We have heard about many people who have been successful in various areas of life. One such person is Roy Anthony, a Wayanad farmer.
After completing his college education in Travancore, he chose agriculture as a profession and a source of income. For him, farming is not only a profession but also a passion. Agriculture was not an unfamiliar area to Roy Antony as his ancestors were farmers. The confidence gained from that experience was the reserve for farming.
He was a farmer who understood the shortcomings and limitations of monoculture and made full use of the potential of mixed cropping. Unlike the traditional style, he has developed his own style of farming.
Today he is known all over Kerala on account of Roy Selection Coffee. He finds his brand of coffee plant from his own plantation in Tamil Nadu. Roy selects coffee as an intercrop in his rubber plantation at Pulpally in Wayanad.
This is a coffee plant that grows on its main root. This short coffee plant belongs to the genus Arabica. They thrive in shady places and give good yields. As a shade plant, it does not require much irrigation. Growing among rubber trees, the cost of clearing the undergrowth can also be added to the profit.
According to his method, up to 1800 coffee seedlings can be planted per acre. Coffee seedlings are planted a few feet away from the rubber trees. They are grown at a height of two and a half feet. The owner gets 1500 to 1800 kg of coffee beans a year. Roy selection coffee from the Arabica genre is more expensive than other coffee beans. These types of coffee beans are also exported abroad.
Roy Anthony started another nursery as the demand for Roy's selection coffee increased. His wife, Anna, is in charge of this. Today, Roy selection coffee plants are grown all over Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa.
In addition to his main crops such as rubber, coconut, squash and other crops, Roy also cultivates pepper, coriander and coffee as intercrops at his farm in Pulpally. What makes Roy Anthony a great farmer is the knowledge that if any crop collapses in the market, other crops can overcome that crisis.
The pepper vines are spread on the tops of the rubber trees in a manner that they do not prevent workers from tapping on the rubber trees. There are 5000 pepper plants in 6 varieties in this garden. This combination of rubber, Moringa and pepper vines will amaze anyone. Processed leaves are sold to companies at good prices.
Lack of water has led to a shift away from paddy cultivation. Tapioca is now being cultivated in a two acre paddy field to avoid waste land. He cultivates up to 3500 plants of this kind. Maize is the intercrop for this cultivation. Among these, ginger is also cultivated in paddy fields.
In addition to the above crops, 2,500 squash are grown on two acres in Roy's farm. Cocoa is grown as an intercrop here. Roy also owns 2,000 trees of banana plantation to provide shade for the coffee plants among the rubber seedlings.
There was a situation in Pulpally where cultivation was not possible due to drought. To overcome this, Roy built a large pond and a rainwater tank. Roy has thus secured water for his 20-acre farm on his farm. This is an example of the foresight of a farmer . This is not only for irrigation but also for fish farming. Roy's ingenuity in securing an income from whatever he does on the farm is commendable. Roy also cultivates fodder grass to prevent the bunds around the pond from collapsing.
Roy's success stories do not end here. Roy owns a nursery of orchids next to his house.
Roy's garden has organic certification. Only organic manures are used for cultivation here. Fish manure and vermicompost are prepared here to feed the plants. The manure and cow urine from the barn are discharged into the pond used for irrigation. Therefore, fertilization is also possible through irrigation. Roy also uses chicken droppings as manure.
There is a kitchen garden next to the house. Twenty types of vegetables such as tomatoes , brinjal, etc are grown here. Roy's joint farming includes cow, goat, bee, duck and chicken. Another thing to note is the machinery used for farming. Different types of machines are used for cutting wood, cutting grass, plowing the land and planting Tapioca.
As a farmer, Roy is always keen to turn his produce into value-added products to ensure more income. Roy also owns a company that exports value-added products. Roy and his family are always ready to lend a helping hand to the farmers who come to Pulpally in Wayanad to get to know Roy's farming practices first hand.
