It wasn’t so long ago Dr. Mohandas got featured in The Hindu that shared his success stories of mixed farming techniques. Though it won’t surprise many to see and know a former Principal Scientist, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, extending his passion beyond retirement, his humility and hard work astonishes all. Incorporating his refined agricultural wisdom to transform the dynamics of farming, he transformed his rain-fed farm into a ‘Garden of Eden’ with fruits, spices, veggies, berries, greens, nuts, climbers and creepers. Fish farming in pond-like pockets within the stream that flows along his property in Erithavoor village added some revenue to his farming operations. Pisciculture, livestock rearing and poultry farming looked like a worthy component of his agricultural plan- Goat dung and chicken manure produced healthier plants. By all means, climbing peppers in Dr. Mohandas’ farm rose up to 20 feet much to the wonderment of many. This man’s disease-free farm where no pesticides or insecticides were used became the talk of the town. Visitors and friends were welcomed to see, learn and implement. His plants not just survived, they thrived. Shocked were many to see dragon fruits growing well. Any opportunity to reach out to the local community was used to advocate organic farming, the need for ecological balance, the importance of soil microbes and wholesome nutrition for humans. Farming communities in and around the district were in awe to know that this scientist cum farmer could produce about 10,000 rooted cuttings from runner shoots, raise 5,000 bush pepper seedlings from lateral branches and produce seedlings from 1,000 orthotropic shoots. Humidity chambers which were designed to enhance rooting remains a place of learning for many aspiring farmers.
Early mornings and evenings, there was a real buzz about the farm. Friends coming over to pick their fruits and veggies, eating off the plants for a nominal cost was a sight to relish. Enter COVID-19, the owner found it hard to deliver his produce to the deserving few. Yes, it wasn’t about growing quality produce but delivering them as and when harvested. Thus was born Mshop, the first online mobile marketplace for home grown organic produce in Kanyakumari with its own logistics operations and staff. Owing to never-ending demand, Dr. Mohandas decided to look out for organic farmers who are willing to sell their produce to Mshop and he succeeded. Over the months, Mshop has equipped itself to deliver anything from meat, fish, groceries , restaurant menus and saplings of native and exotic tropical plants.
Shopping has changed over the years and so have the trends in consumerism. The rise of online shopping, how everything and anything is preferred to be bought online has given rise to a conscious consumer. More so, these days of pandemic has forced everyone to start new healthy habits and consuming nutritious food is one of them. People in and around Kanyakumari district prefer Mshop because as far as this online store is concerned, the USP is the freshness of the products sold under the brand “Farmproduce”. Since crops are grown in batches in all the farms, fresh produce is available on a daily basis. Vegetables are harvested only after an order is placed. To make procurement and delivery as effective as possible and establish a strong relationship built of trust, Dr. Mohandas makes it a point to visit his suppliers often, offer and take suggestions, advice and many kinds of help. When asked about how he manages his time “People should not be ignorant about the source of food. So, I go the extra mile” quips Dr. Mohandas. Trying times call for extra measures and support, wherefore Mshop delivers customized food and drink to the sick in hospitals and needy old people living alone.
During these days of pandemic the demand for everything sold by Mshop has shot up by three times, especially pepper and honey, as their efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19 patients have been researched and published. So, raw honey from traditional beekeepers, country hen and eggs from residents who rear hens is the norm. Cleaning, segregating and sorting them client wise is done with utter care as a means of effective marketing to a growing, informed customer base. List of things home delivered by MShop that nourish and heal are so many. Furthermore, saplings of fruits and berries such as Champa red, Litchi, Matoa, Star fruit, Sweet kokum, Kepel, Mangosteen, Rambutan and Sweet santol well known for the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals necessary to fortify the human immune system are sold like hot cakes. Sounds like growing our food in our backyard will make it tough for us to resist them, and their vitamin content will be at their highest levels as we bite into them straight from the garden. Foodies and food bloggers can choose to order food from any of their restaurants within 30kms radius and be assured that it will be delivered at the specified time.
Mshop’s organic movement is not a fad, but a sign of better awareness and customers vouch for it’s credentials. This southernmost district in mainland India situated in the high rainfall agro climatic zone with a fairly fertile soil of fine type is an ideal place for agriculture. Besides residing in independent houses, almost all have a penchant for gardening and cultivating veggies. As of now, tapping into the best resources is the only demanding task of the founder. These days, he feels that the whole district is part and parcel of his venture as suppliers or buyers.
Efforts to connect with organic farmers across Tamil Nadu (TN) who cultivate rare and traditional varieties of rice such as mapillai samba, kichili samba, karung kuruvai and vasanai seeraga samba known to have high medicinal potency are paying off. One good news for other south Indian states is that Mshop will soon expand it’s services outside TN with plant derived neutraceuticals and wood pressed cooking oils extracted from organic coconuts and sesame. The development of Mshop is one man’s dream and organic farms mushrooming in Kanyakumari district have partly been market driven and partly pushed by public organic action plans.
Environmental well being should be everybody’s concern. A healthy planet makes for healthy living things. Hence, people must help to mitigate rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by switching over to organic produce as organic farming supports carbon sequestration. Reasons to choose organic over conventional products are innumerable but the one that’s undisputed is “Health is wealth”.
By Dr. Elsa Lycias Joel
