Social activities Daya Bai has said there is no agri’culture’ in Kerala, and the state has only agri’business’. “Agriculture is a way of life,” she said while addressing a session on ‘Let’s Build a Green Future’ at the JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) on Friday.
She said agriculture has been in her blood since her childhood. “My father taught me to plant vegetables at a young age. I used to watch their growth closely. However, I became an actual farmer while I was working among the Adivasis in Madhya Pradesh,” she said.
Daya Bai is currently fighting for the endosulfan victims in Kasaragod. Endosulfan was sprayed in the cashew plantations in Kasaragod for over 20 years, killing hundreds of people. Thousands of victims are fighting for justice now. “They should get justice,” she said.
Participating in the panel discussion, Dr Shanavas P, State Programme Officer (Farm Livelihood) of the Kerala Kudumbashree Mission, said his organisation has been empowering women in Kerala for the last 27 years. “Kudumbashree ensures gender justice,” he said.
Baby John, President of Pineapple Growers’ Association, said pineapple is one of the profitable farm products in Kerala. “We cannot think about a future without food and agriculture. Kerala produces six lakh tonnes of pineapple every year and it fetches the state over Rs 2000 crore,” he said.
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