THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kochulloor native Raveendran and family are setting an example by cultivating paddy on their house terrace.

Paddy seeds have been planted in 150 pots and a minimum of 32 kg of paddy is obtained once when they are harvested, said Raveendran. Apart from 2 kg paddy that is kept aside as seeds, the rest will be used by his family. The family celebrated this year's Onam by having 'sadhya' with the rice obtained from their paddy. Raveendran is also cultivating vegetables on the rooftop.

Raveendran turned a full-time farmer after working abroad for more than 10 years. He started promoting organic farming after realizing that fertilizers and pesticides can cause deadly diseases including cancer. He is now a teacher in this field.

Raveendran has bagged various awards such as Indian Cultural Research Institute's Innovative Farmer award in 2014 and the Deenadayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Krishi Award in 2019.