cost of `12,000.
A group of 15 Kudumbasree women from each block panchayat, where pokkali farming exists, will be trained and developed into mechanised pokkali task force.
The KVK has already received funding from the Mahila Kisan Sahshaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) through district Kudumbasree Mission for this initiative.
The KVK had conducted extensive scientific studies on the performance of the machine, popularly known as garden tiller or mini tiller, earlier this month in different pokkali fields.
This 60 kg, 5.5 HP machine requires field dry to the extent that a person can walk over the field without sinking into it.
Most of the pokkali fields would get dry to this extent naturally if the previous shrimp farms are vacated in time to facilitate draining of water during the first week of May. However in certain fields, pumping out of water might be required to dry out the field.Programme coordinator Shinoj Subramanian introduced the machine to a group of pokkali farmers and Padasekhara Samiti office-bearers in the presence of grama panchayat ward member Sajith, technical experts from KVK Pushparaj Anjelo, P A Vikas and Agricultural Officer Serine Philip.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kochi / by Express News Service / June 04th, 2014
Chovverian, a traditional paddy variety which is almost non-existent now, being cultivated at the fish farm of the Agency for Aquaculture Development, Kerala at Eranholi near Thalassery. / The Hindu
Bid to revive cultivation of traditional varieties of paddy on Kaipad fields
Large tracts of brackish water fields, suitable for traditional paddy and shrimp cultivation, in the north Malabar region, have been remaining fallow for some time now. Consequently, some of the traditional varieties of paddy with unique qualities, which used to be grown here, are becoming extinct.
(Traditional paddy and shrimp cultivation in the northern districts is known as Kaipad farming and in the south it is Pokkali farming).
But, some of the seeds, conserved in small quantities, are being planted in an effort to revive the traditional varieties.
There are 4,100 hectares of Kaipad fields in Kasaragod, Kannur, and Kozhikode districts. Kannur district has the largest extent of fields.
Paddy seeds used in Kaipad farming are resistant to salinity. These have not been conserved, except for individual efforts by some farmers and groups. The traditional seeds once prevalent were ‘kuthir,’ ‘orkayma,’ ‘orthadiyan,’ ‘chovverian,’ ‘orpandy,’ ‘kuttoosan,’ ‘kandarkutty,’ and ‘balivithu.’ Only ‘kuthir’ and ‘orkayma’ are still being cultivated by farmers.
Chemical fertilizers are not used for the cultivation of these varieties as well as hybrid varieties such as Ezhome-I, II, and III developed by scientists at the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU)’s College of Agriculture at Padannakkad in Kasaragod.
The intervention of the Agency for Aquaculture Development, Kerala (ADAK) for the promotion of traditional paddy and shrimp cultivation systems has helped in the revival of some Kaipad seeds and fields, says Dineshan Cheruvat, ADAK Deputy Director and Manager of the agency’s fish farm at Eranholi, near Thalassery.
A self-help group of beneficiaries, under the ADAK’s integrated traditional farming system, recently gave a tonne of traditional seed varieties to farmers in Ernakulam district, he says.
“A Kaipad farmer recently gave me a handful of ‘orthadiyan’ and ‘chovverian’ seeds, now rare. Efforts are now being made to multiply these at the fish farm,” says Mr. Cheruvat.
ADAK’s project started two years ago and it intends to revive 100 hectares of Kaipad fields every year with the involvement of beneficiary groups. At present, Kaipad farming under the ADAK scheme is being done on 200 hectares. Farmers and farmer groups, with small collection of traditional seed varieties, are ready to give the seeds to those interested in Kaipad or Pokkali farming, Mr. Cheruvat says.
Labour shortage is a major problem faced by kaipad farmers, says T. Vanaja, Scientist at the College of Agriculture and Principal Investigator of the college project which developed the hybrid varieties in the Ezhome series.
Farmers are prepared to cultivate both the traditional and the developed varieties. Development of mechanised farming methods for Kaipad fields is the only way out, Dr. Vanaja says.
With efforts to conserve and multiply traditional seed varieties, new ‘cultures’ developed by scientists are also being experimented by farmers.
A group of farmers at Varamkadavu here are going to experiment a new ‘culture’ on a 20-acre Kaipad farm. The expectation is that even the revival of paddy cultivation on small tracts of the extensive Kaipad fields of north Malabar will contribute to the food security of the region.
source: http;//www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Mohamed Nazeer / Kannur – May 10th, 2014
SHIFTING TREND: In a year a unit (10 rabbits) will be able to produce 2,000 bunnies. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Rabbit rearing, earlier considered a hobby, was not looked upon as a prospective business venture.
With the trend shifting from rearing rabbits merely as pets to that of an income generation it promises to be a viable option for alleviating rural poverty among small land owners and marginal farmers,” says Dr. C.P. Robert, Programme Coordinator, CARD-Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
Venture promotion
The Institute has been promoting this venture for the past few years through several trainings, demonstrations etc. Mr. Ajay Simon, a farmer from Ranny in Pathanamthitta, started this venture with three rabbits in 2011 which died 20 days after starting, proving to be a great failure due to lack of knowledge on proper rearing methods.
The entrepreneur took this as a challenge and attended training provided by KVK and started a unit with 10 purchased rabbits — 45-day-old New Zealand White and Soviet Chinchilla varieties.
He designed his own cages and housed them in a temporary shed of 600 sq.ft constructed with poles, fishing nets covered with a silpauline sheet for roof.
“I found that rearing the animals was quite easy and decided to expand my venture. I bought 30 different varieties based on the advice of KVK experts and scientists from the rabbit rearing department of the Central Sheep and Wool Research Station in Kodaikanal,” says Mr. Simon.
The entrepreneur was given training on special attention to breeding rabbits to avoid inbreeding.
For this the entrepreneur takes the female to the bucks (male rabbits) cage and once breeding is over he takes back the female to her cage immediately.
Special care for bunnies
“The impregnated rabbit delivers after 28 to 30 days. Number of litters during each delivery varies .Sometimes it may go up to 12 bunnies whereas sometimes it may be just one bunny.
“The bunnies are given special care for 30 days and then are weaned from their mother who is then re-impregnated. In this way I get around 40 bunnies from each mother a year,” explains Mr. Ajay.
Selected bunnies are separated for breeding in future and reared for 90 days till they attain 2kg weight. Later they are sold for Rs. 200 a kg on live weight basis.
Meat is also provided on enquiry at Rs.400 a kg.
“A unit of 10 rabbits (eight female and two male) of 60 days old along with cage fitted with automatic feeding and watering system costs around 13,500. In a year a unit will be able to produce 2,000 bunnies.The potential net income from this unit after taking into account the cost incurred for feeding and management is around 35,000 to 40,000 annually,” says Dr. Robert.
Family work
All the work in the farm is done by him and his family saving on labour cost.
Everyday, early in the morning, he cleans the cages and observes the rabbits for any signs of illness. Cleaning and disinfection regularly reduces the disease incidence in the farm.
All the animals are provided concentrate feed at the rate of 100-150 gms per day based on their conditions. Lactating and pregnant rabbits are provided an additional special feed.
According to Mr. Simon, to set up a small unit of 10 rabbits an investment of Rs. 15,000 is required and in a year one can break even in this business .So, whatever is got from the second year is purely profit.
Ideal for small farmers
“We are encouraging small land owners and women in our region to take up this activity since this does not require vast land space or external labour.
“The units can be set up in the terrace or in some small space around the house. This type of vocation is soliciting a lot of interest recently as the revenue it generates is quite encouraging,” says Dr. Robert.
For more details interested farmers and entrepreneurs can contact Dr. Robert at Programme Coordinator, CARD-Krishi Vigyan Kendra ,Kolabhagoam P.O,Thadiyoor, Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, Phone: 04692662094 and 2661821 (Ext:22,12), mobile:09447139300. and Mr. Ajay Simon, Emmanuuel Rabbit Farm ,Poovenmala,Ranny, Phone:9744245009, mobile: 09497577951.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> S&T> Agriculture / by M.J. Prabu / May 15th, 2014
