Kudapanakunnu set to be Thiruvananthapuram's organic hub

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kudapanakunnu is slated to become the organic hub of Thiruvananthapuram city. From June 23, the Kudapanakunnu Krishi Bhavan will launch 'Eco Shop', a one-stop shopping venue for organic farming products. Kudapanakunnu Krishi Bhavan had started organic farming in a big way in 2008 and the famous Karshika Karma Sena, which has been replicated all over the state.

When KKB boasts of the new venture as a one-stop shopping centre for all farmers' and consumers' needs, they can even get an agriculture loan from Kerala Gramin Bank depending on the needs of the borrower. The young generation may not have tasted age-old delicacies made from jack fruit's various parts. The KKB has decided to wean them back to their roots.

Gruel made from jack fruit, jack fruit erusherry, aviyal, jackf ruit seed mezhukkupuratti and fry, tapioca and naadan chicken curry are some of the age-old curries which will be available at the KKB. When KKB had a miniscule staff of four people earlier with C.L. Mini as agriculture officer, K.G. Binu as assistant agriculture officer and A.G. Suja and Preetha as agriculture assistants, it now proudly boasts of 135 members.

"People can get organic vegetables certified by the Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Laboratory (PRRAL) at Kerala Agriculture University from the Eco Shop. Products cooked from these organic vegetables will also be made available at the new venture," said an official at KKB.

The one acre area at KKB is being utilised to its optimum level by having a thatched shed made of coconut leaves and bamboo where a reference library for farmers is also coming up. The good thing about Karshika Karma Sena's initiative is that if earlier it was just seeds and finding markets for it, in eight years it has evolved into a one-stop eco-shop for all the farmers' and consumers' needs. KKB officials will also be providing training camp to homemakers on cooking indigenous type of foods.