Students from St. Joseph’s Boys’ Home set an example in pokkali cultivation

Around 40 members of the St. Joseph’s Boys’ Home at Koonammavu, near Kochi, have taken the lonely road of growing pokkali rice to prove a point even as the cultivation of the unique variety is being rampantly abandoned by farmers in coastal areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur district.

Around 40 members of the St. Joseph’s Boys’ Home at Koonammavu, near Kochi, have taken the lonely road of growing pokkali rice to prove a point even as the cultivation of the unique variety is being rampantly abandoned by farmers in coastal areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur district.

The youngsters have gradually increased the area under the rice cultivation from around 10 acres three years ago to 25 acres this season. They took the tentative steps in rice cultivation in 2020. Though the spread of the pandemic threatened to derail their efforts, they proved to be resilient and persistent in their willingness to overcome the hurdles.

This is the third year they have taken up rice cultivation and look set to make their efforts an example for others to follow. The boys, mostly from disadvantaged sections, began by taking land on lease for cultivation. They also branched into providing their expertise and manual labour for farmers taking up pokkali cultivation.

Considering the success of their efforts, they have now leased 25 acres this season at Kottuvally, where sowing has been carried out. Earlier, the boys had taken up cultivation at Kadamakkudy and Pizhala paddy fields in about 10 acres that were lying fallow.

Though the experiment was not much of a success in those days, the youngsters learnt their lessons from their efforts. Sources in the department of Agriculture, which is providing technical support to the youngsters, said that Fr. Sangeeth Joseph, director of the Boys’ Home has been a constant source of support for the boys’ efforts.

They are encouraged to spend their spare time in the pokkali fields, taking care of the plants. Besides pokkali, the students also cultivate vegetables and run a dairy farm that have brought them considerable success and recognition.

Products from the farm and the pokkali fields are sold through various means, including on Sundays when people usually visit the Boys’ Home premises to take a look at the progress they have made in their endeavours. Fr. Joseph said that the students’ spare time enterprise will help them get ready for their responsibilities and will be a major influence on their lives.