Despite an announcement by Pokkali Land Development Society about bringing around 3,000 hectares under pokkali rice cultivation this season, farmers are unsure whether the move would succeed given the past experience and the current weather conditions.
The Pokkali Land Development Society, which met here recently, decided that seed collection would be intensified and that sufficient seeds would have to be collected for bringing 3,000 hectares under pokkali rice.
However, a farmer in Kadamakkudy said the first thing that had to be done was to dry the fields ahead of the monsoon rain. However, much of the area has been lying under water though generally the District Collector issues an order to start drying the fields by April 15.
Francis Kalathungal of Pokkali Samrakshana Samithy said that usually the Collector’s order was not heeded to by fish farmers, who continued with their activities throughout the year without following the fish and rice cycle followed in pokkali fields. He also said that collecting enough seeds itself would be a big issue as the Agriculture Department had seeds only to sow around 140 acres.
A similar announcement was made last year too. However, only less than 100 acres came under pokkali sowing. Farmers in places like Kadamakkudy, where there is extensive paddy collectives, had come to Chellanam to collect seeds. One of the farmers in Kadamakkudy said that the crop last year was bad and farmers were able to collect only around 1,000 kg of seeds.
A statement issued by the Public Relations Department recently said that Vyttila6 was the seed variety that was most popular with farmers. Vyttila3 and Vyttila4 too were widely used, said the statement.
Pokkali cutltivation takes place in the coastal areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts. The variety of rice is unique because of its resistance to salinity. The method of cultivation is totally organic too.
