KOZHIKODE: Kerala might have to go a long way to attain food self-sufficiency, but school students in the small village of Peruvayal near here have taken a tiny step in the right direction by producing paddy which will be used to prepare their own lunch.The endeavour, which began in October when members of the agricultural club of Peruvayal UP School planted the first paddy seeds on an acre of their school garden, came to fruition on Thursday as enthusiastic students reaped the fruits of their labour to the tune of traditional harvesting songs. The harvest, explained the school headmistress, would be part of their daily lunch. “The students will literally be able to taste the fruits of their hard work. Whatever we have produced will be given back to them as lunch daily. “We will also introduce a scheme where the students can buy a part of the produce at reduced rates for their families to use,” said headmistress Sr Shoji.The farming was no amateur effort though, as it was guided by expert farmers. “We were only too happy to help as we were imparting knowledge in a discipline that is fast becoming extinct in the modern world. All that the children today want to become are doctors and engineers. Maybe after this experience, some of them will want to become farmers in the future,” said Jayaprakash M P, an award-winning farmer, who was the main guide for the project.And his expectations were not in vain as many of the students said that they had developed a new-found enthusiasm for agriculture. “This was the first time that we were exposed to agriculture and the whole process was very enriching.After planting the seeds, we did a lot of hard work, tending the plants every single day. We are all very happy to have cultivated all this and are proud that we are now going to eat what we grew,” said a Abhishek C M, a student who was involved in the project.
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