Fort Kochi is a beautiful place, with quaint looking homes that remind you of a bygone era. It is also no secret that Keralites love their homes and their terrace that is usually a part of most homes. Now, the spotlight has turned to Francis Joseph, a Fort Kochi resident, who has transformed the terrace of his home into a mini-orchard, growing forty varieties of mangoes! Not only are his mango varieties clinching public interest now, but his masterpiece is also ‘Petricia’, which is named after his wife and he asserts that this variety is sweeter than his other mango varieties.
According to Joseph, he earns Rs 600 to Rs 4,000 for the mango plants that he sells, depending on the variety. The proud mini-orchard cultivator emphasizes that while other mango varieties can be found in the market, ‘Petricia’ is available only at his home.
Rewind to 2014, when Malayalam cinema witnessed a rare ‘green’ moment with Rosshan Andrrews box office hit, “How old are you?” in which leading actress Manju Warrier made a dramatic come back after fourteen years of staying away from the screen.
Her comeback in the role of Nirupama Rajeev, an ordinary working mother, revolves around finding her true passion is in growing organic vegetables on her terrace and battling all odds, inspires other women in her neighborhood to do the same, thereby paving the way for a mini-Green revolution of sorts that begins from one’s balcony.
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In real life, however, this Fort Kochi resident has brought the debate back to nurturing Nature’s abundance with passion and commitment.
After continuous experimentation and now tasting the ‘fruits’ of his successes, Joseph Francis now owns multiple varieties of mangoes which he asserts as sweeter than what is available for sale in the local market.
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With what began as a simple hobby, Fort Kochi resident Joseph has shown the will and the way with his full-time passion for growing mangoes.