Palliative care and Organic farming

 Is there a connection between palliative care and organic farming? For the Kanjikuzhy-based K.K. Kumaran Pain and Palliative Care Society, they are two sides of the same coin.

As a palliative care unit, the society has been providing care to around 1,000 bedridden and people with terminal illnesses free of cost.

At the same time, it is engaged in the cultivation of safe-to-eat food.

By the side of National Highway 66 at Kanichukulangara is a thriving 15-acre farmland growing 13 varieties of vegetables, different types of fruits, a large collection of marigolds and sunflowers, and fish ponds. “We launched the farming initiative two years ago in line with the State government’s call to increase the cultivation of safe-to-eat vegetables by utilising barren and fallow lands,” says M. Santhosh Kumar, treasurer, K.K. Kumaran Pain and Palliative Care Society, who is also the vice president of Kanjikuzhy grama panchayat.

Fallow land

It started farming after transforming fallow land in the possession of Steel Industrials Kerala Ltd., a public sector unit. The society roped in K.P. Subhakesan, an organic farmer and winner of the Haritha Mithra award of the Agriculture Department, who designed the farm.

On average, the farm is producing 500 kg of vegetables on alternate days. While a portion of the veggies is provided to cancer patients free of cost, the rest are sold to the public. “We are not doing it to make a profit. Our sole aim is to do our bit in the production of quality vegetables. Any profit from the farm, there is hardly any given the high cost involved in the organic farming, is given to Subhakesan who has been entrusted with the day-to-day affairs of the farm,” says Mr. Kumar.

The farming endeavour helped the society bag an award instituted by the Agriculture Department last year.

“We are cultivating vegetables and fruits like watermelon and shamam in an organic way. Only cow dung and chicken litter are used as fertilisers. There was a huge demand for the farm produce during the Onam season,” says Mr. Subhakesan.

Apart from producing safe-to-eat vegetables, fish, fruits and flowers, the farm has been attracting a good number of visitors, including some high profile guests such as Agriculture Minister P. Prasad and Speaker M.B.