PARTICIPATORY VEGETABLE CULTIVATION AT KANJIKUZHI PANCHAYAT
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| Kanjikuzhi Panchayat, Alappuzha |
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People
of Kanjikuzhi Panchayat, Alappuzha aren’t traditional farmers.
Nor is the sandy soil in the area suitable for agriculture.
Yet at home they use vegetables grown in their own lands.
The
credit for converting the people into part time vegetable cultivators
should go to Agriculture Officer, T.S.Viswam and his team as well
as the Panchayat.
Here
in almost all households vegetables are cultivated.
Each member of the Panchayat is in charge of the agriculture
development in his ward. In
the ward, 50 houses form one unit, which has an elected leader.
The group leader arranges to provide seeds and manure to individual
cultivators. While seeds are
bought from Agriculture University, the manure is obtained from a local
poultry farm.
In
order to increase the water retaining capacity of the soil, coconut husk
residue, compost and dry cow dung are used.
As
the growers are consumers too, they do not use chemical pesticides.
Instead, tobacco and neem-based natural pest repellants are
employed.
With
the encouragement from the Panchayat and Krishi Bhavan, people market
surplus vegetables left after consumption.
Seeing
the enthusiasm of the people, even the 200-worker coir factory in the area
has started growing vegetables in its compound.
Flower
cultivation on a cooperative basis is another venture undertaken by the
people of this Panchayat.
Courtesy: M.T.Xavier (photo), Karshakashree, October 1997.
Contributed by: Administrator
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