Monu Varghese Mammen from Ernakulam was named the winner of the Malayala Manorama Karshakashri Award 2026. The 38-year-old farmer from Veliyathumalil, Elanji Ernakulam, was selected unanimously by judges for his innovative farming methods.
He is set to receive a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh, a citation, and a gold medal in February, Malayala Manorama managing editor Jacob Mathew announced on Wednesday. The award-giving ceremony will be held in Thrissur in February next year.
The other finalists included M.K. Purushothaman from Sultan Bathery, Wayanad, C.D. Raveendran Nair from Vandanmedu, T.V. Rajanarayanan from Thiruvilwamala, Thrissur, and K. Saseendran from Vengapally, Wayanad.
Monu, who has a mechanical engineering degree, was rewarded for his innovative methods to increase the productivity of his fields and dairy units using a combination of technology, marketing, financial management, and diversification of products.
He and his mother, Valsa, sought to diversify their 20-acre rubber plantation after rubber prices began crashing. In 2019, he set up a dairy unit where he came up with methods to increase production using climate-controlled cattle sheds and technology for milking. Monu also developed his own formula for making a total balanced ration and effectively reduced the intercalving periods which, he said, was crucial in increasing production and income from dairy farming.
As the dairy production turned successful, he got his wife Niss and sister Meenu involved to lead ‘Monu’, a brand that has been gaining popularity in Kerala. He also introduced a poultry farm between his rubber plantations in an effort to reduce urea application in paddy fields.
The five-member jury was headed by former Union agriculture secretary and former chairman of NDDB and Spices Board T. Nandakumar, P. Indiradevi, former Director of Research, Kerala Agricultural University; Madhura Swaminathan, professor, Economic Analysis Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Bengaluru; B Ashok, State Agriculture Production Commissioner; and Jacob Mathew. They said that Monu was selected as he had set an example for young, educated farmers who are willing to use technology for sustainable and profitable farming.
This is the 18th Karshakashri award. A winner is selected every two years. Applications for this year began coming in from July 1, 2025. The finalists were chosen from a list of 117 applicants who were judged for their integrated farming methods, commercial ventures, and agricultural experiments that emphasised environmental protection. Nineteen were shortlisted after the first round, and the list was further reduced to five.
