Scare over widespread use of pesticides has prompted many to turn to organic food and cultivation. City residents looking to buy organic vegetables at affordable price now have one more destination to head to.
Krishibhoomi, a Facebook group, has started organic vegetable sale every Sunday at L-43, LIC Lane, Pattom, from 8.30 a.m. The vegetable sale, which started last week, has seen an enthusiastic response.
The veggies for sale include roots, leaves, and stems such as yam, yam stem, amaranthus, pumpkin and its leaves, other types of leaves, plantain stem, colocasia stem, raw plantain, chillies, long-podded cowpea, Mysore cheera, tapioca, curry leaves, and muringa leaves.
The produce includes that by certified farmers and Krishibhoomi members, mostly grown on their terraces and at times in kitchen gardens.
The lack of a marketing centre for products grown by the Krishibhoomi members in the city was what prompted the group to open a sales outlet. Commercial farmers’ products have been avoided, the members say. The products, they say, have to be organically grown and should be free from pesticides. If there is any suspicion of any produce containing pesticides, these will be tested for their presence with the support of the Kerala Agricultural University's Pesticide Residue Research Analytical Laboratory and the producer will not be allowed to grow the produce.
The group also says that the produce is priced very reasonably. “Initially, the yield during organic farming may be low owing to field conversion and pest attacks may be frequent. But if one understands how to go about it properly, it can be done more economically than that done using fertilizers. One can get good produce and quantity too. Here, we are selling produce at market rates, and at time even lower than that,” they say.
As it eliminates middlemen, the sales outlet will enable growers to earn more than what they would get if they sell their produce to other vendors, the members say. The outlet also stocks organic rice, saplings, seeds, pickles, and grow bags.
The Krishibhoomi group has nearly 1.75 lakh members who post their experiences of organic farming and produce. It is also a forum for clearing doubts and exchanging solutions. For details, call 9846914404, 9495122678.
