Occupation: Sells banana suckers
Hello madam, would you like to buy banana suckers? If you plant one now, the plant will yield in time for Onam next year. The time between planting a banana plant and the harvest is between nine to 12 months. I have Ethan, Njaalipoovan and Palayamthodan varieties of banana with me right now. If you want, I can arrange for Kappa vazha, Robusta and Poovan varieties too. Most of the suckers I sell are priced at Rs. 12. The Kappa variety is a bit expensive. It is priced at Rs. 20 per sucker.
These suckers come from Tamil Nadu. I place orders twice a week with a dealer there and they deliver them. I have studied only till class two but my wife has completed class 10. I did various odd jobs before I zeroed in on this one. I have a back and knee problem so I can no longer undertake any strenuous jobs. Prior to selling suckers, I used to deal with the sale of dried kernels of the coconut. Now, as most households seem to have replaced their coconut trees for rubber trees, I had to change trade.
I have been selling banana suckers at this very spot at Pirappancode for the past two–and–a–half years now. See that house there? That’s mine. It’s not complete though. As my house is just behind my roadside stall, it’s convenient.
My customers are those who are into farming and most of them are my regular customers. On good days, I manage to sell around a 100 suckers. The rains are playing spoilsport to my income these days. Among the banana varieties, the Ethan, Kappa and Robusta are the more popular ones. I don’t buy the suckers in bulk as they start to rot after a few days. I also sell tender coconuts to supplement the income. These coconuts are plucked from nearby houses.
I usually start my day at 8 a.m. and wind up by 6 p.m. In the evenings, I spend my time in front of the television. My family and I lead frugal lives. My wife, Jaya Kumari, is a home maker and we have two children. My son, Sreekanth has completed his bachelor’s degree in commerce, while my daughter, Sreekutty is currently studying at MG College. My daughter is the captain of the women’s water polo team and is an expert swimmer. She has participated in various state and national level competitions.
I am 44 now. I want to complete the structure of my house and see both my children settled in life. Till then I will continue to work hard to make ends meet.
(A weekly column on the men and women who make Thiruvananthapuram what it is)
