Panchayat takes a leaf out of Wayanad tribals

Thiruvananthapuram: Kalliyoor grama panchayat has started preparation of land to introduce the traditional paddy cultivation method followed by the tribes of Wayanad ‘ketti netti’. It is a method of germinating seeds in a medium which is made with medicinal plants. As the farming method is adopted from Wayanad, the paddy variety they cultivate, namely ‘Manuratna’ has been selected.
The cultivation is being started by Kalliyoor grama panchayat and krishi bhavan as part of the carbon neutral project.As the first stage of the programme, 25 acres of fallow land which is closely connected to the Vellayani backwaters have been obtained from 15 landlords. The cultivation will be executed by the Pandarakari Padasekharam committee by utilizing the employees of national rural employment guarantee scheme.
The land preparation started on January 17 and will finish within 25 days which includes digging channels and other soil preparations.
This method of farming does not use any type of chemical fertilizers and manures. As the seeds are sprouted in a medicinal medium, the plants will have a good immunity power, taste, pest control and disease control abilities.
The Vellayani lake is the only water source for three panchayats. Organic farming will maintain the backwaters pollution free. The scheme will also provide employment opportunities to national rural employment guarantee workers. The budget for the scheme is around 30 lakhs.
“This project is the result of our one-year of hard work. We had to organize several meetings and convince the landlords to give their lands for cultivation. Presently, more people are enquiring at the agricultural offices about giving their lands for cultivation. In the coming years, further steps will be taken to expand paddy cultivation by adopting more fallow land organic farming methods and to market unique organic products. As the summer season is arriving, we should also take care of the availability of water. We are planning to supply the rice in markets under the panchayat’s brand name,” said Swapna C, Kalliyoor agricultural office official.