Simply red: Kerala farmers discover rosy future

For both discoveries, the local farmers have to thank the 400-odd Jain families who live in Maniankode, near here. The community was also responsible for the experiments with vanilla; now their raw beans sell for Rs 3,500/kg, and processed beans for up to Rs 30,000/kg.

Wayanad’s Jain farmers have long demonstrated a willingness to take chances. More than a decade ago, they picked up vanilla as the crop of the future. Then they spotted the Bixa orellana — locally known as Anata — at an exhibition in Bangalore, and tapped its commercial potential.

At present, India produces around 3,000 tonnes of Anata seeds, of which 80 per cent is exported. The Latin American countries — the flower is native to the region — provide the bulk of the 10,000 tonnes demanded worldwide. However, with a ban likely soon on the use of synthetic food colouring, the demand is expected to shoot up to 50,000 tonnes .

‘‘The ban will open up a huge demand,’’ says M N Chandranath, winner of the Spices Board award for the second best vanilla farmer. ‘‘We have been promoting crops for the future.’’

The Jain farmers are also promoting Caesalpinia sappan, locally known as Pathi-mukham. Sappanwood produces a natural colouring that finds use in foreign liquor.

The new crops have come as a relief to the Jain farmers. ‘‘Earlier, we followed the traditional ways of agriculture. But the fall in prices forced us to switch over to new crops,’’ says M P Vimalkumar Jain of Maniankode.

Uncertain as the transition might have been, the future prospects certainly up the feel-good factor here.