Farmer collective to turn Idukki to fully organic farming district

A collective of organic farmers has initiated a programme to help and rebuild the farms and livelihood of the farmers in Idukki, the hub of spice cultivation in Kerala, which was one of the worst affected districts in heavy rains and flood that hit the state in August.

Manarcadu Social Service Society (Mass) a collective of 5000 organic farmers cultivating spices, coffee and cocoa in 5800 acres is hoping to help the affected farmers through organic farming. In the process , it hopes to turn Idukki into fully organic farming district.

Bijumon Kurien, president of Mass, said farmer-focused project will associate with NGOs to involve more than 1 lakh families across 52 panchayats and two municipalities of Idukki. ``The three-year project will have several phases focused on different aspects of farmer development that include organic farming, employment and eco-tourism opportunities in Kerala,’’ he said.

Mass, formed 17 years ago with focus on organic farming, will distribute 2 lakh saplings free to the farmers for organic cultivation in Idukki. The project will reach out to farmers across the state in phases. `` As per our survey, the Idukki farmers have suffered a loss of about Rs 450 crore from destruction of farms in the recent flood,’’ Kurien said.

The marketing arm of Mass will offer 100% buyback of the products of the farmers. The organisation will also facilitate participatory organic guarantee system (PGS), which is a Indian government certification for organic farming. `` It is enough to sell products in the domestic market. The international certifications are costly and are needed mainly for exports,’’ he said.