Kannur's nature-loving group reaps golden harvest

KANNUR: The 10-member nature lovers group has been successful in their endeavour as they reaped golden harvest sowing paddy crops that sustained heavy floods and drought. The nature lovers group consists of people from all domains including farmers, engineers, architects and government officials.

In the field owned by the group, they have 70 varieties of medicinal, aromatic varieties, and palm seeds among others. The group reaped golden harvest in a total of 25 acres of land in Kannur district’s Thrikaripur, Pilicode and in Kasaragod’s Karivellur. There are two harvests every year. In one season, the group receives 20 tons per harvest.

The cultivation that started with just two acres has now expanded to 25 acres in the last four years. Cultivation takes place mostly on land owned by group members and sometimes on fallow land taken on lease.

The group aims to cultivate rice varieties that have the ability to withstand changing climates. The help of agricultural scientists will be sought for this. Dabal Deb, who preserves 1,500 unique rice plants in Muniguda, Orissa, was also consulted and rice seeds were collected.

Rice seeds were also brought from the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Assam. The group also tried their luck at Kaima when a local woman, who used to do Kaima agriculture handed over the seeds after she decided to stop farming.

Seeds are sold at low prices in the seed festival organized annually in Payyannur. There is a lot of demand for kaima seeds in the market. Rice will be threshed with 60 per cent bran and delivered to the needy. The group also opened their own mini rice mill.

Farmer K P Vinod and Pharmacist Suresh are the leaders of the group.