Organic vegetables for free at Meppadam village

PALAKKAD: For ten years, 300 families of Meppadam village have not bought vegetables by paying money. They reach the place where the harvest is piled and take what they like. This year more than 20 tons of vegetables have been shared among poor homes, houses, and places of worship in this project, which can be taken as an example by us as well. The next harvest will be happening soon.

'Samridhi', a popular group of more than 200 people, has given a different face to agriculture. Farming is done on 12.5 acres of land at Peringottukurissi Chulanur Meppadam. Women and children are active from sowing to harvesting. No wages or profits are taken. All they take is the vegetables they need for their own home, that's it. Lentil, Pumpkin, Cucumber, Okra, Green Chilli, Eggplant, Wax gourd, Spinach, Calabash, Kakkiri, and Luffa are the crops that are cultivated. The seeds are collected from VFPCK, Mannuthi and Pollachi. A people's association of 50 people started vegetable farming by accepting the government announcement in 2014. In the beginning, vegetables were grown as an intercrop in a five-acre paddy field. Now there are more than 200 members in the conglomerate which also includes land.

Cultivation cost of 2 lakhs

• Cost of cultivation on 12.5 acres- Rs.2 lakhs
• Government Subsidy- 84,000 Rs
• Collected from members- 56,000 Rs
• Cost of seed- 40,000 rupees
• Three months yield- 25 tons

Farming season

Preparation will start in mid-February. Planting, harvesting and free distribution of vegetables are done in March, April and May. The land will be converted for paddy cultivation in the first week of June. The paddy field of AP Pramod, chairman of 'Samridhi' group, and his family members, is given for vegetable cultivation by waiving rent.