Farmers in the state may have made a habit out of waiting for the government to come up with measures to improve their condition. But in a refreshing change, a group of banana farmers based in Kozhikode are taking things into their own hand.
Green View, a collective of banana farmers in the district, are moving forward with a unique plan to brand organically cultivated bananas and sell them at a better price.
“We believe that this is the first time in the state that such an endeavour is being put forth. Currently, most of the bananas sold in the state come from Tamil Nadu and have pesticides sprayed on them drastically,” said Rejul Kumar, Green View president and a Kuthiravattam-based farmer.
“People who buy bananas from the market are unwittingly consuming a lot of poisonous chemicals. We believe that there is a population in the state willing to pay a premium for chemical-free fruits that are cultivated using only organic manure,” he said.
Rejul said that the ambitious plan was the result of their attempts to find a way by which farmers could gain profit without harming the environment. The move has already got laurels from various quarters, with former state Agriculture Director R Hali terming the move ‘a good initiative’.
“It is a well-planned development. The farmers should try to get their farms certified as ‘organic’. Then, their effort can be called meaningful,” he opined. Green View has called an open meeting of banana farmers in the district on October 10 to discuss the initiative.
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