Meet The Mother-Daughter Duo Championing Rare Amaranthus Farming In Kerala

In the Cherthala South panchayat of Kerala's Alappuzha district, Thaickal is a coastal village that is instantly identified with its most widely cultivated crop- the red amaranthus. With an eye-catching brightness and dense foliage, Thaickal's amaranth claims a distinction from variants of this leafy vegetable grown in other geographies. Farmers of this village vouch for its uniqueness, so much so, they call it "Thaickal Pattu Cheera"- silk amaranthus. Its fame has caught on in the markets around Thaickal, fetching a fortune for the farmers growing this crop. P. Sathy and her daughter Nisha Mol are among Thaickal's women farmers who dedicate six months every year to the cultivation of this amaranth variety. The soil of their village, the women say, impart a colour, taste and a high yield that cannot be found in amaranths grown elsewhere. Every season that they spend tending to the beds of amaranth to their full bloom has translated into setting up a secure life in the long run. Despite the hours spent watering the crop, the unexpected spells of rainfall and the fluctuations in the amaranth's leaf health, Sathy and Nisha speak about Thaickal's silk amaranth in words that ring with gratitude. Read about them here: https://gfm.akshayakalpa.org/read/fea... Contact details: Sathy - +91 9288156911 #redamaranthus #organicfarming #goodfoodmovement