Coconut Based Mixed Farming for Livelihood Support

Introduction

Smt. Linishawas , a progressive farmer who has carved her name in the filed of agriculture was not really interested in agriculture at the first glance . She was interested in fashion designing and later shifted to farming through the support, confidence and encouragement received from a Facebook Agriculture group in which she was an active member. She initially started growing vegetables of about 50 bags, presently cultivating more than 300 bags with vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, beetroot, annual moringa, capsicum, brinjal, amaranth, chili, tomato, okra, kasturi turmeric, etc. She also cultivates tubers like tapioca, elephant foot yam, fruits like banana, dragon fruit as intercrop under coconut along with rabbit rearing, poultry, etc. in her farm.

Training

She attended a week long training program on ‘Nursery Management’ under Skill Training of Rural Youth (STRY) in December 2020. The program was organized for rural youth by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Indian Institute of Spices Research (ICAR), Kozhikode through ATMA, Kozhikode with the support of MANAGE, Hyderabad. She successfully utilized the knowledge and skill acquired during the training to increase her farm income and become a model farmer and entrepreneur for others to emulate.

Achievements

She is practising coconut based mixed cropping with vegetables, fruits, livestock, poultry, rabbit rearing and ornamental fish culture as subsidiary enterprises. She also grows and multiplies various indoor and ornamental plants. As a subsidiary enterprise, she is maintaining about 100 layer chicks, rabbits, and ornamental fishes at her home.

Importance for farmers

She supplies vegetable seeds as well as organically produced vegetables from her garden to neighbouring farmers. She is also supplying quality desi chicks to the needy. Many school students and enthusiastic farmers visit her farm and she is very much interested in educating and motivating them in various farming practices. In addition to farming activities, she also runs a cake making unit with FSSAI license and supply value added cakes using eggs produced from her farm thus ensuring healthy and cost effective cakes to the needy.

Recognition

• Received award for the best Kitchen garden (grow bag cultivation) through Facebook group from Principal Krishi Officer (2019).
• Received award for best coconut based intercropping through Facebook group from State Agriculture Minister (2019).
• Felicitated by local school for various agricultural activities (2020).

Source : Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare