Young Thrissur farmer’s organic methods yield record harvest

Wadakkanchery: The harvest festival at the Melethil paddy field marked another proud moment for Nasar Mankara, a young farmer known for his successful experiments with new seed varieties in Kerala. This time, he harvested 3,500 kilos of paddy per acre — an exceptional yield — from a plot sown with AK 48, a seed variety from Karnataka.

The harvest was carried out in the presence of Nasar, local elected representatives, and officials from the Agriculture Department.
In Kerala, common paddy varieties like Uma and Ponmani typically yield between 2,200 to 2,500 kilos per acre. The AK 48 variety, however, produced over 3,500 kilos per acre, showcasing its high productivity and disease resistance.

Despite the impressive yield, Nasar follows completely organic farming methods. He used a mix of green leaf manure, jeevamrutham, Harithasanjeevani, and Fruit Special — all natural fertilisers. No chemical fertilisers or pesticides were applied. Remarkably, the crop showed no signs of common diseases like blast or tip rot.

Nasar has previously gained attention for cultivating seed varieties from Maharashtra and West Bengal, and was featured in Malayala Manorama on Farmers’ Day for his experimental approaches.
The paddy harvested from Nasar’s field has now been procured by the Agriculture Department, which plans to distribute the seeds to farmers across Kerala.

The harvest festival was inaugurated by Block Panchayat President K.V. Nafeesa. Among those present were Municipal Vice Chairperson O R Sheela Mohanan, Agriculture Assistant Directors Archana Vishwanathan and P G Sujith, Agriculture Officer M.N. Dipin, Harithasanjeevani MD Dr Raveendra Shirode, Beenu from Thiruvananthapuram, and members of the Padasekhara Samiti.