Efforts are on to develop Kottuvally grama panchayat in Ernakulam as a heritage site for the Pokkali variety of rice, grown in some coastal districts of the State.
The initiative had a ‘dramatic’ start here recently with the inauguration of the ‘Organic Theatre’ under the aegis of Viva Cultural Organisation, Thiruvananthapuram. The objective is to take the message of Pokkali heritage to people in the present context.
The focus of the play, tinged with hues of earth, is on creating a heritage space for a rice variety that has found international fame despite facing a plethora of problems. The first performance was that of ‘Kadamabanattam’, said the organisers. The marriage of theatre and agriculture would effectively take the message forward, they added.
The heritage village programme for Pokkali rice will go hand in hand with the project announced by the Ernakulam District Panchayat recently to develop a heritage museum for the rice variety in Kottuvally, which is considered one of the earlier hubs of Pokkali rice cultivation.
District panchayat president Ullas Thomas said that ₹10 lakh had been allocated to begin the preliminary work for the Pokkali heritage museum in Kottuvally agricultural office. The museum will explain to the visitors history of the rice variety and the methods of cultivation and the role it played in food production in the past.
As part of its efforts to encourage more Pokkali farming, the district panchayat has decided to procure Pokkali rice produced during the last season, to make value-added products and market them at district level-forums.
