Sitting in the verandah of Oyster Opera Resort in the tranquil Thekkekadu Island in Kerala’s Kasaragod district, I watched women diving for shellfish, oysters, wild clams, and green mussels cultured on rafts along the Valiyaparamba backwaters. Long ropes suspended in the shimmering waters, adorned with clusters of dark-blue mussels, swayed gently in the breeze. Farmers with bamboo poles in hand skillfully harvested the mussels from the ropes, leaving behind a glittering trail of droplets.

Mussel farming was introduced in Padanna village by Gul Mohammed, the national award-winning farmer who won the Agriculture Ministry’s Karshaka Shiromani Samman in 2002. Gul ushered in mussel farming into the Padanna village and was one of the few enterprising mussel farmers who proved to be catalysts in the technology adoption process. Most of the village residents were once beedi-rollers and farm hands. Following the collapse of the beedi industry and a drop in traditional farming, Gul, a Gulf returned-businessman, initiated them into mussel-rearing on coir and conventional backwater oyster-and clam-farming in Padanna and three other villages of Kasaragod. 

Mussel farming not only boosted the sagging spirits of the villagers, but also helped them earn their bread and butter. Empowerment of the women transformed the lives of the local communities and brought prosperity to the nondescript villages of Padanna, Valiyaparamba, Cheruvathur, and Trikaripur.

How a Gulf returned-businessman changed Padanna  

Gul’s enterprise is a tale of perseverance, hard work, and learning spirit. Realising its vast potential and the increasing demand for mussels as a delicacy, Gul ventured into mussel farming in 1996. He experimented with growing spat (larval form of marine mussel) in coir rags dipped in brackish waters. With its success, he encouraged the local community into this by arranging for them Indian Rural Development Programme subsidies and Gramin Bank loans.

From an initial production of just two metric tonnes, it skyrocketed to 7,000 tonnes, about 70% of the backwater green mussel farming in the country. The self-help groups for women under the apex of Green Mussel Farmers Society form the backbone of Padanna’s mussel farming business. Today, a 30 km stretch of the palm-fringed Padanna Lake is strewn with green mussel farms. With its growing domestic demand and export potential and high profit returns, more women cooperatives and local farming communities are joining the lucrative hunt for shellfish.

At present, a large chunk of the catch is exported to West Asia and other countries. Gul shared his technical expertise and honed the entrepreneurial skills of the local populace, transforming the lives of thousands of farmers. Currently, there are more than 6,000 farmers engaged in oyster and mussel cultivation from the Padanna Grama Panchayat and it is one of the largest exporters of mussel in Kerala. The project grew to become India’s largest marine farming cooperative.

Keeping in view the fact that mussel farming is a summer vocation and cannot provide sustained income throughout the year, the national award-winning farmer (Gul won the Agriculture Ministry’s Karshaka Shiromani Samman) also experimented with mussel farming in seawater with the technical assistance of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in 2004.

“We have sown spats 300 m from the shoreline, where they cling to ropes held aloft by buoys out of reach of waves and turbulence. These experiments brought in a better catch than the backwater variety as the spats have grown well in 60 days as compared to 90 days in brackish water. But to shift farming operations to the sea, the stakeholders in mussel farming need financial aid from the government to buy speed boats. I am optimistic that if mussel farming is popularised with financial backing from governmental institutions, it will metamorphose from an alternative source of income to an all-year occupation and provide livelihood to more people,” Gul told TNM.

A theme village resort in Padanna

After striking gold in aqua farming, Gul struck upon another innovative concept — to provide alternative sources of revenue in socially responsible and sustainable tourism ventures. He floated a theme village resort, Oyster Opera, to tap into the rich tourism potential of the area. “The focus was on generating greater economic benefits and enhancing the well-being of the local communities. We’ll also stress on maximising the positive aspects of tourism without negative impacts on the environment,” he explained.

The theme village resort at Padanna has been conceived in such a way as to benefit the local community. Started as a social enterprise to help the unemployed local folk of the region, Oyster Opera is managed by trained local residents. Women members of Kudumbashree self-help groups have been trained to receive tourists, handle housekeeping, and churn mouthwatering authentic Malabar fare.

Sumathi, who is employed as a cook in Oyster Opera Resort, said, “Currently, I do mussel farming as a side business. It depends upon the vagaries of the weather. Too much heat or rain is bad for mussel farming. I am happy and content now as I get a regular income.”

Keeping in tune with the natural ambience of the area, locally available material has gone into the construction of the resort. The resort has simple, traditional structures with tiled roofs and laterite walls. Its waterfront cottages offer a stunning view of the backwaters. There is also a cottage built on stilts and a floating one. There are no TVs or CD players to distract you from nature.

Houseboat cruises on the placid Valiyaparamba backwaters, visits to the tiny islands, and north Malabar’s rich offering of Theyyam and other folk arts add to the fare. From our houseboat, we observed seaweed farming, mussel farming on coir, cage culture, and traditional collection of natural clam and edible oyster. We culminated our trip by taking a morning stroll down the quiet country lanes and savoured the taste of freshly tapped toddy brought down in black pots by tappers.

Susheela Nair is an independent food, travel and lifestyle writer and photographer contributing articles, content and images to several national publications besides organising seminars and photo exhibitions. Her writings span a wide spectrum which also includes travel portals and guide books, brochures and coffee table books.