Vishu is incomplete with kanivellari or the golden cucumber. It is a must in Vishukkani, the resplendent arrangement that one has to see as the first thing on Vishu day.
Since this cucumber variety is not commonly cultivated in Thiruvananthapuram, it usually arrives in tonnes from northern districts during Vishu. However, this year, Kalliyoor, the district’s vegetable and plantain cultivation hub, has cultivated kanivellari.
“We have been planning to grow it for some time and it has materialised this year. Three krishikkoottams (farming collectives) in Kalliyoor have cultivated it on two acres. The first batch will be harvested on April 12,” says Swapna C, agricultural officer, Kalliyoor Krishi Bhavan.
