The town of Pollachi is known for producing high-quality nutmeg. Farmers there have joined forces and set up an agricultural cooperative to ensure prices remain standard, and fair.
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00:00These coconut palm plantations in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, conceal hidden treasures.
00:07Under their canopy, nutmeg trees are thriving and bearing fruit.
00:14This can be a very profitable crop, and that's no exaggeration.
00:18A single nutmeg tree can yield between 20 and 30 Euros, if properly cared for.
00:25And that's per harvest per year.
00:30These nutmeg trees don't need much.
00:33The fruit grows well because there's just the right level of humidity and the perfect amount of space.
00:39We can't grow nutmeg as a monocrop. The only option is intercropping.
00:44We plant nutmeg trees among four coconut trees.
00:47The climate in Pollachi allows us to grow high-quality nutmeg.
00:51High quality meaning no fungal infections.
00:58The farmers in the cooperative don't just sell the seed, they also sell its husk.
01:07Nutmeg is a spice with two different products.
01:10The seed and the husk, called maize.
01:13There are lots of uses for nutmeg.
01:16In perfumes, essential oils and as a flavouring in meat production.
01:21It's widely used across Europe for ham and minced meat.
01:25Maize can be used in a similar way, as an essential oil or flavouring.
01:35Pollachi nutmeg used to sell for very low prices.
01:38Farmers like Prabhu just had to accept the trader's offer.
01:43Traders would go from house to house buying the products at the price they wanted.
01:48They'd give us one price but charge a different one to other farmers.
01:54The farmers finally stood up for themselves and formed their own cooperative.
01:58Since then, they've been selling their produce directly to the consumer.
02:04We established the Pollachi Nutmeg Farmer-Producer Company in 2022
02:09and have been offering this product for the past two years.
02:17The cooperative sets standards.
02:19The seeds need to be a certain size and weight to ensure good quality.
02:23And there are fixed prices for the farmers.
02:29The farmers' organisation offers them a standard price.
02:32When all the farmers are paid the same, you can really see the impact on their lives.
02:40Every year, the farmers in the cooperative harvest about 120 tonnes of nutmeg
02:45and 15 to 20 tonnes of maize.
02:47That's only 1% of what the neighbouring region Kerala produces.
02:52But the quality from Pollachi is said to be better.
02:57Pollachi's reputation for having the best nutmeg has gained international attention.
03:01We're working on branding it.
03:03We've shipped a limited supply to Australia and Canada.
03:09By using their resources efficiently, the farmers are not only protecting the environment
03:14but also improving their livelihoods.
03:16The Pollachi Cooperative is a recipe for success.