Category Archives: Green Initiatives/ Environment

Women’s group ensures payments in dairy farming

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technologies
The Milk collection point established by MSSRF. / Photo: Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The Milk collection point established by MSSRF. / Photo: Special Arrangement / The Hindu

“I have to get back my payment of Rs. 22,000 for supplying which is pending from my earlier milk vendor. Even after two years he is not ready to pay. Every time I go to ask for the amount he gives some excuse and sometimes he is not in his shop,” says Ms. Chellam from Thiruvennakoilpatti village, Illupur taluk, Pudukottai district.

Like her there are many people in different villages with the same story — pending payments from the local milk vendor or tea stall for the milk they supplied.

Confident

But today, after the Rural Women’s Entrepreneur Federation (RWEF) has been inaugurated by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Pudukottai, Ms. Chellam can be confident of getting back her due since there is a group to support her.

“The group was started in 2012 with an initial membership of about 450 women members after a survey in the village revealed that cattle rearing was not a popular off-farm activity since irregular monthly payments, faulty milk analysis, lack of knowledge in animal health care and management were some of the common reasons cited,” says Dr. R.S. Shanthakumar Hopper, Director, Ecotechnology Center, MSSRF.

Based on a request from the members, a federation called Komatha milk producer association (KMPA) was started, consisting of 375 women dairy entrepreneurs managed by RWEF.

The objective was to promote an integrated system of credit access for animal purchase, create quality and cost effective fodder banks, and establish vermicompost units, manufacture bio products from cow urine and maintain animal health care and insurance.

Azolla

Through the introduction of Azolla (used as green manure in rice fields), it was demonstrated that feed cost for the animals can be reduced by 20 per cent.

During the current year, the project promoted 80 acres fodder sorghum crop to ensure fodder availability for animals during summer.

To ensure a transparent management system, a committee consisting of nine members was elected from KMPA who meet once a month to discuss various matters related to their milk business.

KMPA has established six milk collection centers till date and has provided a revolving fund loan for Rs. 13 lakh for purchase of milch animals.

Indirect threat

“Though the women received loan from the federation and were willing to sell the milk to the federation, indirect threat came from the buyers that the pending money will not be given if they do not continue to supply the milk to them. The delayed payment is the trump card of the traders for making the women dependent on them and ensures regular supply,” says Dr. Hopper.

But constant efforts of the group resolved the delayed payments and the milk supply has increased from initial 100 litres per month to 12,000 litres per month with an annual gross income of Rs. 25 lakh.

Price

“The local milk trader gave us only Rs. 12 per litre and now we have bargained with a private milk vendor for bulk sales for Rs. 24 per litre. We also sell milk locally to a few shops on a regular basis for Rs. 28 per litre, that provides us with additional income” says Ms. Rajamani, a member of the association.

“I know that certainly I will get my milk sales money by 5th and 20th of every month. Now, this has enabled me and my family to plan for productive expenses.

“I have gained lot of confidence and respect in my family and community” says Ms. Muthulakshmi another milk supplier.

Long term plan

The long term strategy for the RWEF is to increase the milk producers to 1,000 members by 2015.

For more details contact Mr. Dr. R.S.Shanthakumar Hopper, Director at email: hopper@mssrf.res.in, mobile: 9445394394 and K. Thachinamurthy, Project Coordinator, Samathanapuram, Irunthirappatti road, Illuppur – PO, Pudukkottai District. email: thachinamurthy@gmail.com, Phone: 04339 272630, mobile: 09626737207.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> S & T> Science / by M. J.  Prabu / April 30th, 2014

CITY EXPLORER : The tree that cures

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature
The flowers are a cure for venereal diseases and nervous disorders. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The flowers are a cure for venereal diseases and nervous disorders. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

The magnificent punnai trees of the city have several tales to tell

 

“This is the punnai maram,” pointed out the elder person to the seven-year-old. “It will make your wish come true if you tie a thread around its branch.” We were at the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, walking around the old tree next to a small shrine in a courtyard. “You see the figure of the peacock? That is goddess Parvathi worshipping Lord Shiva. Mylapore got its name from this legend — ‘myil’ (peacock) and ‘oor’ (place). The Shiva here is also known as ‘Punnaivananathar’ (lord of the punnai grove). Being the stalavriksha (tree attached to a Hindu temple), she guessed the tree must be as old as the temple itself.

Hymns by the Nayanmars have references to Kapaleeswarar temple, but place it on the seashore. The scholarly view is that the original temple was built on the shore, but was destroyed by the Portuguese, and that this one was built by the Vijayanagar kings in the 16th century. Add to it the fact that ‘Karpagambal’ (the presiding goddess) means ‘Goddess of the wish-yielding tree’, and the age of the punnai tree becomes anybody’s guess.

“It can be witness to surrounding history for more than a hundred years,” said Dr. TD Babu of Nizhal. While punnai is its Tamil name, botanists have named it Calophyllum inophyllum and its common English label is Alexandrian laurel, he said, adding that Punnai is our own coastal tree with a grey or black bark. It grows 12 to 14 metres high, has thick, dark leaves, each with a prominent mid-rib and parallel veins. It spreads by throwing out hard seeds. Its clustered flowers, blooming in winter, are white and fragrant. The punnai’s fruit is spherical with a smooth, greenish-yellow skin.

Some 40 km down ECR, at Thiruvidanthai, inside the compound of the Nithyakalyana Perumal Koil, is another magnificent punnai on a specially-erected platform. The Archaeological Survey of India, which maintains the temple, has put up epigraphical information to show the temple is more than a thousand years old. The priest said that three preceding generations in his family have talked about it. If not the tree itself, its significance goes back much further, or else why would the temple’s pillars have carvings of Krishna dancing on the punnai tree?

The punnai’s seeds are rich in oil (dilo), which was once used to light lamps and lanterns. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The punnai’s seeds are rich in oil (dilo), which was once used to light lamps and lanterns. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

 

The punnai’s seeds are rich in oil (dilo), which was once used to light lamps and lanterns. Dilo oil is believed to cure rheumatism, bruises, ulcers, scabies, and was used as pain reliever for leprosy through intramuscular injection (Dastur 1962). The oil is used to make soap, the fruit yields commercially important gum. The bark has anti-microbial effect, so its decoction is used to wash painless ulcers. The juice is taken internally to stop internal/external bleeding. Snuff from the leaves is believed to relieve giddiness and headache. The leaf extract soothes sore eyes. The flowers are a cure for venereal diseases and nervous disorders. The wood was once used for railway sleepers and in ship-building

“Those who visit the Vaikuntavasa Perumal Temple at Koyembedu must stop to admire the lovely punnai tree there,” Babu said. He put its age at 80. “Trees get value-added as they grow old,” he added. “We must think of them as faunal biodiversity and do everything to preserve them.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Geeta Padmanabhan / Chennai – April 30th, 2014

15 MW solar energy park commissioned in Tamil Nadu

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies
Depending on the demand and requirements, the company would expand the park in the 75 acres owned by it and adjacent to the park, Chellappan said.
Depending on the demand and requirements, the company would expand the park in the 75 acres owned by it and adjacent to the park, Chellappan said.

Coimbatore :

Rooftop solar installation company Swelect Energy Systems has commissioned a 15 MW solar energy park near Vellakoil in Karur district of Tamil Nadu.

The 15 MW park is a modular energy park, wherein the company owns 12 MW and 3 MW capacity is owned by two other companies, Yajur Energy Solutions and Amex Alloys, company’s Managing Director R Chellappan told PTI today.

Set up on 75 acres of land with an investment of Rs 102 crore, the power evacuation is through a 33 KV dedicated feeder connecting Periyarnagar sub-station of Tangendco, he said.

Depending on the demand and requirements, the company would expand the park in the 75 acres owned by it and adjacent to the park, Chellappan said.

On the policy bottlenecks, Chellappan said the solar sector would benefit a lot if the Renewal Purchase Obligation (RPO) was regularised.

To a question on Tamil Nadu’s project to generate 3,000 MW through solar energy in three years, Chellappan said that the sector was waiting for favourable scheme.

The company has been engaged in developing solar power projects for a decade now as channel partner to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, he said, adding, it has installed over 1,500 rooftop projects across the country.

source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> Industry> Energy> Power / by PTI / April 30th, 2014

Programme on energy conservation for small and tiny industries

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

There will be an interaction between experts and participants

Salem District Small Scale and Tiny Industries Association (SADISSTIA), Tamil Nadu Small and Tiny Industries Association (TANSTIA) and Germany based Fredrich-Newman-Foundation Service Centre, will be jointly organising a one-day seminar on “Energy Conservation”.

The programme will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hotel Grand Estancia in Kuranguchavadi, on April 30.

Chief Executive Officer of Jindal Steel Works, Mecheri, Salem, D. Ravichandar, will deliver the keynote address. Technical expert S. Kannan, from Tiruchi, will enlighten the participants on “Energy Conservation” in all types of buildings.

Focus will be on energy conservation in hotels, hospitals and educational institutions.

R. Baskaran, an energy conservation expert from Coimbatore, will be addressing the participants on energy conservation in utilities, compressors, boilers, fans and pumps.

Topic

Officer of the South India Textile Research Association, Coimbatore, N. Vasantha Kumar will elaborate on the topic for textile industries.

P. Ashok Kumar, President of the Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Developers Association, will explain on getting solar energy equipment at a concessional rate with allowable subsidy from the Government. SADISSTIA President K. Mariappan said that there will be an interaction between experts and the participants.

The registration fee will be nominal for those who enrol for the programme at the SADISSTIA office opposite Alagapuram Police Station in Fairlands, Salem.

Further details could be obtained over phone at 94437-17295, 94426-31277 or 0427-2448479.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Salem – April 27th, 2014

Kovai innovator on Time’s list of 100 influential people

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Coimbatore :

It took a while for A Muruganantham, the 49-year-old resident of Coimbatore, known globally as the menstrual man for his revolutionary design in the production of low cost hygienic sanitary napkins, for the news to sink in when he came to know that he’s one among four Indians to be featured in the Time magazine list of 100 most influential people in the world along with BJP leader Narendra Modi, Aam Aadmi Party leader Aravind Kejriwal and writer Arundhathi Roy. The list also includes the likes of US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, education activist Malala and whistle blower Edward Snowden.

“It is a great feeling to realise that I am sharing space with these people. But it has not been an easy journey for me so far even though I’m constantly trying to improvise and upgrade my skills, which is my main driving force,” said Muruganantham, seated inside his modest workshop in the outskirts of the city. When he is in Coimbatore, he spends most of his time tinkering with his production design for low cost sanitary napkins. But most of the time he is travelling across the globe delivering lectures and attending seminars organised by universities including Harvard University. A Muruganatham had decided to come up with the sanitary napkin manufacturing machine way back in 1998 when he realised that his wife Santhi used a piece of old rag cloth as a substitute for sanitary napkins. He realised that most Indian women like his wife were finding it difficult to access hygienic sanitary napkins due to lack of availability and affordability.

“Hailing from the family of a handloom weaver and making a living from a modest workshop, I realised that if the women in my family decide to opt for branded sanitary napkins then we will have to make major cuts in our family budget,” added Muruganantham.

His initial attempt involved buying 10 grams of cotton at 10p and presenting a sanitary napkin to his wife. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a major disaster. This forced him to do some ground research on the type of materials used in branded sanitary napkins.

“At once I realized I was in trouble as I was unable to get feedback on existing products. Besides, I didn’t have access to used napkins to study and understand the type of raw materials I would need. Fed up with my obsession, my wife left me for a while. There were rumours that I was a pervert in my village. Some even said I was a vampire yearning to drink blood,” he said.

But Muruganantham continued with his efforts and realised that the key raw material to manufacture sanitary napkins was cellulose which could be separated and turned into the fluffy cotton used inside the pad. After further research he came up with a design that was finally approved by IIT Madras. Instantly, his fortunes were reversed and he began to receive global attention in 2009. He went one step further and decided to supply the units to women self help groups in India and globally where groups of women could manufacture and market their own local brands of sanitary napkins.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by Binoy Valsan, TNN / April 27th, 2014

Farmer’s Notebook : Using fish waste to make a low-budget crop nutrient

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Mindless usage of chemical fertilizers and spraying pesticides to increase yields have made farming a commercial exercise profiting only some private companies rather than a small farmer.

“The challenge today is to generate a better yield and income from small farms using locally available materials since more than 80 per cent of farmers in India are small farmers,” says Dr. Kamalasanan Pillai, Head of the R&D, Vivekananda Kendra –Natural Resources Development (Vk- Nardep), an NGO in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.

While cattle-dung based formulations are well known, still not all marginal farmers are cattle owners – particularly cow – which is essential for indigenous formulations. Some of these formulations are also costly for a marginal farmer.

New technology

Vk-nardep developed a new technology using fish wastes to make a nutrient that offers all the vital ingredients needed for crop growth in an organic way through locally available resources.

“Though fish is available throughout the year, during the post monsoon season huge quantity of fish waste as well as non-edible fish related waste are generated both in village markets and also in household kitchens.

The disposal of this waste material poses a big problem. As the fish-waste contains rich proteins, it cannot be kept beyond 24 hours. This waste material becomes the basic substrate for the bio-formulation developed by us. This also solves the problem of pollution and waste-disposal,” says Dr. Pillai.

Giving details on how the fish substrate can be done he says:

About 20 kg of fish waste is collected and stored in a plastic can of 40 litres capacity.

To this 10 litre of water is added followed by 20-30 ml papaya latex. The papaya latex (pappain) is collected after making a small cut on the surface of a mature green papaya fruit. The material is mixed well with pappain and kept for 5-8 hrs. The vessel is kept closed with stirring every hour.

Fermentation

After five to eight hours, jaggary solution (four kg jaggary dissolved in five litres of water) is added to the fish substrate and stirred well. This mixture is allowed to ferment well for 15-20 days. The scales and fish bones get degraded well within this period.

After the stipulated day the extract is prepared by adding two to five times water to the fermented material.

The extract can be filtered and applied to plants, preferably as a foliar spray. The undigested part if any, can be used as manure for the soil.

Shelf life

For increasing shelf life further, the extract can be filtered using a muslin cloth followed by pressure filtration to get rid of small solid particles.

The material filtered with the pressure filter can be kept for a period of three months and used when necessary. To use this as spray dilute 250 to 500 ml of the extract in 10 litres of water.

Farmers are advised to spray this after 4 pm in the evening for best results.

“The formulation can be used for all vegetable and flower crops. The technology is particularly useful for those who do not have cattle.

It also benefits the waste disposal problem of local fish markets and restaurants – particularly the fish waste. Extensive trials have been conducted by our institute using this fish extract on crops like lady’s finger, amaranthus, palak, brinjal and tomato and have fetched good results,” he explains.

Amino extract from chemical source/commercial brands available in the market costs Rs. 300 per litre while the locally made fish-amino costs only Rs. 40-50. It is ecologically safer than chemicals and has also pest repellent effect. “We are working to see how beneficial this extract is for paddy and banana crops as well,” he adds.

Workshops

VK-nardep work is on seeking sustainable solutions to address the environmental and agriculture related issues and innovates sustainable alternatives. It regulalry organises awareness camps, seminars, workshops and brings out publications on sustainable farming practices. To know more contact Dr.P.Kamalasanan Pillai, Project Coordinator,Vivekananda Kendra – NARDEP,,Kanyakumari – 629 702,,Tamilnadu, ), e.mail : vknardep@gmail.com, web : vknardep.org, mobile : 09387212005, phone: 04652 246296.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> S & T> Science / Farmers Notebook / by M.J. Prabu / February 28th, 2013

FARMER’S NOTEBOOK: Multipurpose solar pest manager for brinjal and jasmine growers

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies
THE EFFECT: Frequency of pesticide spray was reduced from once in seven days to once in 15 days and finally once in 30 days./ by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
THE EFFECT: Frequency of pesticide spray was reduced from once in seven days to once in 15 days and finally once in 30 days./ by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Continuous power supply is essential for any type of agricultural activity. Particularly in villages where the concept of invertors or generators is yet to attain a major breakthrough, electricity disruption means temporary suspension of any activity till power supply resumes.

Though the Government has been harping on need to harness solar power and grants subsidies for installing solar units for farm related activities, the concept is yet to gain momentum.

Major issue

But for some individuals like Mr. David Raja Beula, Assistant Director of Horticulture, Kadayam in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, electricity disruption does not seem to be a major issue since he has developed several solar powered farming equipment.

Among his recent innovations is the multipurpose solar pest manager and garden light. The device according to him was developed to help brinjal and jasmine cultivators in the region control fruit borer and white fly pest in their crops.

The height of the solar light is about eight feet. It has a solar panel, a battery, two five watt bulbs and an insect collection stainless steel tray on which a sticky paste of castor oil and shampoo mix is smeared.

“Brinjal and jasmine farmers in Kadayam region in the district were struggling to control the fruit borer and white fly pests for a long time. They sprayed pesticides once in seven days to control the problem. During this time I had developed the multipurpose solar pest manager and introduced it to the participants at a meeting. About 35 farmers who attended the meeting were given one device to experiment the efficiency of the device,” says Mr. Beula.

The collection of killed fruit borer moths started at the rate of three moths and gradually increased to 500 moths a day and white flies from 100 numbers to 700 a day.

Reduced spray

“We also found that the frequency of pesticide spray was reduced from once in seven days to once in 15 days and finally once in 30 days, thereby bringing down the expense from Rs.10, 000 to Rs.5,000 for an acre of brinjal and from Rs. 24,000 to Rs. 12,000 for jasmine,” he explains.

Priced at Rs.15,000 a piece, it can be used to control pests in other crops also, according him. Since the device has also a light facility attached, it can be used to light the fields and garden in which it is used.

Farmers repeatedly spray several chemicals, or in case of organic methods use the required bio applications on the jasmine and brinjal crops. But complete eradication seems impossible as the larvae hide in the shoots and fruits and escape the sprays.

“Naturally farmers tend to over-spray thinking that more spraying effectively controls the pest.

Big expense

Repeated spraying causes a big expense for a small farmer. In addition to the financial cost incurred for buying the inputs, excessive application of chemicals creates a negative impact on the environment, in the harvested flowers and vegetables and poses a serious risk to consumers as well,” he says.

Mr. Sivaperumal a small farmer from Therkumadathur village showed thousands of white flies in jasmine crops attracted and killed in the device.

Another farmer from Tharuvai village Mr. Anthony Raj was deeply impressed by the effectiveness of the device in controlling the fruit borer in his brinjal crop and says, “I have got the confidence to expand the cultivation area from half an acre to two acres in the coming season,” he says.

Dhan foundation an NGO in Madurai that works for farmers’ welfare has recorded that the solar multipurpose device helps reduce the boll worm’s infestation in cotton crops by controlling the moths and there was reasonable reduction in pesticide usage among the 35 farmers using it.

Based on order

“At present I do not have a readymade unit available for those who are interested to try it. It is manufactured based on order. So farmers who need it are requested to contact me in advance and place orders,” says Mr. Beula.

For more details and personal visit interested farmers can contact Mr. P. David Raja Beula Assistant Director of Horticulture Kadayam, Tirunelveli District Tamil Nadu,email: microeconomicsdavid@yahoo.co.in, mobile: 09486285704.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> S&T> Science / Farmers Notebook / by M.J. Prabu / January 01st, 2014

Social enterprise takes smart products to India’s rural poor

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Science & Technologies

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation – Fri, 11 Apr 2014 

By Nita Bhalla

An Essmart Global representative trains a village shopkeeper on technology products that are helping improve life for poor rural communities and small scale-farmers in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India./ Photo taken by Essmart Global in 2012
An Essmart Global representative trains a village shopkeeper on technology products that are helping improve life for poor rural communities and small scale-farmers in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India./ Photo taken by Essmart Global in 2012

Mumbai , India, April 11 (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

A start-up Indian social enterprise has come up with an innovative solution to one of the country’s biggest development challenges – helping the rural poor easily access basics such as clean drinking water and electricity.

Essmart Global is bringing affordable products such as solar lanterns, rechargeable batteries and water filters to the doorsteps of mud-and-brick villages through a unique partnership with shopkeepers in south India.

“We bring different technologies that are appropriate to rural areas to existing market places such as rural ‘kiranas” or ‘mom-and-pop stores’, and make these products available through a catalogue,” said Prashanth Venkataramana, Essmart’s head of operations in India.

“Customers will have access to the products they want and get them delivered within a day, without having to travel to the cities and towns where these products are generally only available.”

Venkataramana was speaking on the sidelines of the Sankalp Unconvention Summit in Mumbai, where hundreds of social enterprises from around the world have gathered to showcase their ideas for development.

The three-day conference has seen social entrepreneurs pitching products such as solar lanterns, clean cooking stoves, and irrigation tools which use less water or agriculture instruments which make processing crops more efficient.

India has witnessed stellar economic growth over the last two decades, yet one third of the country’s 1.2 billion population still lives below the poverty line.

Seventy million households – 35-40 percent of the country’s 1.2 billion people – have no access to electricity, while 100 million do not have access to clean drinking water.

But while there are thousands of products which can help address these issues, most are not easily available to the rural poor – largely because village retailers cannot afford to buy in bulk, a key requirement for manufacturers.
GOING THE LAST MILE

Essmart Global, in essence, acts as a distributor and buys products in bulk, which are stored in local warehouses. When a customer orders a product from the catalogue in his village store, it is dispatched and delivered to the shop the next day.

“We provide any product which can improve the quality of life of people living in rural areas. These are products such as solar lanterns, water filters, tablet computers, rechargeable batteries and rechargeable flashlights,” he told Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“There are also products which can help them in their occupations such as agricultural equipment, little gadgets that can work on their farms or fields.”

The social enterprise, which began operations in August 2012, provides 45 products to 400 village stores in the west of Tamil Nadu state and works with around 20 large and small manufacturers.

The company has sold some 2,200 products so far, with the most popular being solar lanterns which sell for around 1,400 rupees ($23).

For more expensive products, such as a solar-powered water pumps for irrigation, Essmart helps customers arrange a line of credit with the manufacturer or through a microfinance company. All products come with a warranty.

Venkataramana said one of the most exciting outcomes is not just that the business helps rural customers, but that it also benefits villager retailers.

“These rural shops generally only sell fast-moving consumer goods such as shampoos, soaps, toothpaste etc which they make little (profit) on,” he said.

“What we are getting the shopkeeper to do is sell technology products which he wouldn’t normally sell and helping him increase his margins. In fact, stores which have worked with us, have seen a 30 percent increase in their monthly income by selling products from Essmart.”

source: http://www.trust.org / Thomson Reuters Foundation / by Nita Bhalla / Friday, April 11th, 2014

Taking gardening to great heights

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature
Tirunavukkarasu and his wife T. Porkodi at a roof garden, in Karur. / PHOTO: R.M. RAJARATHINAM / The Hindu
Tirunavukkarasu and his wife T. Porkodi at a roof garden, in Karur. / PHOTO: R.M. RAJARATHINAM / The Hindu

Green crusader’s terrace garden boasts vegetables, fruits, herbs

The sun does not scorch Porkodi’s house in Karur even at summer’s high noon. For, her house at Gowripuram in the heart of Karur town sports a refreshingly green roof-top, a far cry in a district that has less just about 10 per cent of the mandated forest cover and where indiscriminate industrialisation has taken a rather heavy toll on the nature and its bounty.

The energising roof garden is an acknowledgement of Ms. Porkodi’s remarkable zeal and perseverance of growing plants and herbs in all available space in her house.

They are there not just for aesthetic appeal but also to remind the current generation of the utility value the herbs possess.

Ms. Porkodi’s homely visage masks an undaunted green crusader who has only taken her family’s agricultural background, literally, to great heights. Her work with her father at their Sathyamangalam house imbued in her the desire and dream to have her own roof-top garden that has taken shape now after a couple of decades.

When she set about to establish her terrace garden, she meticulously collated details of plants and herbs that could grow with minimal soil, water and aeration. Ms.Porkodi’s knowledge of herbal insecticides and pesticides grew along with that and she became an addict to sustainable gardening in a very short time.

Vermicompost, panchkavya and azolla are household names at Porkodi’s.

From raising the regular roof-top vegetable varieties, Ms. Porkodi’s urge to excel took her to cultivate unique vegetable species for a roof-top garden such as radish, cabbage, malta lemon, banana and even moringa. On the fruity front, malta lemon, rose apple, West Indian cherry, Kerala Nelli, organic pannier grapes, organic ridge gourd, mosambi, guava, Chinese orange, custard apple, pomegranate, and papaya tingle the taste buds as one walks through the green maze of Ms. Porkodi’s garden.

She gratefully acknowledges her husband Thirunavukkarasu’s huge support and that could be vouched from the interest he has taken in bringing to reality and life his wife’s dream. “I would be happy if youngsters take interest in gardening, especially in the limited spaces available to them, so that we can create a green sheath wherever possible,” says Ms. Porkodi on her next level of activity.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by L. Renganathan / Karur – April 11th, 2014

FARMER’S NOTEBOOK : An experiment proves that small farming is economically feasible

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature
NEW ATTRACTION: The project is supported by Christian Aid with technical support from Change Alliance. / Special Arrangement / The Hindu
NEW ATTRACTION: The project is supported by Christian Aid with technical support from Change Alliance. / Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Thottiankulam village on the Sevaiyur-Tuticorin highway in Virudhunagar district is bone dry all through the year. Farmers, mostly small and marginal, have either left the place seeking work in towns or have moved to other vocations.

In the midst of the vast expanse of empty fields dotted with palm trees here and there, a small patch of greenery catches attention. A group of people are busy tending to the green patch of vegetables, all grown organically.

Short term

The green patch which has been attracting a number of visitors driving on the highway has been made possible by an organisation called Saal (Sustainable Agro Alliance Limited) in Madurai, which has been encouraging struggling small farmers to take up short-term vegetable cultivation.

This programme, supported by an organisation called Christian Aid with technical support from Change Alliance, is fast proving to be a significant intervention in terms of gathering adequate and robust evidences to confirm that small-holder agriculture is feasible.

“The key mantra behind successful production lies in creating better environment. The first step in this process is to focus on the soil and not on plants. A healthy soil gives good yield. And in our system we take care to conduct soil analysis, enrichment using cow dung, cow urine, and humus obtained from dried leaves, agriculture wastages etc to make the barren land productive,” says Mr. B. Jeyabala Murugan, Chief Executive Officer, Saal.

The next step revolves around building an immune system for the plants. The seeds and seedlings are treated with good fungicides and bacteria to form a layer around the roots. This protective layer bestows immunity against soil borne diseases.

Border crops, inter crops, trap crops and multi cropping are also taken up. Farmers are taught to prepare herbal pest repellent using locally available materials.

All about arithmatic

“Our organic process is all about maths. We can predict yield as long as we follow the guidelines for vegetable variety, field size and plant population. It guides us to achieve desired production,” says Mr. S.Henry Joe, Operations Officer.

The final step is helping in marketing the produce. Effective marketing is the ultimate step for success in any agriculture work. With all the hard work done in the farm, if the produce is not fetching the due price then everything is a waste. Saal has facilitated some innovative, transparent and reliable market access to the growers.

High demand

“Local production, local consumption is our motto and our value chain process encompasses farmers, consumers and traders. Our pricing policy is based on a mix of conventional and niche market segments to increase consumption and thereby achieve higher demand, which help operate supply chain efficiently,” says Mr. John Suresh Kumar, Senior Programme Officer.

Already in three adjoining districts the organisation has established a supply chain for organic vegetables. The balancing of supply and demand is done through an online programme to track, trace and synchronise production and marketing and communication strategy

“We provide the farmers with live education in the farm, offer them bio inputs in initial stages of process, provide expert guidance in their field and attend to emergency situations. Those who have adopted this process have noticed that their plants are not only immune to diseases, they are better tolerant to changing weather conditions. The plants are better drought tolerant (could survive for more than seven days without water.),” explains Mr. John.

Shelf life

The life of the vegetable crops has extended significantly — say, from four to eight weeks — and they are able to get yield continuously. This extended vegetable yield has helped earn more income through better pricing in the market.

The small patch of organic greenery has also been seeing a number of insect activities and visits by birds, butterflies, and bees, creating a sort of biodiversity in the region.

The farm, on day-to-day basis, is managed by a supervisor, farm manager and six trained farmers. Presently more than 120 organic vegetable growers from Madurai, Virudhunagar and Dindigul districts are part of a similar programme and 100 more are expected to join soon.

For more information and personal visits interested readers can contact Mr. John Suresh Kumar, Senior Programme Officer on email:jnujohn73@gmail.com, mobile: 8287755019.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> S & T> Science / by M. J. Prabu / April 16th, 2014