WOMEN'S DAY SPECIAL

Women farmers in Alappuzha's coastal village harvest gold from amaranthus

Alappuzha: Nearly 100 women in the coastal village of Cherthala South have scripted a remarkable tale of success as they reap rich dividends out of red amaranthus farming.

Thanks to them, the region has prospered into the biggest amaranthus production hub in the state, churning out over 15 tonnes of the leafy vegetable daily with customers pouring in from the neighbouring districts of Ernakulam and Kottayam.

In fact, the rare variety ‘Taikkal Pattu Cheera’, uniquely cultivated in the area, is much in demand and runs short of supply in the markets.

“Out of nearly 1,500 farmers in the Cherthala South panchayat, around 100 women focus solely on amaranthus cultivation. They earn a profit of up to Rs 2.50 lakh per season, which spreads across six months from August- October to April-May,” says panchayat president Sinimol Samson.

According to her, the red-in-colour and tasty ‘Taikkal Pattu Cheera’ is unique to the region and thrives amidst the sandy soils. It has more branches and leaves compared to ‘Vlatangal cheera’, another variety being cultivated here.

“Farmers from other places tried cultivating the Taikkal Pattu but the yield was not good. 'Cheera' will lose its red colour if cultivated elsewhere,” said Samson. The panchayat allocated Rs 1 crore for the agriculture sector, among the highest in the state, she claimed.

The amaranthus cultivation is mainly based in Taikkal, Kannikkad and Elanji.

“We women do all the farming activities from ploughing the plot to sowing, harvesting and seed production. During the first harvest, we get Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per 'varambu' (a small section of ploughed land). The price falls on subsequent harvests as the leaves develop marks and holes. We could do up to 10 harvesting in a season. The wholesale buyers come from nearby towns daily,” said Madhuri Gopakumar (48), a farmer.

Harvesting can be done on the 27th day from sowing the seeds, but it should be ensured that various growth stages should be done simultaneously on different 'varambu'. “Only then can we sell the leafy vegetables continuously. While the investment is low, good care should be taken of the plants during the growth stages lest bugs or wither will destroy them away,” she pointed out.

However, the onset of summer and the rise in temperature have impacted the cultivation. “The groundwater table has depleted due to the dry spell and the wells have dried up as well. We’re struggling to water the plants. This time, we’re not harvesting and maintaining the plants only for seeds. We used to get three to four spells of rain at this time of the year,” said Bindu Mol, another farmer.

The grama panchayat is taking redressal measures but the severity of the climatic condition is too much to handle. “Moderate climate is ideal for spinach cultivation,” she said.