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| Tomy Mathew, Joshy Cherian and Praveen Thomas, Anthiyoor, Pollachi |
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Till the 3 young farmers from Pala went to Pollachi, the factors available in Anthiyoor were all negative: the black cotton soil unfit for cultivation, coconut pith spewed by coir factories and the human resource demoralized due to lack of opportunities. However, making use of all these negative factors, they have converted Anthiyoor into a basket for fruits.
In 1991, Tomy Mathew, Joshy Cherian and Praveen Thomas bought 100 acres of barren land at Anthiyoor at a price of Rs.6000 per acre. It was when they started cultivation that they knew what black cotton soil meant. With high clay content, the soil is slushy in monsoon and cracks up with the first rays of sun - both the phenomenon detrimental to plant growth.
It was in this extreme situation that the threesome decided to fight it out. To join the struggle, the academic among them, Joshy Cheriyan took leave from St.Thomas College,Pala where he was a lecturer in Botany.
The young farmers experimented with the waste coconut pith as a medium for plant growth. When the experiments were successful, the scheme was implemented in the whole village with NABARD assistance.
The beneficiaries planted fruit trees in the barren land. Their method of planting was unique. To 40 kg of pith compost was added 20 kg of red earth and groundnut shell. The pit was filled back with cut black cotton soil. For 3 years there was no need for any other manure. They let grass grow in the farm during monsoon, for regulating the temperature of soil.
3 years after planting, the ‘supportas’ give good yield of 40 kg per tree, each kilo fetching Rs.20 to the farmer. Gooseberry is another successful crop cultivated here. The time has now come for the farmers to repay their loan to NABARD. But they are the least perturbed, for they now receive more than ample measure from the soil once considered barren.
The successful cultivation in the 'cracking' environment
Courtesy: M.Geroge, Karshakashree, August 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
