Farmer succeeds in cultivating vegetables amid arecanut

A farmer at Koosugolli has cultivated vegetables differently on his half-acre arecanut plantation.

Normally, vegetables are cultivated in paddy fields. However, farmer Vincent D’Silva has cultivated them amid arecanut trees.

D’Silva had started working as a farm labourer at the age of 13. Later, he had served as a bus conductor in Shivamogga for 20 years. However, his attraction to farming forced him to take it up.

He has cultivated Malabar spinach, bottle gourd, radish, ‘harive’, chilly and other vegetables. He uses organic manure along with chemical fertiliser for cultivation. Malabar spinach is allowed to grow on the land instead of climbing the pandal constructed for it.

He has been using the areca sheaths for retaining moisture content in spinach. The water sprinkled for arecanut trees is sufficient for the spinach.

“I earn Rs 2,000 per week by selling Malabar spinach. When all the Malabar spinach is harvested, I earn up to Rs 60,000,” said D’Silva.

He added, “The way we use the land for cultivation decides on profit and loss. The farmers should not leave farmland fallow. They should have will power to succeed.”