Kasaragod farmer finds hidden value in fruits he discarded for two years
A Kerala farmer discovered his backyard plant, Mahkota Dewa, is a valuable medicinal crop, fetching ₹1,000 per kg when dried, prompting commercial cultivation.
A Kerala farmer discovered his backyard plant, Mahkota Dewa, is a valuable medicinal crop, fetching ₹1,000 per kg when dried, prompting commercial cultivation.
A Kerala farmer discovered his backyard plant, Mahkota Dewa, is a valuable medicinal crop, fetching ₹1,000 per kg when dried, prompting commercial cultivation.
Rajapuram: For two years, Madhavan Nair watched the fruits of a little-known backyard plant go to waste, unaware that he was discarding a valuable medicinal crop. A chance tip from friends changed everything. The fruits he once dismissed as worthless turned out to be a prized produce in the herbal medicine market, fetching Rs.1,000 a kg.
The realization has now prompted U Madhavan Nair, a farmer from Kalicharvattam at Attenganam in Kodom, Belur panchayat, to take up commercial cultivation of the rare medicinal plant, Mahkota Dewa (Phaleria macrocarpa).
It was only after he clicked a picture of the fruit and searched for it online that he identified the plant as Mahkota Dewa, a medicinal species native to Indonesia. A relative had gifted him the sapling, but he had remained unaware of its significance until recently.
Mahkota Dewa, which means `God’s Crown', is considered a valuable medicinal plant and is rarely found in the hilly regions of Kerala. The plant thrives in warm climatic conditions, and its fruits are in high demand among herbal medicine dealers.
Once the fruits ripen, they are harvested, sliced into small pieces, sun-dried and sold. The dried produce fetches around Rs.1,000 per kg in the herbal medicine market.
A three-year-old Mahkota Dewa plant can yield up to 15 kg of fruits annually. The plant begins bearing fruit within one to one-and-a-half years of planting, making it a promising option for commercial cultivation.