KOCHI: In a novel effort to promote agriculture, the Kumbalangi grama panchayat in association with Kumbalangi Model Tourism Development Society (KMTDS) and other voluntary organisations in the panchayat, has launched a special project for Pokkaly paddy farming with plantain saplings as inter-crop.The aim of the panchayat is to spread paddy farming to 1000 acres this season.Those who have five hectares of paddy field will be provided with expert advise, seeds and financial assistance of Rs 35,000 for paddy and Rs 25,000 for plantains.The panchayat will also provide labourers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The plan is to cultivate plantain along the boundaries (varambu) of the paddy field. The panchayat has been providing assistance to paddy farmers for the last two years.“Last year, we distributed 5.25 tonnes of saplings and the cultivation could be extended to 250 acres. This year, the target is to spread farming to 1000 acres. High yielding ‘Vyttila six’ saplings are being distributed to the farmers,” said KMTDS secretary Shaji Kurupassery.Chudukad, Manakkoor, Thavanakkoor, Puthenkari and Padannakkari are the five major paddy holdings in Kumbalangi panchayat. The total area of all these paddy holdings together comes to around 1500 acres. The project is beneficial for the land owners who have left their land idle, as they can lease out their land for farming,” Shaji said.“Conservation of the agri-based culture of Kumbalangi is essential for sustainable and responsible village tourism being promoted in Kumbalangi,” he said.Recently, KMTDS had initiated another project in Kumbalangi under which ginger and turmeric are being cultivated. Arguably, it might be the first time that these hill produces are being cultivated in a coastal village.
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