KOCHI: The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of CMFRI here has launched a land preparation machine suitable for pokkali wetlands.
Inaugurating the launch ceremony near Edavanakkad on Tuesday, S Sharma MLA said that mechanisation of pokkali fields is the need of the hour for the existence of this traditional organic farming system.
According to the KVK, the machine will be great for sustainable pokkali farming, as skilled labourers are not available in many places and this will reduce the expense.
The field capacity of the mini tiller is 1.5 acres in eight hours at a cost of `2,500.
Whereas 15 labourers are required to cover this much area in the same time for a cost of `12,000.
A group of 15 Kudumbasree women from each block panchayat, where pokkali farming exists, will be trained and developed into mechanised pokkali task force.
The KVK has already received funding from the Mahila Kisan Sahshaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) through district Kudumbasree Mission for this initiative.
The KVK had conducted extensive scientific studies on the performance of the machine, popularly known as garden tiller or mini tiller, earlier this month in different pokkali fields.
This 60 kg, 5.5 HP machine requires field dry to the extent that a person can walk over the field without sinking into it.
Most of the pokkali fields would get dry to this extent naturally if the previous shrimp farms are vacated in time to facilitate draining of water during the first week of May. However in certain fields, pumping out of water might be required to dry out the field.Programme coordinator Shinoj Subramanian introduced the machine to a group of pokkali farmers and Padasekhara Samiti office-bearers in the presence of grama panchayat ward member Sajith, technical experts from KVK Pushparaj Anjelo, P A Vikas and Agricultural Officer Serine Philip.