Tirur: Determined to ensure that paddy cultivation does not become a thing of the past, a group of students has taken to one of the last remaining paddy fields in the town. After planting the saplings, they have now assumed responsibility for nurturing them until harvest.

The initiative was launched by students of MDPS UP School, Ezhoor, as part of an effort to revive the tradition of paddy farming, which has been fading fast in the region. Acting on this idea, the school’s National Green Army (Deshiya Haritha Sena) took the lead in implementing the project.

As part of the mission, the students planted paddy saplings on 30 cents of land owned by Sainuddin Illathooparambil at Parappuram, adjacent to the school. The chosen variety, Ponmani, was sourced from the Farm Assistance Centre under the Perinthalmanna Block Panchayat.

This is not the first time the school has ventured into farming. Last year, its students cultivated paddy, processed the grains into flattened rice (avil), and prepared avil milk, a delicacy they enjoyed together. The remaining avil was sold in the open market.

According to P Najiya, convenor of the student farming project, the initiative can become self-sustaining if the sale of hay and the flattened rice produced from the harvest are effectively managed.

Agricultural Officer P B Aboobacker inaugurated the paddy planting programme. School PTA president Sameel Karuthedathu presided over the function. Seenah Rahman, C Najbuddin, K K Abdul Salam, V A Gafoor, P K Asha, P Najiya, T Reeshma, K Rafeeq, P P Alikutty, T Yahu, K Umaiban and P P Al Ameen spoke on the occasion.