Malappuram: With the monsoon rains intensifying, T P Vasudevan, president of the Vazhayur panchayat in Malappuram, is now busy harvesting both mature and tender banana bunches from his plantain farm.

A lifelong farmer, Vasudevan has been cultivating not just plantains but also paddy, turmeric and a wide variety of vegetables. This season’s sudden and early downpour, however, has taken a toll on his farm, affecting at least 300 plantain trees.

According to Vasudevan, harvesting of plantain is usually done in July every year. But the unexpected showers this time have led to severe water-logging of fields, causing the plantains to wilt due to prolonged inundation. As a result, Vasudevan has had no choice but to begin harvesting early, even if several of these bunches haven't fully matured.

Each banana bunch weighs between 8 and 9 kilograms on average, and the crop fetches up to ₹31 per kilogram in the market. The farmer incurs a production cost of around ₹250 per bunch, including labour charges, says Vasudevan.

Vasudevan’s day begins at 6 am on the farm, where he works for three hours before heading to the panchayat office by 10 am. He has been following this routine for the past two decades.