Some coconut palms in our garden and other gardens turn yellow and stop growing or yielding the fruits. This was attributed to multiple causes such as deficiency in the soil, parasitic infestation or premature ageing process. This is rampant in the state of Kerala, where almost every household would normally have a few count palms around their house. Most homes depended on the produce from their garden for their cooking and to extract coconut oil, which is the favourite medium of cooking in this region.
Following the scarcity of coconut the prices for coconut and coconut oil have gone high. It is from the adjacent state of Tamil Nadu coconuts arrive in the market to meet the domestic requirements.
The coconut farms in the state of Kerala have gradually disappeared due to the multiple challenges to cultivate coconut palms.
It is one among other changes in the agricultural landscape that I noticed over the last two decades.
I hear from our neighbours how the existential compulsions have been a disturbing experience.
The sources of income from agricultural produce are drying up! A family can no more find enough to support from the agricultural income alone ! The rice fields remain uncultivated as labourers are not available and cost of using machinery to till the land and harvest is high !
The co-operative farming has emerged as an alternative. Our neighbours pool their land and jointly cultivate which also brought more neighbour friendly attitude.
Every crisis creates new avenue to overcome the ordeals!
A crisis also becomes an opportunity for pursuing the less travelled path!
Anna and I planted forty hybrid coconuts in the last ten years, out of which only five have survived ! We replanted three times to replace the non-surviving ones. But we did not have an advantage. The sixty and seventy years old coconuts in our garden give us good yield that we have more than what we need for our use.
This is a message that weather and environmental conditions have changed, which suit some plants but not some others!
I wish we would view life, living and learning through a new optic of new opportunities to adapt. We are required to accept some limitations and engage some situations to overcome some challenges!
I confess that existential challenges drain our energy and bring anxiety!
When I looked beyond in to the distant field, I saw the morning sunshine brightening the landscape !
That brought hope beyond the lamentation that occupied my attention, about the existential challenges we encounter each day!
What is this hope!
The certainty of God's sunshine upon all who inhabit the earth!
M.C.Mathew(photo and text)
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