With no cure in sight, Cycas circinalis, popularly known as Eenthu Pana in Kerala, is on the verge of extinction in the northern part of the State after being hit by an unknown and fast spreading plant disease. Farmers feel these old palms, some of them decades or even centuries old, will gradually die out in the absence of a focussed research and action plan.
“These trees may be older than our parents. No one is cultivating it now though it grows independently here and there. We are watching helplessly as these old trees die out,” says K. Mohini, a tribal woman from Kozhikode’s Vilangad village who is familiar with the features of this unique plant, its medicinal value, stages of harvest, and the method of preparing dishes. She recalls how her community members have been heavily dependent on its nutritious flour to feed their children and the ailing.
Many dishes
Mohini, who is also eloquent of the medicinal properties of Eenthu seeds, says many villagers have asked her about their benefits as a dietary supplement for diabetics. “We still make Payasam with its partly pulverised seeds harvested in July and August every year. We prepare traditional dishes such as steam cake, Eenthu gruel and Eenthu Pidi, flour balls cooked in creamy coconut milk,” she says.
Agriculture experts say these plants, which survived adverse weather and natural calamities at various periods, are mostly seen in Kottayam, Idukki, Kozhikode, and Kannur districts. Neighbouring States such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu too have these plants which are for now healthy because of the efforts put in by local farmers. Not many cultivate these plants in India as they bear fruits after 40 to 50 years in most cases.
Hybrid plants
“Still, there are exceptions. A retired teacher, Salam Karamoola, last year harvested seeds from a 10-year-old tree. We must try hybrid plants and use better watering and manuring techniques. Someone should take the lead, either the Agriculture department or farmers’ consortiums, to showcase the tree’s importance,” says Kulathingal Johnson, a settler farmer from Koombara village and the State general secretary of Kisan Janatha, a farmers’ organisation.
The trees are mostly afflicted by the rare disease in northern Kerala. The central and southern parts of the State enjoy a good harvest with a market price of ₹130 a kg. According to Agriculture department sources, scientists are yet to initiate any serious State-level research or field-level studies on the issue. There are only assumptions now, but they will not help save the remaining plants from extinction, they say.
The oldest one
“I have eight Eenthu trees in my land of which four have already perished to the disease. We took up the issue with the nearby Agriculture department officers but they did not seem interested,” says C.V. Moideen, a farmer from Vilangad. The 70-year-old adds that his neighbour, Thottathil Moosa, too is worried as he has the oldest surviving Eenthu tree in Malabar, which is now in good health.
