By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sreekumaran Nair, a farmer based at Ankode near Perunkadavila, said ‘Thaliru’ has boosted the confidence of farmers. The 44-year-old had started cultivation on a fallow land even before ‘Thaliru’ was launched. “The project helps small scale or landless farmers to get more land for cultivation. Earlier, land owners were unwilling to lease out their unused land fearing that they would face ownership issues in future,” he said. Sreekumaran Nair is a member of the constituency-level committee for the implementation of ‘Thaliru’. Nair conducts vegetable, banana and tapioca cultivation on 2.50 acres, of which 70 cents is taken on lease for the past six years. “The land remained unused for years before I took it for lease. I sought the help of MGNREGS workers to make it cultivable,” he said. Over 80 per cent of the cultivation under ‘Thaliru’ was success, according to Nair. “It also helped attract new persons to farming, thanks to the advice and support of ‘Thaliru’ office-bearers. Paddy cultivation too saw a significant rise under the project,” he said.“Paddy cultivation was done in just 2.50 acres in my ward before ‘Thaliru’. Now it has become 13.50 acres,” he said.According to Nair, Thaliru helped in propagating the idea of organic farming among small-scale farmers. For a new agrarian culture ‘Thaliru’ has helped bring in a new agrarian culture, says Parassala MLA C K Hareendran. “The project received amazing support from the people. It attracted hundreds of people to farming,” he said. Hareendran attributed the success of the project to the comprehensive support offered to farmers. “From providing seeds to harvesting we are there to support the farmer. At present, we are conducting a review of the project to know the increase in agriculture production and also for understanding the scope for improvement,” he said.

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