Kerala Karshakan , a constant companion to and a commentator on Kerala agriculture, is 60.
This is a memorable year for those in the State still “romancing” farming, the magazine’s first full-time editor R. Hali has said in his introductory remarks in the diamond jubilee edition.
Kerala Karshakan also has the distinction of being the second oldest farm magazine in India, the oldest being Indian Farming published by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, said Mr. Hali.
The monthly is now a sine qua non for farmers across Kerala, who have taken its paid circulation to about 1.25 lakh a month. Kadakkarappally panchayat in Alappuzha district is an example of the magazine’s popularity. Its editors were surprised to find in 2012 that the panchayat, with about 3,500 farming families, had a subscription base of over 3,000. Kerala Karshakan , more than anything else, had made agricultural schemes, programmes and their implementation more transparent, said an agricultural officer. he magazine has its strongest subscriber bases in Kannur, Kozhikode and Thrissur, said an official.
