Photo credit-Rishikesh
Pokkali fields of Kadamakkudy Grama Panchayat, Kerala.
Pokkali is one of the rice varieties which is mainly grown in Kerala. It is the oldest rice variety and crop cultivated by the organic cultivation method. Pokkali means one who rises above all. That means if we see these rice plants, it is 5-6 feet in height, and they can survive in the salinity of the water.
The Konkani-speaking community brought this crop from present-day Goa to Kerala. It is said also that the people of Sri Lanka also cultivate this rice variety because earlier, the Buddhist missionaries or vice versa carried this to Sri Lanka.
Mainly in Kerala, Pokkali is cultivated in some districts like Ernakulam, Thrissur, Alappuzha, Kannur, and Kottayam. It has the unique quality to resist the salinity of water, and it survives during floods also. This rice variety got a Geographical Indications tag in the year 2018, which confirms the agricultural practices.
Method of Farming
When I asked about the farming method of Kadamakkudy farmers, they said that every year in April, Kerala farmers started their preparation for rice cultivation. They first initiate the process by keeping the rice seeds in the water for more than 24 hours of seeds sprouting.
After that, they sow the seeds into the whole field. After germination, the seeds are spread into the field area by their hands. Then the farmers collect the rice seedlings and plant them in the fields. All these processes are done before the arrival of floods because flood water takes away all the seeds or rice saplings from the fields.
The sowing process is done between the months of April-May and the harvesting is in October and November. Because of water availability in the fields, farmers harvest by boat or standing the whole day in the water. After the rice harvesting, farmers go for fish farming in these fields. This leads them to an alternate income method.
Integrated farming method act as organic fertilisers
In Pokkali rice cultivation, chemical fertilisers and pesticides are at zero per cent, making it more unique. Rice and fish farming methods are considered an essential part of farming systems. Rice-Fish rotational culture in Pokkali fields is practised on a collective basis.
This rotational farming method helps to maintain soil fertility and increases rice yields in the coming season by up to 20 per cent. So, this is an organic method of farming where the cost of chemical fertilisers is zero.
Shreeraj, a farmer of Kadamakuddy, said that this rotational method is a profit-making business that gives them an alternate income. They estimated that if they spend approx. 8 lakh on fishing farming after the harvesting of rice they earn good profit over that.
This organic rice which contains a rich amount of proteins costs Rs. 150/kg in the market. But the demand for this rice is very less in the market because of the high costs. The high cost of Pokkali rice is because of the organic farming method and the high engagement of labour.
Challenges in Pokkali Farming
If we take the example of other villages like Chendamangalam and Edavanakkad, we will find that the challenges are different from the Kadamakkudy village. In the Chendamanglam, other challenges like labour shortage, floods, less productivity, and less tourism development are prevalent.
Many village people left their agricultural practices because of the less profit return from this Pokkali farming. Also, their crops were damaged many times due to floods, and they even got less compensation from the government. They received labour from Bihar, Assam, and other states. People of these villages shifted to other occupations, mainly fishing which gave them more income than this crop farming.
Farmers have also witnessed that their crop yields have declined per season due to climate change. The increase in floods every year makes their crops struggle more to survive, and because of that, there is a decline in paddy cultivation every year.
Photo credit- Rishikesh
Pokkali rice after the sowing process.
According to the Kerala State Planning Board, every year, the government sees a rapid decline in land use for paddy cultivation. If we see the data between 1980 TO 2007 approx. 5,00,000 hectares of land are used for this paddy cultivation, but current data shows that actual cultivation only takes place on less than 1,000 hectares of land.
Now fish farming has taken more space in the Kerala people’s livelihood. In expectation of higher profit returns, many farmers started to raise different types of fish in these fields.
If we take the case of Chendamangalm, the people of this village started planning to promote tourism with the help of different stakeholders of their Gram Panchayat. Less return of profit on high investment in this paddy cultivation forced them to think about alternative options like tourism and to migrate to other states or countries for better income.
Every year in October, the Pokkali festival is organised in which different Pokkali dishes are made; different ministers also joined to promote this rice variety.
This festival occasion can be changed into a good opportunity for the farmers where they raise their concerns in front of the ministers and can put the demand for the promotion of these unique rice products.
To save this paddy from becoming extinct, crop market promotion should be there which helps to increase their market reach. When the production increases the prices will also drop which increases its availability to every class of people.
Attention to tourism promotion will increase job opportunities for the local people and indirectly it also helps to increase the demand for Pokkali rice.
Written By- Rishikesh Kumar
Edited By- Rumela Gupta
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