Meet Manu Thomas who scripted success story in farming, and never took a loan

Manu Thomas, from Vechuchira in Ranni, Pathanamthitta, was awarded the state's best farmer award in the category of persons with physical disabilities last year. Though he lost the use of his legs to polio in childhood, he is finding success in life, with farming as his primary occupation. He followed mixed farming on four and a half acres of land, with pepper as his main crop (450 plants). The varieties are Karimmunda and Narayakkodi. Narayakkodi, similar to Karimmunda, has the resilience to survive drought. Vechuchira is a hilly region with severe drought during summer. Therefore, Narayakkodi is more suitable for this region. Drip irrigation has been arranged for all crops, including pepper. Last year, he harvested 500 kg of dried pepper. He has started farming fruit-bearing fruits now.

Cocoa is another major crop, with 100 fruit-bearing cocoa trees. After harvesting and fermenting the cocoa pods for a week, the beans are dried. Last year, he sold 200 kg of dried cocoa beans. He has 80 good fruit-bearing coconut trees and is planting high-quality coconut saplings. Coconuts are sold as whole coconuts and as coconut oil. He has 2,000 Robusta coffee plants that have just started bearing fruit. Last year, he sold 450 kg of dried coffee beans. Rambutan trees have grown to a stage where they are ready for harvest. He has grafted mango trees of indigenous and foreign varieties. He has 250 tapped rubber trees, and he sells the sheets. A day's tapping yields 16 to 24 kg of sheets.

He also undertakes intercropping according to the season. He has ginger, turmeric, tapioca, taro, yams, and other tubers. Due to the severe threat from wild animals, Manu has decided against further intercropping. Among vegetables, brinjal is prominent, with varieties that can be harvested for up to three years. Chilli peppers, bird's eye chillies, and okra are also grown abundantly. He has 40 beehives on his farm, housing small and stingless bees. Honey also provides good income. Last season, he sold 500 kg of honey from the large bees. Small honey fetches up to ₹3,000 per kg. The placement of beehives has increased the yield of cocoa, coffee, coconut, and nutmeg. This increase is due to pollination by bees. He has 20 nutmeg trees, which are also very profitable. Last season, he sold 20 kg of mace and 50 kg of nutmeg kernels.

Bananas: A source of consistent income
He plants bananas daily, so there are bunches to harvest most days. His main varieties include Njalippoovan, Poovan, Kappavazha, and Palayamkoden.

Poultry Farming
Manu's primary daily income comes from poultry farming. He has both broiler and layer chickens. He brings day-old chicks from a private nursery in Bengaluru, vaccinates them against all diseases, provides proper feed and adequate vitamins, and raises them to the laying stage before selling them to layer farmers. He raises BV-380 variety layer chickens for 55-60 days before selling them. Many poultry farmers and homemakers are his regular customers. BV-380 is a suitable breed for backyard farming. He delivers chickens to the requested locations.

Manu buys day-old broiler chicks from the Poultry Development Corporation's Kollam hatchery. He raises these broiler chicks in the same way and starts selling them on the 35th day. He supplies them to butcher shops, hotels, and event managers as per their requirements. He typically maintains an average of 6,000 chickens, including layers and broilers. Manu states that he receives excellent cooperation from the Vechuchira Veterinary Hospital. The litter in the poultry coops (a mixture of bedding and chicken manure) is used as fertiliser for crops.

Manu not only sells his chickens but also transports all his farm produce himself. He owns a car, an autorickshaw, and a scooter. He uses the autorickshaw and scooter to reach every nook and corner of his farm to collect coconuts, pepper, cocoa, nutmeg, and banana bunches. He has made suitable tracks within the farm for this purpose. He drives the vehicles himself. The farming can be described as a family enterprise. Manu's father, Thomas, mother, Annamma, wife, Mini, and children, Anu, Mary, and Abel, are all involved in the daily operations. Manu also does the farm work to the extent of his ability. His elder daughter, Anu, is a nursing student. They have not taken any loans for farming or education so far; all expenses are covered by income from farming. Manu and his family reassure that survival and livelihood are possible through farming alone.