While the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many businesses into crisis, it opened up new opportunities for Brijith Krishna, a resident of Kokkad, Ulikkal near Iritty in Kannur district.

The idea struck him close to home. Cashew nuts growing on his property had no takers as they had begun to sprout. On tasting them, however, Brijith realised that sprouted cashew nuts were not only tastier but also more nutritious than regular ones. He believed that with the right packaging and marketing, the product could find a ready market.

That insight led to the launch of Eatery Malabarikas, a firm that now offers specialised retort packaging solutions for food products, helping farmers and small entrepreneurs extend shelf life and improve profitability.

Sprouting during pre-harvest rains is a major challenge for cashew farmers, often forcing them to sell their produce at reduced prices. Brijith's innovation has helped overcome this problem.

Under normal conditions, cashew seeds retain their ability to sprout for about three months, making timely processing crucial. Brijith developed a technique that extends the sprouting viability to nearly eight months, allowing farmers to procure seeds as early as January and carry out sprouting as late as September.

In addition, Brijith markets several value-added products from cashew. The success in these ventures have also earned him a Central Government award for the best cashew entrepreneur.

A Japanese connection
Brijith's yet another venture markets various agricultural produce as 'ready-to-eat' products utilising 'retort packaging technology', an innovation from Japan. Edible items could be preserved for up to nine months without any damage under this method of packing.

Currently, Eatery Malabarikas is equipped to pack a wide range of produce- including jackfruit, mango, banana flower and even colocasia leaves- as ready-to-eat products. Brijith charges ₹100 per kg for the service, and around 120 small-scale farmers regularly avail themselves of the facility.

The key advantage of retort packaging, Brijith explained, is that it allows farmers to store vegetables and fruits when market prices are low and sell them later at higher rates. "Several catering firms have already begun procuring vegetables for the Vishu festival in April and preserving them through retort packaging," he said.

A majority of those using Brijith's services are farmers and small entrepreneurs involved in exporting 'sadya' items overseas. Others specialise in the sale of products such as banana flowers and stems, which often suffer heavy losses due to their short shelf life.

A 'saviour' for farmers
Despite lacking a farming background or experience in agriculture, Brijith's retort packaging enterprise has become a refuge for a large number of farmers. His firm Eatery Malabarikas also helps local bodies and enterprises exporting prepared dishes such as banana flower 'thoran', jackfruit 'thoran', 'kanji' (gruel) of Kaippad rice and 'kallummakkaya' (mussel) fry to foreign countries.

"An entrepreneur who used my services made lakhs by selling ready-to-eat 'kanji' and 'puzhukku' (boiled yam) made in Kerala at the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad," said Brijith. Brijith's contact number is 9447178995.