Organic cash crops are Kerala's new fad

KOCHI: Cash crops are increasingly becoming part of the organic food wave that is sweeping across Kerala. After the success in raising the production of organic vegetables, farmers in the state have turned to organic cultivation of cardamom, pineapple, coffee, tea and cocoa, given the widespread awareness about pesticide residues in food products. 

The state government is focusing on increasing organic production of pepper and coffee in Wayanad; cardamom, tea and cocoa in Idukki; and vegetables and other products in Kasargod. "It is a continuous process. We need at least three years of organic cultivation to get APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) approved certificate," said K Pratapan, state horticulture mission director. 

Taking the cue, some cardamom and pineapple grower associations have tied up with leading agri-biotech company Camson Bio TechnologiesBSE 3.05 % for using bio pesticides and fertilisers. 

"We find big scope in Kerala as the awareness on organic cultivation is high here. Our microbe extracts based fertilisers have a shelf-life of three to five years and are effective in extreme temperatures," said Santhosh Nair, CEO of Camson. The Kerala Cardamom Processing and Marketing Cooperative Society has found the initial trials with the product encouraging and is now trying it out in the cardamom plantations.

"It is the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers that is harming the cardamom plants. So we are gradually spreading the use of natural fertilisers," said PC Pun noose, general manager of the society. Vazhakulam Pineapple Growers and Producers Private Limited is now using natural fertiliser in about 500 hectares of the total 13,000 hectares under pineapple cultivation in the state. 

Kerala government is encouraging farmer clusters to take up organic cultivation and training them to produce their own bio fertilisers through cattle rearing. About 200 such clusters have been formed in the state. 

"At present around 90 per cent of ethnic vegetables like pumpkin, ash gourd, bitter gourd, cucumber, etc required for local consumption are produced in the state itself," said Pratapan. 

Source : The Economic Times