In this exceptional journey from a distant village to nationwide recognition, she has grow to be a logo of resilience, innovation, and sustainable farming practices.
In a distant nook of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a 67-year-old girl has grow to be the prime instance of inspiration along with her groundbreaking contributions to organic coconut plantation. Kamachi Chellammal, also called ‘Nariyal Amma,’ has been honoured with the distinguished Padma Shri award for her excellent efforts in reworking conventional farming.
Hailing from Rangachang in South Andaman, Chellammal shared her modern strategies which have revolutionised coconut cultivation. Utilising coconut leaves and husks as mulching, she preserves soil moisture through the post-rainy season. This not solely minimises moisture loss but in addition tackles weed inhabitants, fostering a more healthy coconut plantation.
Chellammal’s dedication to sustainable farming extends to Integrated Pest Management, the place she replaces dangerous chemical compounds with ‘trap plants’ to disrupt the pure mating cycle of pests. This strategic strategy has confirmed efficient in controlling pest populations and making certain the well-being of her crops.
Embracing multi-species cropping on her 10-acre land, Chellammal diversified her cultivation with crops like elephant foot yam, banana, groundnut, pineapple, candy potato, inexperienced chilly, tube rose, gladiolus, marigold, and inexperienced greens. This built-in farming system not solely overcame challenges posed by low coconut market costs but in addition elevated income.
Her journey hasn’t been solitary; Chellammal has actively inspired fellow farmers to embrace organic practices, contributing to a bigger motion in direction of sustainable agriculture.
Upon receiving the Padma Shri award, Chellammal initially thought it was a prank resulting from her distant location. However, her dedication to farming and sustainable practices has not gone unnoticed. Expressing gratitude, she sees the award as a recognition of the untiring efforts put into making a distinction, in keeping with PTI.
Chellammal’s son, Ramachandran, who helps her in farming, sees a brand new alternative on the horizon. They plan to advertise agro-tourism, showcasing their numerous crops, spice gardens, and fish farming to not solely locals and college students but in addition vacationers.
In this exceptional journey from a distant village to nationwide recognition, Kamachi Chellammal has grow to be a logo of resilience, innovation, and sustainable farming practices, inspiring a brand new era of farmers and fans alike.
