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Go organic, stay healthy

Tiruchiites are discovering a new taste

PHOTO: M. MOORTHY

GREEN Fresh from garden, rich with nutrients

"I discovered the natural taste of greens," beams K.Uma, a resident of Thillai Nagar while shopping at Vijay Organic Vegetables in the City.

A regular customer ever since it's inauguration last summer, Uma is quite well versed with the benefits of organically grown vegetables and fruits.

Many of her ilk have actually started patronising the shop that sells not only organic vegetables but also other organic products including rice, turmeric, Nilgiri Green Tea, desiccated coconut, groundnuts and amla sherbet.

The shop has been a pioneering commercial enterprise in promoting organic vegetables in the City.

Environmentally safe

Organic vegetables are grown using environmentally safe cultivation methods. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are replaced with compost and manure, which increases soil fertility and reduces air, water and soil pollution.

It may not be able to differentiate an organic carrot from a non-organic one. But they do differ — in quality and price.

A general lack of awareness dissuades many people from venturing to buy organic vegetables, feels S. Saravanan one of the proprietors of Vijay Organic Vegetables situated in 5th cross Thillai Nagar East.

He owns a 40-acre farm in Siruvachur where he cultivates vegetables like brinjal, ladies finger, beans, beetroot and greens. The hot climate in Siruvachur has not dissuaded him from cultivating `English' vegetables, which are normally grown under cooler climatic conditions.

A shade house made of polythene has been erected with a mist chamber to control and maintain the temperature for vegetables like raddish, cabbage, cauliflower and carrot to grow. Saravanan encourages other organic farmers in search of space to sell their produce from his outlet.

This summer he stacked his shelves with organic Banganapalli and Alphonso mangoes.

Saravanan looks forward to offer more variety to his customers, many of whom come from K.K.Nagar, Cantonment, Srirangam and Thillainagar and even as far as Thanjavur.

All this comes at a price, though.

A price that is higher than the non-organic products otherwise available in the market. For example, a kilo of organic raw rice costs Rs.36 whereas the normal raw rice costs anywhere around Rs.20 to Rs.22. Saravanan attributes the high rates to the cost incurred for getting the required certification.

Vijay Organic Vegetables is certified by TNAU (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University) and SACL (Soil Association Certification Ltd.).

Moreover the certificates must be renewed once every two years. This is again a costly affair, which runs into lakhs of rupees depending upon the size of the organic farm. While there are no valid studies to prove that organic vegetables are more nutritious than vegetables grown under conventional farming, one can at least be content that no chemical residue is left behind in one's body while consuming organic vegetables. A small price to pay for some healthy benefits.

R. REENA

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