From steel to soil: Engineer turns farmer, grows turmeric

Mangaluru: For decades, Prem Chandra Bangera, a mechanical engineer, worked around stainless steel fabrication, running an industry in Baikampady. But in 2017, life nudged him in a completely different direction, one he never imagined.It began with a longing to reconnect with his ancestral land in Kumble, Kerala, 40km from here. "It was my father's land, and I did not want it to stay idle. I wanted to do something meaningful. I decided to build a compound wall and start a journey I knew nothing about — farming," he said.With no prior experience, Prem turned to experts at the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) in Kasargod for guidance. He started with planting 20 hybrid coconut saplings. But the rhinoceros beetle wreaked his crops, teaching him that local varieties thrive best in their native soil. Prem's initial years of farming coincided with the pandemic. "That was the time I became fascinated with tubers. Turmeric, with its rich health benefits, caught my attention. I began looking for different varieties, and soon the farm had eight varieties of turmeric, including black turmeric, Lakadong turmeric, and Kasturi Manjal," said Prem, who participated in the recently held ‘Kanda Moola' exhibition, a platform for farmers to showcase various tubers, turnips, and leafy vegetables, at Sanghaniketan."I did not want my land to see a speck of chemical. My aim was to grow the healthiest produce organically," he added. He attended several seminars to learn more about organic farming, and sought advice from experts like Dinesh Nayak of Vittal, and Sachin Pai, a mushroom grower in Kanhangad.Prem's farm also grows vegetables, like galangal (Thai ginger), greater yam, and black ginger, and exotic fruits including Abiu, mangosteen, and three varieties of rambutan, whose saplings he personally selected from a nursery in Kerala.