PALAKKAD: P V Prasad, in his late twenties, used to be the treasurer of a local unit of the youth wing of a cadre-based party at Panangattiri, a village in the valley of Western Ghats. The political career has now taken a back seat as Prasad, now a member of Elavancherry Swashraya Karshaka Samiti, has little time to spare carrying party flags, arranging meetings or mobilising cadre.
The Samiti clocked a turnover of `4 crore in the last fiscal and is aiming to notch up `5 crore this financial year.
Prasad, who made `12 lakh last financial year from a 5 acre farm land he took on lease, is representative of the growing breed of Panangattiri farmers under the age of 40, who are taking up precision agriculture. Panangattiri is part of Elavancherry grama panchayat, declared by the state government as the first hi-tech farming village in Kerala. Acres of paddy fields have been converted into vegetable farms and rows and rows of low hanging bitter gourd, cow pea, snake gourd and ash guard could be the envy of any visitor. Around 50 tonnes of vegetables are transported daily from Panangattiri to places as far as Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur.
Sunil, 29, who took 5 acres of land on lease produced 90 tonnes of vegetables last year. He pocketed a return of `20 lakh. His brother, Satheesh, 34, produced 75 tonnes and took home around `18 lakh. The brothers employ sevenworkers each throughout the year.
The notion that Kerala is totally dependant on Tamil Nadu for vegetables or is incapable of attaining self-sufficiency in food production would burst like a bubble, if one visits the village. And it is bringing rich dividends.
Take the case of V Narayanan, a resident of Cheplod near Panningattiri, who used to live in a small tiled house four years ago. He has now moved to a house with RCC roofing, tiled floors and doors and windows furnished in teak. All this was made possible by vegetable farming.
Sivadasan K N, who now supplies vegetable seeds to VFPCK, generated a revenue of `20 lakh from a 10 acre farm, most of which was taken on lease.