Thodupuzha: Women power in agriculture was honored on Saturday as Swapna James, winner of Karshakasree award instituted by the Malayala Manorama, accepted the award at a colorful event in Thodupuzha. Minister of Agriculture V S Sunilkumar presented to Swapna, the gold medal that's part of the award, which also includes Rs 3 lakh and a certificate of merit.
Swapna, who has won the Karshakasree award, hails from Sreekrishnapuram in Palakkad. At a meeting presided over by V S Sunilkumar, former vice-chancellor of the Agricultural University K V Peter explained the farming methods that fetched the award for Swapna.
As she replied to the speech, Swapna emphasized that her family that comprises of husband James and children Kevin and Allen were behind her success, and called them to the stage.
Joyce George MP, Malayala Manorama managing editor Jacob Mathew and editorial director Mathews Varghese spoke during the function.
Former Karshakasree winners also joined the event.
Alphons thought she was an actor
Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam took Swapna for an actor and did not speak to her though she was seated next to him. But when she was introduced, he was in doubt whether she was a farmer. However, the scars on her palm proved it to him.
Kannanthanam mentioned in his speech that he took the winner seated next to him for an actor, raising peals of laughter among the gathering.
The minister got eloquent as he spoke about his own farming efforts with his parents when he was a child and also later at the premises of the collectorate at Kottayam when he was the district collector. He also revealed that he uses food vegetables cultivated at his house in Delhi.
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