KOCHI: Giving a boost to organic farming and traditional agrarian techniques, Njattuvela markets seem to be catching the fancy of people in the state. There has been a spurt in the number of fairs showcasing pesticide-free produce, farm implements, and saplings of crops. Buoyed by the good response to mass planting drives during the recent Thiruvathira Njattuvela (the most favourable time in the agrarian almanac for transplanting crops), the state government has decided to hold such markets from the beginning of this phase in June next year till Farmers’Day falling on the first day of Chingam in the Malayalam calendar.
Agriculture Minister V S Sunilkumar told ‘Express’ hundreds of Njattuvela markets are being organised during this period of Thiruvathira Njattuvela’ as it is believed to be the lifeline of the traditional agriculture sector in the state. The Agriculture Department will extend full support, including financial help, to such markets during the two-month period from next year onwards.
“I inaugurated four such markets in Thrissur recently and there is an overwhelming response from the part of people,” the minister said. “They are organised by local bodies, NGOs, cooperatives and government institutions with the support of the Agriculture Department.”
Welcoming the new trend, Kerala Agricultural University research director P Indira Devi said it will ensure a healthy precedent. “It will play a considerable role in reducing carbon footprint and quality loss during post-harvest transportation,” she said. “It will cut short the length of the marketing chain apart from creating a good ecosystem around each household.”
The markets feature saplings of high-yielding varieties of coconut, areca nut, plantain, banana, pepper, mango, sapota, guava, grape, and rambutan in addition to several other vegetables. It also showcases grow-bag vegetable kits of the Agriculture Department and a variety of organic manures and traditional farming tools. Ernakulam Agriculture Department ADM Susan Varghese said apart from seasonal markets, eight eco-shops, an agricultural urban wholesale market at Maradu and agricultural rural wholesale market at Muvattupuzha are doing brisk business round the year.
Among the several Njattuvelas named after stars, Thiruvathira is the most important as it provides an equal proportion of rainy and sunny days ideal for commencing farming. Hence, it is believed anything sown during this phase would bear fruit. On the other hand, the Makairyam and Pooyam Njattuvelas are characterised by furious downpours.
l There are 27 Njattuvelas following a solar cycle and each one spans 13.5 days.
l The Thiruvathira Njattuvela is the most important as it provides an equal number of rainy and sunny days to the farming community. It is the ideal time for transplanting crops.
l The other celebrated Njattuvelas are Makayiram, Punartham and Ayilyam.