Skip to main content

News - A Kerala State Award for Organic Rice Farmers - ‘Nelkathir’ sparks joy among farmers






Saturday, Aug 15, 2009


Vadakkencherry, Palakkad: Farmers of the Vadakkencherry Padasekhara Samithy, which bagged the State government’s ‘Nelkathir’ award for the best Padasekhara Samithy, are a jubilant lot. The award carries a prize money of Rs.2 lakh, gold medal and citation.

For a group of 40 farmers, who cultivate in a 75-acre farm land along NH-47 at Vadakkencherry grama panchayat, the recognition is timely. Increasing yield, crops’ growing resistance to pest attack and lesser water usage have generated much enthusiasm among the farmers who switched over to organic paddy cultivation two years ago.

The farmers will receive the ‘Nelkathir’ award from Union Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas, in the presence of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, at Mamkombu in Alappuzha on August 17.

Promoted by the Vadakkencherry grama panchayat and the State Agriculture Department, in tune with the Kerala government’s organic policy, and supported by the Poabs group in the form of technical assistance and a buy-back scheme that ensures a premium price to the growers, organic paddy cultivation has spread to over 200 acres covering Palakkad and Alappuzha districts.

The Poabs group wants to bring at least 500 acres under organic paddy cultivation in Kerala in a phased manner, says its director Joseph Jacob.

Propagation of large-scale organic paddy cultivation in Kerala is part of the efforts of the group, which owns the country’s largest multi-crop organic plantation at Nelliampathy in Palakkad district, to ensure a buffer zone to support its policy of organic product exports, he said.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/15/stories/2009081552490300.htm

Comments

  1. Read latest state news headlines and top Rajya samachar in Hindi from all across India. Stay updated with MNewsindia for Indian States current affairs, Indian States news, Indian States headlines. State News Samachar | राज्यों की ताजा खबरें

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Padasekhara - Organic Farm

Aswathy-Palakkadan Matta - Organic Red Rice from Vadakkencherry Pada Samithi

The Vadakkencherry Pada Samithi produces organic Palakkadan Matta rice. Also, high quality PONNI is grown in the area of this samithi as second crop. Vadakkencherry is a small town in Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India, which is 40 km. north-east of Thrissur and a same distance south-west of Palakkad (Total Distance is 80 km. and this is the exact centre of the route). It is under Alathur Taluk in Palakkad district. National Highway 47 passes through Vadakkencherry. Vadakkencherry Vela and "Eakadesi Villaku" is one of the famous festivals in Kerala. Though the spellings are different, many people confuse Vadakkencherry with Wadakkancheri of Thrissur. To avoid confusion, some refer to Vadakkencherry as Alathur-Vadakkencherry or Vadakkencherry-MBR, which is short for Malabar region. The postal code of Vadakkencherry is 678683. Vadakkancherry is surrounded by other locales such as Puducode, Kannambra, Manjapra, Mudappallur, Kizhakkancherry, Konnanchery and Ay...

Organic Food - Surprising Facts About Organic Food That You Might Want To Know

1. In study after study, research from independent organizations consistently shows organic food is higher in nutrients than traditional foods. Research shows that organic produce is higher in vitamin C, antioxidants, and the minerals calcium, iron, chromium, and magnesium. 2. They’re free of neurotoxins–toxins that are damaging to brain and nerve cells. A commonly-used class of pesticides called organophosphates was originally developed as a toxic nerve agent during World War I. When there was no longer a need for them in warfare, industry adapted them to kill pests on foods. Many pesticides are still considered neurotoxins. 3. They’re supportive of growing children’s brains and bodies. Children’s growing brains and bodies are far more susceptible to toxins than adults. Choosing organic helps feed their bodies without the exposure to pesticides and genetically-modified organisms, both of which have a relatively short history of use (and therefore safety). 4. They are ...