Despite a bumper production of Oriental pickling melon ( Cucumis melo var. conomon) in large tracts of agricultural land, farmers such as Abdur Rahman of Puthige in Kasaragod district had little to rejoice until a few months back.
Even after months of hard work, they had low returns for their produce and many were planning to switch over to other cultivation. However, thanks to an initiative of Puthige agriculture officer B.H Nafeesath Hamsheena, who came up with a value-added product in the form of a toilet soap based on the melon, the farmers now have a ray of hope.
Ms. Hamsheena says the soap named Cucumicz has the potential to change the life of farmers as they can sell the crop and also use the excess produce to make soap, doubling their income.
“Over 10 farmers were cultivating Oriental pickling melon in over three hectares and many were eager to switch over to other crops due to poor returns. I realised that the melon has cleansing and moisturising properties and trying to make a soap out of it will offer a solution for the farmers,“ she says.
With the support of Haneefa, a teacher, she developed a soap using the melon except its skin and seeds. “The product now has many takers after it was displayed at a government function recently and the demand is rising,” says Ms. Hamsheena.
She says farmers hardly get ₹8 from the sale of the produce while the soap will fetch them a profit of ₹20 if it is priced at ₹30. She says 25 soaps can be made from a kilogram of melon.
Ms. Hamsheena and her team are now equipping Kudumbashree units to produce the soap, which they can brand and sell in the market.
Farmer Abdur Rahman says the initiative has given hopes for farmers. “Now we are not even able to recoup our investment. But the demand for the melon has seen a steady rise ever since they brought out the soap.”
He says the rising demand for the soap will encourage more farmers to take up the cultivation of Oriental pickling melon.
