PALAKKAD: High in the misty hills of Nelliyampathy, the aroma of fresh oranges tells a story of revival.
At the historic Government Orange and Vegetable Farm, harvesting has begun for oranges, marking another hopeful chapter in the comeback of one of Kerala’s most iconic plantations.
Established by the British in the early 1940s, the largest orange farm in the state once enjoyed international repute. During World War II, oranges, vegetables and other produce cultivated here were extensively exported, according to farm records. The thick-skinned, fragrant and exceptionally sweet Nelliyampathy oranges became highly sought after in markets beyond the region.
Decades later, however, the plantation suffered a devastating blow when citrus decline wiped out much of the orange cultivation in the region. Since 2018-19, authorities have been trying to revive the plantation by replanting thousands of saplings and expanding cultivation area.
Spread over a total area of more than 200 acres, orange varieties are grown on six of the 23 acres set aside for fruits and vegetables.
Today, the farm houses nearly 8,000 orange plants, including around 2,500 saplings of Coorg mandarin, Nagpur mandarin and sweet orange varieties sourced from premier research institutions such as the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research Experiment Station, Chettalli, and the Centre of Excellence on Citrus and the College of Agriculture, Nagpur.
Officials expect a yield of around 1.5 tonnes this season. Farm superintendent P Sajid Ali said orange trees usually begin bearing fruit after five years, while stable commercial production takes nearly eight years. High-yielding trees currently produce between 15-20kg of fruit annually.
“Despite climate change, declining soil fertility and serious pest attacks, the farm is steadily moving towards a strong revival through scientific farming methods, integrated pest management and the collective efforts of our technical staff and workers,” Sajid said.
Apart from oranges, the farm cultivates passion fruit, dragon fruit, strawberry, rambutan, mangosteen, guava, peach, longan and several citrus varieties including Malta lemon, pomelo and seedless lemon. Passion-fruit varieties such as Kaveri and native strains are being cultivated commercially.
Interestingly, instead of selling the harvest, the farm converts it into value-added products, including orange squash, passion-fruit squash, jams, jellies, pickles and ready-to-drink juices, which are sold at the farm’s outlet at affordable prices. Last year, authorities sold value-added products worth Rs 60 lakh.
As orange trees once again bear fruit across Nelliyampathy, the farm stands not just as an agricultural centre, but as a symbol of resilience, heritage and renewal.