Close to the Vembanad lake, in the backdrop of an old church at Kaippuzha, a group of youngsters in their school uniform have descended on a vast carpet of French marigold early in the morning.
A few of them are busy picking and packing a bench of flowers while the rest have their fingers in the dirt, tending to the plants.
Everyday since August 4, these young farmers have sold close to 300 kilograms of the flower to a vendor in Ettumanur, fetching over ₹30,000. By the time this Onam season draws to a close, they will be selling over 1,000 kilograms of flowers in the open market.
