THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: They have come all the way from Idukki to market their home-grown agriculture products at VAIGA - 2016 (Value Addition for Income Generation in Agriculture) exhibition at Sooryakanthi grounds at Kanakakunnu Palace. A. Lalitha, 53, and Abida Abbas, 45, hope to market their stuff outside their village for the first time. Several first generation farmers like E. M. Shilin, 48, a nutmeg farmer from Mala in Thrissur, have showcased their products.
Lalitha and Abida belong to Kallar in Idukki where they produce hand-made coconut virgin oil. They sell a 250-gm bottle at Rs 250 on an experimental basis. To sell value-added products from their organic agricultural products, they have roped in three other friends--Lathika Raju, Rajamma Babu and Bindu Surendran- and are doing farming in a 20-acre land. “A total of 15 people are engaged in our farming, including our family members. We also hire women labourers under MGNREGA scheme. We promote organic farming so that we can eat fresh food without pesticides,” said Lalitha.
Lalitha and Abida have displayed their home-grown fresh coffee bean, roasted coffee, honey, elaichi, clove, vegetable bean seeds, chutney powder, ginger powder, turmeric powder and Malaysian coconut sapling in stall number 155. Recently the team sold more than 140 kilos of beans along with tomato, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower and other winter vegetables.
Abida told DC that they have the support of Karunapuram grama panchayat in Udumbanchola taluk. After the exhibition, they will get more avenues to sell their vegetables along with their products. Shilin, who was manning stall number 115, explained about his nutmeg products, including nutmeg juice, candy and jam. “I cultivate nutmeg in my two-acre land at Mala in Thrissur. This is the first time I am making nutmeg juice and want to find a good market for it. It is better than any other carbonated drinks in the market,” he said.
