PB Aneesh was selected for the Karshakasree 2024 Award for the best farmer in Kerala. The award will be presented at the Karshakasree Agricultural Festival, which is scheduled to be held in Malappuram in February next year, said Malayala Manorama Managing Editor Jacob Mathew.
Aneesh, who hails from Tabore, Udayagiri, Kannur, is the 17th recipient of the biannual award. The award includes Rs 3 lakh cash, a certificate, and a gold medal. He was selected by a jury headed by former Union Agriculture Secretary T Nandakumar. Nandakumar also served as the secretary of the Diary Development Board and as Spices Board chairman.
Other members of the award jury:
1. Dr P Indira Devi, Former Kerala Agricultural University Research Department Head and professor
2. Dr Madhura Swaminathan, professor, Indian Statistical Institute. She is also the daughter of Dr M S Swaminathan
3. Dr B Ashok, Kerala Agriculture University Vice Chancellor
4. Dr C George Thomas, former dean of Kerala Agriculture University
5. Jacob Mathew, Managing Editor, Malayala Manorama
Aneesh was nominated by H L Deepa, Agriculture Officer in Udayagiri.
Income generating capacity, permanent farming approach, usage of modern techniques, ability to deal with climate change-related issues, increasing yield, social commitment, and gender equality were the criteria for selecting the awardee.
Aneesh was once in debt and was on the verge of having his property attached by a bank as he failed to repay a farming loan. Nearly a lakh and a half rupees was the liability of Aneesh’s family, which included the loan amount and interest accumulated.
Along with his parents Baby and Mary, Aneesh ventured into farming while pursuing his education. He took up electrical work till noon, studied in the afternoon, and secured a Master's degree in the process.
Aneesh managed to get a stay to the attachment proceedings of the bank after promising to pay the loan amount and dues in 30 months, a feat he achieved even before that deadline through his modest income and by raising funds from some individuals. He then took a loan from another bank to pay off his debtors so that he could dedicate his entire time to farming.
Today he is carrying out farming activities on the same five-acre farmland along with another 30 acres taken on lease. He has an income worth Rs 50 lakh annually.
According to Aneesh, only extraordinary farmers can survive in the present circumstances, whether it be dairy farming, cardamom, or black pepper. When his stints with all these failed, he turned his attention to rubber. After rubber prices dropped, he turned to nutmeg.
Aneesh adopted a practical approach by shedding low-yielding varieties and latching on to high-yielding ones. Jackfruit cultivation was tapped as another source of income – he bet on it by budding 35 varieties of jackfruit.
From 10 cinnamon plants, he diversified to 5,000 plants of the Vanarani variety - 4,000 in the leased 30-acre plot and 1,000 on his land. He then made one and 2 kg packets of the cinnamon produce for sale, netting as much as Rs 3,000 per kilogram. Aneesh also has a dairy farm which can be considered among the best in the state vis-a-vis scientific approaches and yields. Apart from jackfruit, Aneesh dabbles with Mangosteen, Rambutan, and various fruit and vegetable varieties.
Aneesh’s overriding principle for farming is punctuality. Wife Treesa and children Abel and Angel are also his associates in farming.
