While everyone agrees that we should grow our own vegetables and not to depend on other states for them, understandably, no one is willing to say anything against the over dependence on rubber for obvious reasons. We at ‘Express’ feel that there has to be a balanced approach to land utilisation for agriculture purpose thereby cash crops do not completely outweigh our own items of consumption like vegetables, fruits and food grains
Nebu George, Pottamkulam
Keralites will not grow vegetables nor rear their own cattle and poultry unless it fetches them a minimum of `1,000 per day as Malayalis rush in only where there is easy money. One need not produce everything in one’s backyard. There is no harm in importing anything including edibles that are not available in our state from neighbouring states and exporting what is surplus for us, be it cash crops, to those who don’t have them. If the issue is of harmful pesticide content in vegetables and other basic food requirements, what is poison for Keralites is poison for the Tamilian and the Kannadiga and the Andhrite as well. Hence the solution is a ban on such chemicals throughout the country.
Dr M Haneef, Kottayam
Environmental pollution is not a new entity. Complete escape from it is next to impossible. Insecticides cannot be completely eliminated in farming especially when farming is not remunerative and farmers resorting to suicide. The use of pesticides should be regulated to the permitted level. It is not a folly to grow cash crops and need not be replaced by vegetables. Both should be grown simultaneously. Going back to yesteryear ways of farming our own vegetables with conventional methods sounds good idea, but not practical. Keralites should grow as much vegetables as possible using permitted amounts of pesticides. Any regulation by law is of no use, people should improve their attitude.
Dr Harimohan, Brunei Darussalam
There was a time when most houses owned a cow or two or at least got fresh milk from neighbourhood. Farm fresh eggs were always available but today we need to depend on all this and for the poultry coming from outside and evidence is mounting on the contaminants that we consume along with them. Farming vegetables and paddy not only add to the soil richness but also gives us natural uncontaminated foodstuff. Hence there is no doubt that organic farming is to be encouraged both as micro and macro ventures to make us self-sufficient in vegetable procurement. We hope the slogan “grow your own vegetables, make your own milk and eggs” would become viral in our green state and we become self dependent to healthy food.
Sunny Joseph, Mala
Kerala has become a haven of pesticide-ridden vegetables, fruits, packed foods, spices, milk, poultry and what not...? We have no other choice but to buy these products by paying maximum price for minimum quality. We cannot return to those days when we were growing our own agricultural products or reared our own cattle and poultry because of the modern lifestyle has changed the attitude of our new generation. But owing to the steep fall in the prices, the farmers are struggling to make their both ends meet. Realising all these factors, it is high time the government came forward to call an inter-state meeting to discuss on food safety and also to fix or stabilise the price of cash crops to ensure that the farmers get a basic price.
G Philomina, Changanassery
Previously, Kerala got praise for its high level ‘Literacy’ and cultivation. In residential area too, even small piece of land and house terrace were utilised for vegetable cultivation. Rearing cattle and poultry were enjoyed by the people. Slowly, hoping more gain from foreign nations, neglected the internal occupations. The dependency to get vegetables and poultry items from other states, made them to neglect the warnings received. While vegetable cultivation and poultry occupations were reduced, interest turned to rubber production. Now, extra problems developed. The overall remedy might be, to go back to own cultivation of vegetables, rearing cattle and to reduce rubber production problems.
Suman G Pai, Kanhangad
The idea of growing our food and of course drinking water from our own ground may be a far-fetched idea for those having no land of their own especially in cities where even needle point of land is not within the purview of many. The best method to solve this issue would be to entrust small units of the administration to grow the required vegetables, give potable water to its members. Meat of any bird or animal in any form should be slaughtered in the utmost healthy conditions and the waste thereby disposed of as also strict discipline should be imposed in the production of medicines and cosmetics, etc. Draconian measure in this direction can to some extent improve the quality of consumption in all fields and make for a healthy nation!
Thomas Matthew Parackel, Muvattupuzha
While it is so easy to grow vegetables in your courtyards and large enough terraces, Keralites just go and buy vegetables and fruits from the so-called supermarkets. Grow our own vegetables which will give you health as well as a kind of bliss. Leave your mineral water and club soda and go in for plain water with your soft drinks. Try to be self-sufficient for your vegetables by growing them yourself.
It’s easy to go after the Tamil Nadu ‘chicks’-but remember they are the agents of fatal ailments.
P R V Raja, Pandalam
The near-entire dependence on other states for our food requirements grew through years. Leave to academicians the jobs of pursuing why and how and pinpointing culprits. Stop blaming the authorities for price-rise and be sensitive to poisonous contents in what we eat and drink. Remember, we only destroyed paddyfields and ponds. Some strength still stands. Space for household vegetable cultivation is available with many families, excepting flat dwellers. A common mindset and a little individual physical readiness to use the land can create wonders. Returning through half-way to yesteryear is no defeat but the need of the hour. Let our five-star and high-tech life-style be no hindrance.
T K Nandanan, Thevara
Having been given less importance to agriculture over the decades, we preferred outsourcing of our basic food items from other states without resorting to cultivating our own basic food items. Agriculture is not a secondary thing to be given a secondary position in any era of human life. It is high time we stopped outsourcing of vegetables and fruits and looked forward to attaining self reliance by taking pragmatic and practical steps for producing toxin-free vegetables within our state. We must start cultivating vegetables organically to supplement our own food requirements from our available space/land.
C Divakaran, Kowdiar
The geographically tiny state has almost reached an explosion stage with its verdant fields vanished forever and concrete monsters clawing its skyline, so that any recovery scenario would be an unrealisable de ja vu and self-reliance a mere dream. While an aggressive terrace farming drive can help matters slightly, rubber, an agro-based industry, does hold prospects of economic viability, if governmental support is forthcoming. With more than 40 rivers and abundant monsoons, Kerala need have no fears of sufferings on the water front, given proper execution (of course, cost-intensive ) of irrigation projects and drinking water schemes.
V N MUKUNDARAJAN,
Vattiyoorkavu
A consumerist society that has deep pockets to buy whatever it wants lacks the urgency to grow its own vegetables and fruits. The toxin-laced food dumped by other states has jolted the complacency of Keralites. Unlike cash crops whose prices are volatile, vegetables and fruits command good demand and remunerative prices. Since Kerala’s small land holdings do not ensure economies of scale, collective/cooperative farming and horticulture can help Kerala reduce its food imports from other states.
Sharadchandran S, Mundakayam
Kerala is a paradise on earth in terms of its natural beauty, fragrance of air and fertile lands suitable for agriculture. With all these rich resources, rural Kerala is suitable for vegetable farming in large scale and poultry farming or cattle rearing can be schemed under each grama panchayat. Lately, some grama panchayats have already been active in such schemes. In urban Kerala, people especially homemakers or senior citizens can grow vegetables at least for their own consumption. Cash crops like rubber, tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom etc. are creating headaches for their planters due to seasonal variations, deficit annual output, high production cost and dipping of its market price. To lessen the outsourcing of basic food items, we need to turnaround our agricultural needs and practices and should involve ourselves more into vegetable cultivation as well as poultry for Kerala.
Elizabeth Koshy, email
While our educated youngsters seek high flying corporate jobs, the need of the hour is that at least a few return to traditional occupations of our forefathers. Good health, satisfaction and poison-free food would be the bonus. The rice we eat, to the milk and water we drink are suspect. Rubber has let us down, so why not turn from cash crop to food crop on a war-footing? The government should shun outsourcing ‘poison’ and envisage a new self-sufficiency programme, with help from agriculturists. This can be implemented through panchayats and grama sabhas.
‘Grow your own food,’ should be the new mantra, because our life depends on it.