KOCHI: As a result of the rapid urbanisation and modernisation, it is very difficult to identify land in cities for cultivation.
Though the organic farming drive mooted by the state government has seen many families in urban centres starting terrace farming and kitchen gardens at the available spaces, still all cities are entirely dependent on supply from rural centres or packaged products of consumable spices like black pepper, turmeric, coriander and fenugreek.
Health experts have already pointed out that the spices available in packets are not as healthy as the homegrown one which is dried and ground. To encourage the cultivation of spices in homestead conditions in available spaces in urban areas, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is planning to launch Urban Space Farming, in tune with the organic farming policy of the government.
"As a first step, we are looking to popularise bush pepper cultivation in urban centres. Normally, black pepper vines are cultivated by allowing them to climb on trees or wooden poles. But the bush pepper can be grown in normal plots and even at available space in the balcony. These pepper saplings will grow only up to 1.5 metres. As part of the Urban Spice Farming, KVK is planning to popularise the bush pepper variety developed by Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode. We are planning to make the variety available from February second week through our Ernakulam centre," said KVK senior scientist Shinoj Subramanian. He said a bush pepper sapling can give nearly 1.5kg of raw pepper beans during the harvest.
"This can easily serve the domestic requirement. Unlike black pepper vines, bush pepper gives berries all year round, which is another advantage," he said. Both the Centre and state government are very much in support of the urban spice farming programme as it is perfectly in tune with the motto "Grow your own food" and 'self farming for self food' of both the governments," he added.
"The other spices that will soon be added under the umbrella of this programme are ginger and turmeric. In the case of ginger, we are planning to provide ginger sprouts which can be grown in pots. Likewise is turmeric, which can also be cultivated in urban houses. We are already in talks with the National Research Centre on Seed Spices in this regard," he said.
Coriander leaves, fenugreek seeds and bird’s eye chilly are also under the plan or urban space farming.