A two-acre plot at Uliyakovil in Kollam city, which was lying idle for years with overgrown shrubbery and infested with rodents, is now a rich plantation with 1,000 banana plants ready for harvest
The harvest was formally inaugurated by Mayor V. Rajendrababu in the evening on Monday.
Owner of the plot Binoy Abraham says about 200 plants are ready for harvest and the remaining will season in the coming few days and get ready for being harvested. The entire crop is being sold locally.
But Mr. Binoy gives the credit of converting his idle plot into a farm to his employees at the printing press run by him. The idea sprouted in the mind of Pramod, a native of Neyyattinkara, who comes from a family of traditional farmers.
Kuwait-based Mr. Binoy, who nursed a deep interest in farming, agreed to the idea and assured the required financial support. Technical help came from the Agriculture Department through the Kollam Krishi Bhavan, and the plot that was earmarked for banana crop was soon included as a scheme the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA).
Soon the plot was cleared, the land made ready, and a year ago the banana saplings were planted.
Pramod and his colleagues turned farmers during their free time, and tended to the saplings and experimented with some inter crops like tapioca and vegetables.
Assistant Agricultural Officer Shaji D., who supervised the activities, says that plot soon turned out to be the biggest banana plantation in the city.
Only organic farming methods have been used and what is being harvested from there is pure organic, he says. After the harvest, the land will be made ready for the next banana crop.
A small function was held at the plot to herald the harvest and the main reason for that is to encourage people to use idle land for farming.
“It contributes towards food security,” says Mr. Binoy. The function was presided over by Principal Agricultural Officer (Kollam) Stanley Chacko.
Bishop of the Kollam diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Zachariah Mar Anthonios, former Deputy Mayor, M. Noushad, Assistant Director (Agriculture) S. Venu and, agriculture field officer R. Babu spoke.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Ignatius Pereira / Kollam – January 12th, 2016