How a women's collective is making Kerala self-reliant for Onam

Maruthi is one of the hundreds of women who play a key role in the crores of rupees of the Onam market in Kerala.

Thiruvananthapuram: The sun beats down on a one-acre plot at the edge of Attappadi, a tribal village in Kerala’s northern Palakkad district. Here, Maruthi is hard at work, moving through rows of vibrant jamanthi and vadamulla- -marigold and globe amaranth- -her hands swiftly gathering the bright blossoms.

Nearby, a group of local flower merchants wait patiently, watching as Maruthi and her friends fill sack after sack with the freshly picked flowers.

"We used to send our flowers to the market in Coimbatore," Maruthi said, pausing for a moment. "But now, with Onam here, it’s become a challenge to keep up. The local vendors are coming straight to the farm to buy-- the demand is that high," she told PTI.

Their work is helping put the state on a path towards self-reliance, supplying a significant portion of the flowers, vegetables, and fruit needed for the harvest festival.

They are part of Kudumbashree, a government-backed poverty eradication mission made up entirely of women.

With 48 lakh members across the state, this network has made a major intervention in the festival markets through its diverse initiatives.

Thousands of Joint Liability Groups of Kudumbashree have carried out vegetable and flower farming on a massive scale across Kerala, reducing its immense dependency upon neighbouring states, especially Tamil Nadu, to a great extent.

According to figures, a total of 13,879 Kudumbashree JLGs, comprising four to 10 women, have indulged in vegetable farming in 8,913.13 acres of land across Kerala, eyeing the Onam market. Flower farming has been carried out on 1,820.52 acres of land under the aegis of 4,531 groups in the state ahead of the harvest festival, it said.

The state government has set aside Rs 14 crore to support Kudumbashree initiatives this year by giving them incentives and interest-free loans.

In Attappadi alone, the all-women network carried out vegetable farming in 25 acres and flower farming in six acres this year, authorities said.

Marigold, Jasmine, globe amaranth, lotus and so on were among the major flowers harvested by Kudumbashree members targeting the huge demand for the preparation of "pookkalam" (floral carpet).

Long beans, okra, tomato, green chilli, bitter gourd, pumpkin, ash gourd and bottle gourd were among the major vegetables grown by them.

"Harvesting is still continuing. We got really good profit through flower farming this year. We are getting up to Rs 150 for one kilogram of jamanthi," Maruthi said in a Tamil-tinged Malayalam.

Radha V, who is carrying out plantain farming in Bedadukka village in Kasaragod, said they are struggling hard to meet the huge demand for "vazhayila" (plantain leaves for serving sadya) and "vazhakkula" (banana) during the Onam season.

"We are getting bulk orders from local shops, supermarkets and auditoriums. Vendors used to pre-book their orders. The demand for plantain leaves is very high these days, as people largely prefer them to plastic leaves for sadya," she told PTI.

State minister for Local Self-Government (LSGD) M B Rajesh said Kudumbashree could remarkably increase the area of flower and vegetable farming to more acres this Onam season and thus play a key role in the market.

Besides this, Kudumbashree's new initiatives like "onasadya" (feast being prepared as per demand), "onam kits" (containing chips, payasam mixes, spice powders, and other ingredients) and "gift hampers" (curated boxes comprising various products related to onam) are a huge hit among people, he said.

"The 50,000 kits and 5,000 hampers have been sold like hotcakes. The bookings for Kudumbashree's readymade Onasadya are soaring. As many as 2000 Onam fairs were organised to sell vegetables and various other products," Rajesh told PTI.

Noting that Kudumbashree has evolved into a credible brand in the state through these years, he said the network is playing a key role in the state's journey to become self-reliant in various areas.

"They have made strong interventions in the market during the Onam season. It has helped to regulate the price, especially that of vegetables and flowers," the minister added.

According to H Dineshan, Executive Director of Kudumbashree, the network is providing pesticide-free vegetables for preparing the delicious Onam sadya feast, alongside vibrant, locally grown flowers to adorn traditional pookalams.

"This festive initiative ensures safe and fresh choices for households while reflecting the prosperity, resilience, and sustainability led by women across Kerala," he added.

Among other products, the Kudumbashree also brought out coconut oil, banana chips, pickles, flours, curry powders and so on.

A total of Rs 30 crore in returns is expected through various Kudumbashree initiatives during the season, including Rs 12-15 crore through vegetable and flower sales alone, authorities said.

High-quality saplings of vegetables and flowers were made available through Krishi Bhavans and the organic nurseries of Kudumbashree, they added.

The auspicious"Thiruvonam" falls on September 5 this year.