A retired Kerala cop has managed to grow something few would expect to see on a rooftop terrace: rows and rows of basmati rice. Prasannan G,71, has transformed the 2,000-square-foot terrace of his home in Ulloor, Thiruvananthapuram, into a flourishing farm. His terrace is filled with pots and containers holding vegetables, millets and different varieties of rice. But this season, it is his basmati crop that has caught the attention of visitors, neighbours and farming enthusiasts all over Kerala.

Basmati is usually associated with the plains of Punjab and North India. Growing it in flower pots on one corner of a 2,000-square-foot terrace made the experiment even more challenging.

This unprecedented journey began when a friend travelling to Punjab brought back a small quantity of basmati seeds at Prasannan’s request. It was barely a tablespoonful. Even his friend was doubtful whether the crop would survive Kerala’s climate.
His early attempts failed. “The seedlings would grow, change colour and die,” Prasannan recalled.

Instead of giving up, he became more intrigued. He observed the plants closely and kept experimenting. Over time, he realised that the young seedlings could not withstand strong sunlight in their early stages. Once the roots became stronger, the plants adjusted better to Kerala’s harsh sunlight.

Based on this information, he planted the crop in nearly 40 flower pots, with around 10 to 15 plants in each. Some pots were kept in areas away from direct sunlight, while the others were placed in areas with full sun as part of his trial. By mid-April, the plants had started growing grain heads.

Prasannan strictly relies on fully organic farming methods on his terrace. He uses natural fertilisers such as fresh cow dung, groundnut cake, neem cake and jaggery-based mixtures for his crops.

Though this is his first attempt at growing basmati rice, farming itself is not new to him. Prasannan retired as the sub-inspector in 2010. After retirement, he became more devoted to agriculture. Since 2013, his rooftop has been used to grow a diverse range of crops.

Along with basmati, he also grows varieties of vegetables, millets such as ragi, sorghum and pearl millet, and other rice varieties including Prathyasha, Uma and Rakthashali. His basmati rice expedition has drawn strong local interest. Visitors regularly come to see the crop’s progress, many of them astonished that rice, something people usually associate only with paddy fields, can be grown in pots on a terrace.

For Prasannan, the endeavour is not just about growing an unusual crop. He sees terrace farming as a way to encourage people to grow part of their meals right at home, especially at a time when there is growing dependence on chemically grown produce.

He now has his sights set on producing a larger batch of seeds in the next harvest and sharing them with others who want to try growing varieties of millets and rice on their own terrace.