ERNAKULAM: At 21, he decided to pursue his childhood interest in agriculture. He started cultivating organic paddy in just 40 cents of land. Many criticised him for having taken up farming as a profession. Twelve years on, the Kanjoor-based Robert TD is all smiles. For his decision to turn fallow land in the region into productive paddy fields is paying huge dividends.
“Most people then considered it a non-standard occupation compared to white collar jobs which were held in high regard. Other farmers too questioned my decision to venture into organic farming which was deemed expensive and time-consuming,” Robert says.As the owner of around 48 acres of paddy fields, he has now proved his critics wrong. Around 20 establishments based in Thrissur and Ernakulam buy organic paddy known as ‘TK Kathiru’ from Robert.
Apart from being his bread and butter, Robert sees farming as a continuation of the legacy of his family, and Kanjoor which has a rich history in agriculture, he says. “Most of the agricultural land in the region was lost after the international airport came up at nearby Nedumbassery. Harvesting also required a lot of labour as machines were unavailable then,” he says.
Looking to expand cultivation, Robert says Kanjoor has more than 200 acres of unused lands. That apart, he is also busy encouraging youth to take up farming. He is a part of Harmony, an agriculture club comprising 15 youngsters who are involved in cultivating organic vegetables. “All of us work on vegetable farming on a regular basis for an hour on small plots taken on lease,” he adds.
Robert is also a member of Puthiyaman, an eight-member group that began farming long beans (achinga) after Covid-19 brought things to a standstill.“Long beans is cultivated in around 50 cents. The club was wstarted to help the members, mostly college students and young professionals, get a regular source of income,” he says.