Pazham Varatty (Banana Preserve)
Chingam 1 – Farmers’ Day
Warm greetings to all farmers.
In school we learned that India is an agricultural country. In those days, slogans like “Jai Kisan, Jai Jawan” were common.
Even if farmers were not respected, today the situation has worsened to the point where they do not even receive fair wages for their work. On two acres of land valued at up to ₹50,000 per cent, a farmer who labors throughout the year cannot earn even the income of a lower division clerk. Even then, it is only by the good fortune of others that farmers do not sell their village land, buy a flat in the city, deposit the remaining money in the bank, and live off it — because only if someone continues to toil in the soil will we have food to eat.
Any small change in climate first brings hardship to farmers. We must shift from purely seasonal farming to more stable agricultural practices and learn to use technology accordingly.
Since the lockdown, when I became deeply involved in farming, I began thinking about how we can add value to our agricultural products. What helped me were childhood memories of how my aunt and mother used to make use of surplus food, fruits, and vegetables at home.
Shraddha became a way forward. When people began to seek the products I made and openly say they were good, it gave me greater confidence.
Bananas grow abundantly in our garden and spoil quickly. So I began drying them and making preserves, storing them in glass jars. I was happy to find that both products had demand. Now the banana preserve for making payasam is ready — preparing banana payasam has never been easier.
Note
Make it a habit to eat chemical-free food.
Protect your health.
Rosathambi
Shraddha Organic
Thrissur
