80-yr-old Marayoor woman cultivates 40 varieties of rare, near extinct tubers

Marayoor: In the scenic tribal village of Oonchampara, nestled atop a hill surrounded by sandalwood trees, 80-year-old Lakshmi is making headlines with her impressive farming skills. On her half-acre plot, Lakshmi has cultivated 40 unique, near extinct varieties of tubers, all grown organically.

Her work is part of the 'Narumnoor' (pure tubers) project, which aims to revive traditional yam varieties in the Marayoor sandalwood region. Lakshmi's collection includes tubers such as Thonikachil, Kallankachil, Sarppakachil, Kaduvakaiyyan Kachil, Kavalakuthikkachil, Irachikkachil, Manikkachil, Palchempu, Cheruvallikkizhang, Vellappoova, Violet Kappa, Vellakkappa, Biryanikkappa, Karichemp, Elithinnachemp, and Cheruchemp, among others.

Lakshmi's late husband, Chellappan, was a devoted forest conservationist. He passed away after collapsing while on duty at Eravikulam National Park, where he was involved in addressing sandalwood theft.

The 'Narumnoor' project is spearheaded by Marayur Sandal Division's DFO M. G. Vinod Kumar and Range Officer Abju K. Arun, who are working to support and expand this initiative.