Lack of water forces farmers to take up cock’s comb cultivation

Villages around Kovilpatti and Sankarankovil are dependent on the monsoon. Major crops cultivated in the area are red chilli, onion, maize and millets but they too require minimum quantity of rain. Farmers also had to spend on pesticides and fertilisers. This caused severe loss to farmers.

Now, a section of farmers has taken up cock’s comb in their farms as it can survive adverse conditions. Speaking to DTNext, Rajendran, a farmer from Kelavipatti near Kovilpatti, said that this crop can be cultivated throughout the year and it requires less rainfall compared to onions and red chillies.

Apart from that it also does not require any pesticide as natural fertilisers like cow dung is more than sufficient. Earlier it was only planted between water channels so that it can survive on the excess water. But now it has become the favourite among farmers claimed Rajendran. 

Another farmer Gurusamy from Nalatinpudhur near Kovilpatti claimed that earlier the cock’s comb flower which was only used in addition to many other flowers, has a major role to play now. “It is used in varied sectors too. For instance, it is used for manufacturing dyes, for which many industries have sprung up at Thoothukudi, through which they sustain a livelihood,” says Gurusamy.