Farmers demand special package for Pokkali rice
Farmers cultivating the Pokkali rice under the aegis of Palliyakkal Service Cooperative Bank, near here, have called on the government to declare a special package for Pokkali rice and declaration of the Pokkali area as a special agricultural zone to revive the cultivation of the traditional rice variety in the coastal districts of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur.
The Palliyakkal cooperative has been at the forefront of a move to revive Pokkali cultivation in the face of rising cost of production, little or no mechanisation of farming operations and an acute shortage of workers. The society has organised around 60 farmers under its aegis to cultivate around 250 acres of pokkali fields under the area of the bank’s mandate in Ezhikkara panchayat, near North Paravur.
Bank president C.A. Shan said the bank was instrumental in bringing more than 90 acres under Pokkali last season, which was marked by favourable weather conditions. It is expected that this year there will be nearly 250 acres under the crop with the support of the cooperative bank.
He said a special package alone would help revive the fortunes of the traditional rice variety, which is an ecologically important component in preservation of the coast and ensuring food security. The traditional cycle of one fish and one rice has to be maintained for both rice cultivation and shrimp growing to succeed, said P. Vijayan, former president of the bank, who is now a member of the board of directors.
He added that around 6,000 hectares could be brought under Pokkali cultivation across the State. The extent was nearly 25,000 hectares earlier. But the fields have been abandoned, and cultivation has shrunk considerably over the years for obvious reasons. Along with lack of mechanisation, high cost of labour, and scarcity of workers, productivity level of around 500 kg per acre is not a big incentive for farmers, he added.
Under such circumstances, the government must declare a special financial package, besides considering the Pokkali area as a special agricultural zone, he added. There must also be coordination between local government bodies, district panchayat, and the Department of Agriculture to back the efforts. Out of the 400 hectares suitable for Pokkali cultivation in Ernakulam, around 90 hectares are in Ezhikkara panchayat.
He also sought the support of the Industries department for branding and marketing Pokkali rice from different areas. The Palliyakkal bank has branded the rice from the area as ‘Kaithakam’. The bank has established a modern rice mill with a capacity of 2,000 tonnes a year. Last year, the bank procured around 130 tonnes of pokkali paddy at the rate of ₹52 a kg. Around 65% of this can be sold as the best quality pokkali rice.
