Vineyard vibes in Kottayam: Pampady farm grows Cambodian grapes, draws visitors

Gone are the times Keralites had to head to other states to check out vineyards. A mini Cambodian vineyard in Kottayam's Pampady has been drawing attention in recent days for its large clusters of fleshy grape bunches and is attracting visitors, too.

Located in Cherukunnu, ward no. 1 of Pampady panchayat, the vineyard is of farmer KB Manoj. The grapes are currently ripening on the vines and preparing for harvest. Some of the grape bunches preparing for harvest in his plot weigh an impressive four kilograms. Manoj expects the full harvest to be ready in about two weeks.

Overcoming initial failures
Manoj, a passionate farmer, decided to try his hand at grape cultivation a year ago after spotting an advertisement on social media. Intrigued, he bought eight Cambodian grape saplings for a modest ₹250. Although his first attempt failed, Manoj refused to give up. He redoubled his efforts, and by June, his perseverance finally paid off.

Manoj has dedicated two cents of his leased two-acre farm to grape cultivation. The rest of the land is bustling with various vegetables, dragon fruit, guava, and several other fruit-bearing trees. Encouraged by the massive success of this trial, he is now preparing to experiment with other premium grape varieties.

How to reach?
Word of his success has travelled fast, drawing several local leaders to his farm. The vineyard is just a kilometre from the 7th Mile bus stop on KK Road. The farmer says the best time to check out the fruits is between 3 pm and 5 pm.