Nature takes firm root in these veggie farms Premium

Most kitchen gardens at Kanjikuzhy in Alappuzha sport lush vegetable and fruit crops, cultivated organically. The grama panchayat’s initiative has brought in good profits, better health. The farmers are not averse to experiments either. However, climate change is prompting second thoughts

The modest front yard of Asha Shaiju’s home at Charamangalam in Kanjikuzhy grama panchayat is a mélange of greenery. There are hybrid okra plants, the ready-to-harvest pods hanging on the plants; red spinach; brinjal; and chilli. A winner of the Kerala government’s Yuvakarshaka, best young woman farmer in the State award, Shaiju, who once dreamed of becoming a teacher, ventured into farming 12 years ago. “It is a dawn to dusk, 365 days a year kind of job, but I am passionate about agriculture. It’s rewarding and gives me a lot of satisfaction,” says Shaiju, snipping okra. 

Shaiju, now in her mid-30s set up this backyard kitchen garden on 13.75 cents (a little over 500 metres) inspired by the Haritha Samrudhi project of the panchayat in the coastal district of Alappuzha. On another 7.5 acres of land, she grows a host of vegetables and fruits including long beans, tomato, brinjal, cabbage, broccoli, chilli, and papaya, all in an organic way. Her farm, spread across different patches of land, produces 100 kg of vegetables daily during peak periods. 

Shaiju is not the only one scripting a success story in farming in this local body with a population of around 31,000 (9,200 families). According to the local Krishibhavan, there are 7,500 active farmers in Kanjikuzhy who undertake farming on a few cents to several acres of land. The farmers produced 2,200 tonnes of vegetables from 250 hectares in 2021-22. The production increased to 2,500 tonnes in 2022-23. 

“Though the enthusiasm witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic when people used every available space for farming has dropped a bit, the overall interest in agriculture still remains. While a number of farmers grow their produce adhering to the norms of organic farming, others use good agriculture practices (GAP),” says Janish Rose Jacob, agricultural officer, Krishibhavan, Kanjikuzhy. 

At veteran farmer K.P. Subhakesan’s farm, there are about 30 varieties of vegetables and fruits on 20 acres with an eye on the upcoming Onam festival. “I started vegetable farming on two cents with seven varieties of seeds provided by the panchayat under the Janakeeya Pachakari scheme in 1994-95. It increased to 10 cents, 25 cents, and now here I am,” says Subhakesan. Part of his farm includes land which he has leased for the purpose. 

Local drive 

It was in 1994-95 the local body, which used to procure vegetables from outside the area, began its journey towards attaining self-sufficiency in vegetable production. “The then panchayat president P.P. Swathanthryam, the driving force behind the organic vegetable revolution in Kanjikuzhy, launched the scheme with the sole purpose of producing chemical-free veggies. The local body distributed seed kits to households to set up kitchen gardens. Slowly villagers made it a habit to grow vegetables for their own use, while some started to grow it in bulk after identifying the potential of the organic produce,” says Subhakesan, 50, who relinquished his job in the Kerala State Electricity Board to stick with organic farming.