Kochi: A social media group started by a Non Resident Keralite from Saudi Arabia nine years ago to encourage farming at house and terrace compounds is now making a silent wave against use of pesticide in food materials. With 2.25 lakh members, mostly those engaged in farming at their house compounds as a passion, the Facebook group 'Krishiclub' has succeeded in motivating 5500 new households to take to small scale cultivation in the last one month. What makes the group effective is its unique 'Seed Bank' initiative under which those having extra seeds of rare vegetable or fruit plants send the same to the "bank" which would supply them free of cost to other members.
"The group has now grown big with members even from countries like the Australia and the US. The very theme of the group is 'Green Houses Pesticide free food'. We're happy the members include the people from all strata of society. One just has to meet members such as Baputtika to get inspired," said Sham-mem Vattakandathil, an NRI from Jeddah who is the administrator of the Facebook group. Baputty P.K., affectionately called as 'Baputtika', took to agriculture after his wife was detected with breast cancer in 2012. "When I accompanied her to the Thiruvananthapuram RCC, I could witness many cases and realised that the pesticide in food is one of the main causes. I wanted to do something against this and started HOPE, a small group dedicated to organic farming," he told DC.
HOPE sends vegetables, growbags and seeds at subsidised cost to hundreds of people daily and helps people with developing farming at their houses. "The group has Agriculture officials as members besides experienced farmers. So one just needs to send the query and he will get a reply within five to 10 minutes. We all share information such as best place to buy a particular seed, how to grow some and the like," said Dr Latha Anand, Senior Branch Manager of United India Insurance.
