Cauvery Calling's Food Forest Cultivation & Triple-Fruit Festival was inaugurated by Rajya Sabha MP Shri. M. M. Abdulla in Pudukkottai on June 23, 2024. The event hosted at Pushkaram - College of Agriculture Sciences in Thiruvarankulam, Pudukkottai, featured a training seminar and exhibition. It was attended by thousands of farmers and the general public.
The Cauvery Calling movement has consistently raised awareness about tree-based agriculture, aiming to improve both environmental sustainability and farmers' economic conditions. This festival focused specifically on promoting agroforestry and the cultivation of three key fruits: mango, jackfruit, and banana.
During his address, Shri. Tamizhmaran, the coordinator of the Cauvery Calling movement, emphasized the festival's objectives. He highlighted the profound impact of climate change on farmers, citing this year's reduced mango yields by 30%, halved jackfruit production, and banana crops affected by unpredictable storms. To tackle these challenges, he advocated for diversified, multi-layered farming practices, emphasizing that agroforestry could mitigate climate change effects, enhance soil microbial life, and promote healthier living.
In his inaugural speech, MP Shri. Abdulla remarked, "One-third of a country's land should be forested, yet today only 21% of our country is under forest cover due to monoculture practices. I commend the efforts of the Isha Foundation and other partners for their work in restoring this balance. By combining traditional knowledge with scientific innovation and natural methods, we can achieve success in agriculture."
The event featured a video lecture titled "The Quest for Good Food as a Solution to Disease" by Siddha doctor Dr. K. Sivaraman. Key presentations on agroforestry were delivered by environmentalist Mr. Engels Raja, National Banana Research Center Director Dr. R. Selvarajan, Bangalore IIHR Chief Scientist Dr. G. Karunakaran, Kerala CTCRI Chief Scientist R. Muthuraj, and NIFTEM researcher Dr. Vincent.
Agroforestry pioneers and experts such as Agri B. Haridas, naturopathic doctor K. Siddhar, and Karnataka's Chandrasekhar and Guruprasad discussed various aspects of mango and jackfruit cultivation.
The festival included an exhibition and sale of 300 varieties of mangoes, 100 varieties of jackfruit, and various types of bananas. Value-added products made from these fruits were also available for purchase. Farmers showed keen interest in buying specific mango and jackfruit saplings. Kerala's Chakkai Koottam group showcased a wide range of jackfruit-based food products, which attracted significant attention from attendees.
The Cauvery Calling movement collaborated with four national research institutions: the National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), and the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) to organize this event.