There are vegetables and then there are organic vegetables. As the price of greens go north, organic farmers in the city and its outskirts are reaping the harvest of labour and foresight. And though Onam brings the mother of all veggie feasts to Kerala, these farmers insist that they are not playing the field for seasonal benefits. Fair prices and rising demand for organic vegetables are motivating them to toil in the soil and earn profits too.
For instance, pesticide-free, organic cultivation was not on her mind when Sasikala S. began gardening. “I used to grow orchids and anthuriums because it was the trend then. Later, when I understood the benefits of healthy and safe food habits, I started cultivating a few vegetables in grow bags. Soon, I made use of every available space around my house to cultivate vegetables,” she says.
From soil to sky, her 30-cent plot, on which her house is situated at Azhakulam near Kovalam junction, is overflowing with brinjals of different sizes and colours, ivy gourd, tomatoes, green chillies, green and red amaranthus, cauliflower, curry leaves... grown on the ground and on her terrace.
Nearly 32 km away from the city, at Pozhiyoor, Heera S.D. also farms organic vegetables, plantain and tapioca. In addition, he has cows and hens. Ravindran Nair from Thachottukavu and Krishnankutty,a resident of Aryankode, are all organic farmers.
Although many farmers in the district and all over Kerala are gearing up for Onam, these farmers say that the Onam market is not their target. Instead they aim at supplying fresh vegetables all through the year.
“In fact, we do better business after the Malayalam month of Chingam. I have planted cucumber that will be ready for harvest after Onam. My profits double because there would be few merchants in the fray then,” says Ravindran. Krishnankutty, who cultivates on two paddy fields taken on lease, adds, “There is always a demand for organic vegetables and so Onam is like any other season for us.”
Moreover, they have not confined themselves to local vegetables. Most of them have successfully grown winter vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage. Heera is growing coriander leaves on his plot and he already had a successful stint at mushroom cultivation; Sasikala had cultivated cherry tomato and two kinds of passion fruit, yellow and red. Krishnankutty alternates between plantain and vegetables on his farm. While 280-odd plantains are getting ready for harvest, he will switch to vegetable cultivation once they are sold.
The challenges
One should be prepared for ups and downs, they say. Ravindran, who took to farming after his retirement from government service, began with plantain cultivation on his one-and-half acre land. He not only lost many saplings to inclement weather but also suffered a huge loss as the produce remained unsold. “After that debacle, I attended classes conducted by Thanal. Then I began cultivating vegetables, bought a Vechur cow, and learnt to make organic pesticides,” he says.
Irrigation and pest control are all challenges for these farmers. If pest control means inspecting each plant manually, irrigation is a serious issue in today’s rain-scarce state. “Until some 15 years ago there were many in my neighbourhood who were into farming. But they all gave it up due to water scarcity and I am blessed that I have a well at home,” says Heera.
The challenges and uncertainties have not defeated these farmers. As Sasikala says jauntily: “Organic farming is not an easy affair but the satisfaction and growing and supplying good vegetables is a huge motivation.”