Another 20 days and the paddy crop cultivated by S. Ajitha and four other women of the Nellu joint liability group (JLG) of the Kudumbashree will be ready for harvest, provided the rain keeps away.
The Nellu JLG has grown paddy on 1.5 acres of leased land in Uzhamalakkal grama panchayat in the district. While they were fine with the rain so far since the crop required water, they are praying that the skies do not open up in the days ahead.
Rain has been only one of their worries though. Wild boars proved such a nuisance that they had to take measures to ward them off.
At least three of the women have experience of paddy cultivation, but they still had to bring in labour from outside to get the work done. It did not help that they could not get a loan since they were cultivating on leased land.
As it is their first foray into paddy cultivation, they are not sure whether they will make a profit, but the next crop will be grown on an additional one acre, says Ajitha, who also plans to use solar energy to grow veggies next.
Profitable venture
The four-member Nila JLG in Kottukal grama panchayat has had a very good harvest of amaranthus for Onam. Crop grown on 75 cents of land has been harvested, and another harvest, on 50 cents, will be ready in three weeks. While amaranthus has been a profitable venture for them, the same cannot be said for other vegetables, says Remani of Nila. Their long beans and snake gourd crops were destroyed in the rain. They had grown plantain too on 1.25 acres, but the crop in one part of the field has been destroyed in the rain. They expect to harvest what remains of it in another month or so.
Some of what they grow is used for own consumption, but the rest is sold in the Chala market in the city. The cucumber they had cultivated along side plantain has done well, and they expect to make a decent profit on it. “As the prices are better this time, we can expect some return on cucumber.”
Rotting
Evergreen JLG’s long beans and okra crop are as good as lost, while a recent order for marigold flowers could not be met as the flowers had started rotting because of too much rain. The nine women in Evergreen, based in Anad grama panchayat, started cultivating vegetables on 65 cents only six months ago. Quite a bit of what they produce is sold locally, and the rest at an ‘ecoshop.’ For Onam, whatever is left after local sales has been taken to the Onam melas. We hope to recover at least some of their initial investment if the rain does not play spoilsport anymore, hopes Upanya U.B. of Evergreen JLG.
