Onattukara Sesame – Success Story from Declinal to Revival

Onattukara region of Kerala is famous for sesame cultivation and the varieties released from Kerala Agricultural University received GI tag. Sesame is grown as third crop in Onattukara after the harvest of rice. Sesame grown in this area is unique due to its medicinal properties. But due to low yield and lack of scientific knowledge about cultivation farmers were reluctant to take up sesame as third crop in the rice fields of Kerala. Onattukara Regional Agricultural Research Station of Kerala Agricultural University along with Department of Agriculture and registered farmers agency-Onattukara Vikasana Agency took extensive efforts in this area so as to revive sesame cultivation. After continuous trainings and field visits farmers raised the crop and on an average they got an additional income of 40,000/hectare. Area expansion is going on and in the next season it is expected to cover an area of 1000 hectare under sesame cultivation.