Coffee and savings in Dhalamukkai

Yesterday I visited the village of Dhalamukkai with Henrik and Eshweri. We attended a meeting of the villages savings group. A part from the monthly savings the topic for discussion was millets. At the moment there is no millet cultivation in the village but the farmers have decided to clear some land starting out next year. There are however some concerns on weather and animal impact. This year the rains came late in the season, which worries the farmers as they are taking on new types of crops. There are also many elephants around during certain times of the year; they along with monkeys can cause much harm to the cultivated land and to the crops.

We ended our visit by taking a close look at a coffee nursery. The farmers of this village grow coffee and are certified by PGS Organic. That means that they pledge to grow organic, develop locally adapted standards, peer review each other, share knowledge and spread organic products to a local market.

Baby coffee plants growing under the protection of a banana tree.

And of course we had tea before going back to office.