THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eleven months ago, when ex-cop Prasannan G went ahead and planted an African yam which barely weighed 1 kg, little did he know that it would grow into a 118 kg fatty bunch.
"Had I known the yam was going to grow this big, I would have placed it in an area where it could grow properly," sighs Prasannan, nodding at the 4-foot tall fully-grown yam partially encased in the earth and lying cheek by jowl with his compound wall.
Prasannan was planting the African yam for the first time and the bumper yield has further heightened his passion for farming. The former SI has been living a sprightly retired life tending to the micro-farm he has set up on his terrace.
And it is not the usual veggies that dot the rooftop. Paddy, all ready to be harvested, gleams from a row of flower pots.
"First I grew the rice variety Pratyasha. And now this is the Navara variety, ready for harvest. You grow them the same way you grow it in a paddy field. From one pot you get around 400 g of rice," says Prasannan, who is trying the dryland paddy cultivation on his rooftop.
He waxes eloquent about the 'Rakthashali' rice, one of the priciest of rice varieties he has currently come across. "I have sown the seedlings in more than 30 pots. It has been said to be the rice fit for the kings," he smiles.
The 63-year-old who retired as SI from the crime branch has been farming the organic way for the past few years, trying the dryland paddy cultivation and a plethora of farming techniques to grow the giant plant varieties in grow bags. In his farmland, one can see corn, cardamom plant, tea plant and such growing in sacks.
"They are all experiments. They might, after all, grow in sacks," he says. The rooftop is peppered with diverse varieties of chilli, amaranthus, lady’s finger, tomatoes, all growing in abandon in grow bags. Turmeric, arrowroot, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, and a host of other veggies find presence in his farm.
The delight of being engaged in agriculture is writ large on his face. "Just going to the terrace and spending time in the farm brings such joy!" he says.
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The first thing I do in the morning is going to the terrace. And never do I have to come back empty handed. I will get enough veggies for the day's requirement," he adds.