How this Kerala farmer gets Rs40 lakh annual turnover with nutmeg farming on just 3 acres

When Kerala-based Varkey Thoman moved from Kottayam to Idukki in 1957, he carried a few nutmeg seeds from his ancestral home. He planted them on his new farm in Idukki. Over the years, he carefully selected and propagated the best seeds. In 1994, after years of observation and experimentation, Varkey identified the best one and named it the Punnathanam nutmeg after his family name.

Varkey passed away in 2020. Today, Varkey’s son Shajan Varghese is protecting and propagating the original Punnathanam nutmeg, the extra-large variety that gives high yields and has made hundreds of farmers prosperous in the last three decades. 

Shajan joined his father in farming 20 years back and grows Punnathanam nutmeg over three acres on his farm in Idukki. “With 300 trees on our farm, the average annual turnover is around Rs40 lakh,” he tells 30Stades.

Shajan says research by the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Thrissur shows the Punnathanam variety’s seed weighs about 15 gm to 20 gm each. So, around 50 seeds could make up a kg. 

The mace, nutmeg’s webbed outer cover also used as a spice, weighs around 3 to 5 gm. “So around 300 mace pieces make up a kg,” Shajan says. The other regular varieties require around 125 nuts and 800 mace pieces to make a kg each. The oil content is also higher in the Punnathanam variety. 

Also Read: MBA woman farmer turns barren land into organic vegetable farm; clocks Rs25 lakh revenues

“This variety has a rather effective growth pattern. The tree’s shape is similar to a Christmas tree and does not take much width. So we can plant trees just 20 ft from each other. But for the other variety, we need at least 30 ft distance as the trees are huge,” he points out. 

A fully matured 10-year-old Punnathanam variety tree can yield up to 20 kilograms of nutmeg and 4.5 kilograms of mace annually. 

“Currently this variety’s nutmeg sells for Rs350 per kg and mace for Rs2000 per kg. One can earn between Rs14,000 and Rs16,000 annually from a tree,” Shajan explains.

Punnathanam nutmeg farming

Shajan’s farm is spread over six acres in Idukki, where he has planted 300 nutmeg trees on three acres of land. He uses the remaining area for other spices like cardamom, pepper, clove, ginger, areca nut and coffee in a mixed cropping system. He uses the intercropping method for multiple sources of revenue. 

He suggests, “Ideally, one can plant around 100 trees per acre. For this variety, we need to leave a 12-ft gap from the front of the plot. The holes are dug three feet deep and wide for the saplings, spacing them 20 feet apart,” he says. 

“Then we can plant areca nuts, eight feet in the front row of each nutmeg tree, which will provide shade from the post-noon sun. After a year, pepper climbers can also be added. So a farmer can have three sources of income.”

He also notes that farmers can also keep one nutmeg tree between four coconut trees or four nutmeg trees around one coconut tree. This will ensure sufficient shade. Humid conditions, with temperatures between 25 and 40 degrees Celsius, are the best for the growth of nutmeg trees. The harvest season is between May and July, with a secondary season in November and December. 

Shajan says the best time to plant nutmeg is during monsoon. 

Budded trees can begin fruiting in three years, but it takes 10 years to mature well for the best yield of around 1,500 nuts per year. 

“It’s essential to correct the soil's pH levels using lime powder. Then we can enrich the soil with organic manure like cow dung, groundnut and neem cake before planting one-year-old saplings. Natural methods are more than enough for this cultivation. Perhaps, mild applications of NPK fertilizer may be used if necessary, and a Bordeaux mixture can be applied to prevent fungal infections in rainy regions,” he shares.

Also Read: How this Karnataka farmer harvests 50kg pomegranates per plant; sells at Rs200 a kg

Sapling demand and sales

When the word about this variety of nutmeg spread across Kerala, many began reaching out to him to buy saplings. After 2015, Shajan started a small nursery. Budded saplings are sold at Rs 900 and seedlings are priced at Rs 100. Budded plants can provide the same quality of nutmeg as the mother plant. 

“We get a demand for around 5000 saplings per year but sell only around 1000 saplings as budding and grafting are laborious. The nursery business brings in Rs9 lakh annually,” Shajan shares.

Also Read: Karnataka’s millionaire farmer harvests 100 kg rambutan and mangosteen per tree; sells at Rs350 per kg

“For saplings, we have customers across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Goa. We even get inquiries from Meghalaya, Shillong, and Assam. However, we are currently lacking the facilities for long-distance transportation. Hopefully, we will be able to plan something in future” Shajan says. 

He sells mace and nutmegs to local farmers, traders and factories that manufacture essential oils. He also has customers from Surat and Kolkata. Shajan has been receiving good feedback from farmers who have been growing this variety and this has built a network of patrons. 

The best in class

Punnathanam nutmeg variety has passed many quality tests conducted by several institutions, including the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) in Kozhikode, Kerala, the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). These tests validate the high quality and best characteristics of this particular nutmeg variety.

It has received several prestigious awards including the 8th National Innovation Foundation Award, presented by former President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015 to the pioneer Varkey Thoman. In 2017, it received the award for the best nutmeg variety from Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). In 2018, the Punnathanam nutmeg was recognised with the state award for the best nutmeg variety, and the award was presented by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan. 

"After years of hard work and dedication, my father developed this exceptional nutmeg variety. I’m happy to continue his legacy and experience the positive impact it has created. This variety has been rewarding, and I wish to share it far and wide. I hope many other farmers will also identify its benefits and enjoy the same success and fulfilment that I have,” Shajan signs off.

(Chandhini R is a Kerala-based journalist specialising in human interest, entertainment, and art and culture stories)

Also Read: How this Cambridge engineer made Pollachi's nutmeg a global sensation with Rs 3 crore annual turnover

Look up our YouTube Channel